Farmers using land at Waterside Farm, located near the Centurion Hotel, Midsomer Norton, have raised concerns with both Westfield Parish Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council after several incidents involving walkers not using public rights of way.
The farmland, popular with local dog walkers, as well as ramblers, is regularly used by people all over Midsomer Norton, Westfield, Haydon and the surrounding areas and due to being untended for several years, saw footpaths naturally migrate across fields with overgrowth. However, in recent years, the land has been purchased by several different farmers, who, together with both B&NES and Westfield Parish Council, have worked to reinstate the footpaths and public rights of way through the land, installing new kissing gates, signage and fencing to mark field boundaries.
Despite this, landowners have noticed that walkers have not been following the designated paths, laid out as being public rights of way, and say this has become a worrying issue, with both livestock and the public being put in danger. Farmers have found that fences marking out private land and to protect cattle have been cut and uprooted and that dog walkers have been leaving mess in fields used for growing crops and feeding cattle.
Martin Craggs, one of the landowners, said: "I'm sure the majority of walkers using the land just are not aware that they are on private property. I think the biggest misconception is that one farmer is just putting up fences, but that's not the case, the fences are there for boundaries between the different landowners and for public safety." Over the past two years, B&NES Council have been allocating funds to reinstate original footpaths and public rights of way across the area, with plans to open up new links between Westfield and Radstock. The work at Waterside Farm is now almost complete, with gates and a new footbridge now installed along the route. B&NES Council, along with Westfield Parish Council, is hoping to work with the landowners to ensure the public keep to the correct paths for their safety and the safety of the animals.
"There is a risk to public health if fences continue to be damaged," Martin continued. "Not only is there the potential for the public to encounter a dangerous animal when using private property, but escaping cattle can enter TB restriction zones. Dog walkers allowing their dogs to mess in fields used for crops or feed, are risking disease entering the food chain. Also, the disease, Neospora, is proven to cause aborting in cattle and is transmitted in dog mess. These areas are working environments and should be respected."
B&NES and Parish Councillor for Westfield, Robin Moss, said: "Both B&NES and the Parish Councils have listened to local walkers, as well as local farmers, to invest in revamping the footpaths and gates, so that walkers would not have to 'share' with cattle. Most seem to appreciate the work, but there are still some who are trespassing on farmland. We would like walkers to work with farmers to make sure that cattle and the public remain safe when using the fields."
References for where the public rights of way exist, can be found at: http://footpathmaps.com/">http://footpathmaps.com/ or by emailing: [email protected]">[email protected] Issues with unmarked public rights of way can also be directed to the Council. Walkers should look out for yellow directional arrows and signage indicating the public rights of way.