Footpath blunder Route blocked by M5 workers

A POPULAR public footpath next to the M5 near Bristol was mistakenly blocked by work to widen a slip road and create parking spaces for emergency vehicles.

- Adam POSTANS

Contractors for National Highways failed to realise they were obstructing an official path for walkers at the northbound exit of junction 16 at Almondsbury, a South Gloucestershire Council meeting heard.

The public rights of way and commons registration sub-committee has now approved a retrospective request to divert the route to the new layout on the ground, although this requires public consultation.

A report to the meeting said: "Highways England [as the government agency was then called] were well under way with their scheme when it was discovered that the legal line of the footpath would be severely compromised due to the new embankment works and fencing and it was several more months before this was understood by Highways England.

"There may have been confusion because, over the years, the embankment has been previously modified and planted and the walked route of the footpath had already been repositioned at the top of the bank.

"However, the legal line could still have been walked, albeit with difficulty due to the trees, until the current works brought it into the bounds of the M5 carriageway.