Reopen the Stile on Upper Ashlyns Road
Donation protected
We are a group of local residents in Berkhamsted who are raising money to appeal against a planning decision.
In September 2017, a local independent school, Berkhamsted School closed a stile which provides access to their playing fields and a public footpath which runs through the playing field. They destroyed the stile and put up fencing, blocking a route which has been used for decades. This obstruction has cut off a vital route for many local school children who use the stile on their walk to Ashlyns School and local residents (many of whom are elderly) who use the stile to access the local cemetery, bus stops and walking routes. This change has meant residents, walkers and children as young as 11 will have to take much longer and more dangerous routes to their destinations.
An online petition was set up by a local schoolgirl which appealed to Berkhamsted School's sense of community and care, see the petition here. Local Parents met with the principal to ask for reason and sense to prevail. Berkhamsted School refused to budge. We supported a local resident who made an application for a modification of the use of the stile to Hertfordshire County Council. We wanted to get the stile made into a public right of way.
We recently learned that the Council have not found in our favour despite our providing evidence of the stile being used as far back as 1945. However the outcome was not clear cut and we have decided to appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment as we believe we have solid grounds for re-consideration. See the decision here .
But we can no longer do this alone, we need advice from legal professionals and that is why we are asking for your help. At this stage we are not sure of the entire cost but understand it could be as much as £5000 and we urgently need funds to pay for initial consultations. Your donation will be able to help us do that.
With your support we may have a chance of reopening this vital link for the use of the whole community. Everybody's lives will benefit on a daily basis; our children will have a quicker, safer route to school. Local residents will once again be able to catch a bus, walk into town or reach Kingshill Cemetery without having to take a long circuitous route via a busy A road with little or no footpaths. Walkers and exercise groups will once again be able to use a commonsense link to the public footpath in the field and the whole town will benefit from the effects of people walking to so many destinations rather than choking up the environment with more and more car use.
Thank you so much to those of you who have helped our campaign by signing the petition and providing evidence and support over the last 18 months. We have not given up. We believe we have a good case for appeal. So many of us would really be so very grateful for any assistance you may be able to give us.
The map below shows how important this route is to local people. The stile was in the top left hand corner of the large playing field.
In September 2017, a local independent school, Berkhamsted School closed a stile which provides access to their playing fields and a public footpath which runs through the playing field. They destroyed the stile and put up fencing, blocking a route which has been used for decades. This obstruction has cut off a vital route for many local school children who use the stile on their walk to Ashlyns School and local residents (many of whom are elderly) who use the stile to access the local cemetery, bus stops and walking routes. This change has meant residents, walkers and children as young as 11 will have to take much longer and more dangerous routes to their destinations.
An online petition was set up by a local schoolgirl which appealed to Berkhamsted School's sense of community and care, see the petition here. Local Parents met with the principal to ask for reason and sense to prevail. Berkhamsted School refused to budge. We supported a local resident who made an application for a modification of the use of the stile to Hertfordshire County Council. We wanted to get the stile made into a public right of way.
We recently learned that the Council have not found in our favour despite our providing evidence of the stile being used as far back as 1945. However the outcome was not clear cut and we have decided to appeal to the Secretary of State for the Environment as we believe we have solid grounds for re-consideration. See the decision here .
But we can no longer do this alone, we need advice from legal professionals and that is why we are asking for your help. At this stage we are not sure of the entire cost but understand it could be as much as £5000 and we urgently need funds to pay for initial consultations. Your donation will be able to help us do that.
With your support we may have a chance of reopening this vital link for the use of the whole community. Everybody's lives will benefit on a daily basis; our children will have a quicker, safer route to school. Local residents will once again be able to catch a bus, walk into town or reach Kingshill Cemetery without having to take a long circuitous route via a busy A road with little or no footpaths. Walkers and exercise groups will once again be able to use a commonsense link to the public footpath in the field and the whole town will benefit from the effects of people walking to so many destinations rather than choking up the environment with more and more car use.
Thank you so much to those of you who have helped our campaign by signing the petition and providing evidence and support over the last 18 months. We have not given up. We believe we have a good case for appeal. So many of us would really be so very grateful for any assistance you may be able to give us.
The map below shows how important this route is to local people. The stile was in the top left hand corner of the large playing field.
Organizer
Smilja Veris
Organizer