Says Cath Hart, Shipwrights Way Project Officer, to supporters

I am writing on behalf of the Shipwrights Way Steering Group to suggest a date for your diaries...

I am pleased to announce that on 12th March we plan to open the first two sections of the Shipwrights Way, which mark the start of the route at Alice Holt and the end point for phase 1 of Queen Elizabeth Counttry Park - in total around 5 miles of the 28-mile route.

I will send further details nearer the time, and you will of course be invited to join us to help cut the ribbon and to walk or ride (by cycle or horse!) both of these sections. Both include recent extensive improvement work, and will be waymarked with the new Shipwrights logo.

Dear Cath,

You seem to have forgotten that at your last meeting you said the trail was still a draft and open for discussion for a possibly better route.

"(I will certainly come back to you when we are looking at your area.)"

You offered a meeting to discuss as did your predecessor but that offer has never materialized.

Certainly the recipients to your email expected further consultation I feel sure.

Unfortunately as I rather feared the scheme seems to be a fait accompli. However that still does not mean you do not have to answer the questions which I put to you. Indeed not to do so would leave EHDC and the other partners open to Judicial Review.

Just to remind you of these: Cradle Lane is not yet open and is still subject to a TRO. If that comes to an end by 12th March will there be a permanent TRO preventing abuse by 4WD's to protect the lane in future? You made it clear that horse riders will have to pay to use the trail where it runs through Alice Holt is that still the case? Has anyone even asked the Secretary of State for permission to upgrade footpaths to bridleways or create bridle rights on sections of the route which are neither? "(I will ask the FC again about the possibility of dedication, as you suggest, and will note the funding streams you cite.)" I have asked you to send me a map detailing the exact route so that it can be seen which is definitive footpath or bridleway or permissive.

"(I'm sorry, we are not making maps publicly available at the moment, as we now need time to assess the stakeholder event response and to talk to landowners etc (in your area as landowner, you know it includes Cradle Lane)" Why have you not done as I requested? Is it because you have forgotten that I not only represent horse riders, I am also a District Councillor, which one cannot detect from your email?

We have had no discussion of the route after Cradle Lane. Many people would not be happy to see cycle paths across Broxhead Common SSSI or the bridleways as they are, are too narrow for multi- user. What risk assessment has been done to ensure no conflict between users?

I am not clear about the funding. Sec. 106 monies cannot be used where the use of the path is discriminatory. Just what other avenues of funding have been explored?

What is the situation with regards to the 200 metre strip near Bentley Station which is not owned by the FC? There are several questions addressed to the Steering Group by Bob Milton in his email of 10th December 2010. Have these been answered?

'The Steering Group now need time to consider all of the above and determine the best way forward; this will be on a section-by-section basis over the next year or so, during which I will be meeting with relevant people to assess issues. I will send updates periodically by email and we shall call another meeting when there is more to report - at a guess in 6-12 months' time - in the meantime please feel free to contact me with any thoughts/queries or alternative route suggestions.' So what happened to change the timetable. Why such unseemly haste?

I shall be interested to hear from you

Maureen