SOUTH SOMERSET NEWS: Hole opens up in footpath

MYSTERY surrounds who owns the pathway leading from the Tesco store up to Frog Lane in Ilminster with nobody wanting to take responsibility of repairing a hole which has appeared in the ground.

Just at the very bottom of the footpath a small hole has opened up and it is getting bigger – but nobody has come forward to say that the path belongs to them.

Cllr Rob Drayton, of Ilminster Town Council, told the News: “A small child’s foot will fit in this hole and their leg would disappear down it.

“This isn’t scaremongering – I am very worried that somebody could get injured.”

But who owns the footpath and therefore responsible for repairing the damage is the problem facing the town council.

Town clerk Joy Norris said that the footpath was not adopted and therefore had nothing to do with Somerset County Council’s highways department, while Tesco had denied any ownership as had developers.

“We are still trying to find out who actually owns that footpath,” she said. “But in the meantime we have placed a concrete paving slab over the hole with a bollard on top just to make people aware.”

PHOTO - ABOVE: Mystery surrounds who owns this footpath in Ilminster. The bollard and concrete slab hide the hole which has appeared.

PHOTO - RIGHT: The hole which needs repairing in the footpath.

Cllr Drayton is concerned, however, that nobody will come forward over the footpath’s ownership and hopes that the highways authority will eventually step in.

“I am hoping the county council as highways authority will take the moral high ground and do this before someone is hurt,” he said.

“It is not a major job, quite a small hole but it needs safety boards around before the work is done and then repaired before it gets worse.”

Ilminster’s county council representative, Cllr Linda Vijeh, has been contacted about the hole and she too is looking into the problem.

Anyone who may be able to help in solving the mystery as to who owns the footpath between Tesco and Frog Lane is asked to get in touch with Ilminster Town Council as soon as possible.

People can visit the town council offices in North Street or phone 01460-52149.

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