Safety fears over state of eroded riverside path
AKEEN walker has hit out at the “disgusting” state of an eroded river path which he says is a safety hazard.
Timothy Davies goes for regular strolls down by the river near his Rawtenstall home, but says certain stretches are “an accident waiting to happen” due to erosion of the pathway. Following our enquiries with multiple agencies, Lancashire County Council (LCC) told the Free Press they are working on a short-term solution, starting from this week.
Timothy, 40, said: “It’s terrible. I’ve reported several issues down by that stretch of water. That pathway is disgusting. I’ve tried all resources - so many different people. I’ve reported it all to the Environment Agency (EA), and tried to contact the local council and they’re saying it’s on private land. The Canals & Rivers Trust say it’s the EA.”
Timothy said when he spoke to a neighbour about the issue, which is in the Townsend Fold area, they revealed they had suffered a fall down there last year.
He added: “The river path is very dangerous and has fallen into the river.
“Many young families use the area, and it is an accident waiting to happen.
“A lot of local walkers go round there; it’s quite a popular route. It’s been bad [before], but obviously it’s got worse.”
It is understood the EA would only get involved if the flow of the river was being blocked by an obstacle, while the landowner would only need to correct the pathway if there was a public right of way.
The EA said they believe responsibility for the path lies with the landowner.
Rossendale council said the pathway does not come under the council’s jurisdiction; a spokeswoman adding: “We advise contacting LCC if this is a formal or public right of way although any action they can take will also be dependent on the type of right of way or pathway it is.”
An LCC spokesman said: “Unfortunately this bank of the River Irwell has been eroding over recent years and we have been monitoring the situation due to the impact on the footpath, with the original line of the path no longer being available in places. We’re aware of further very recent erosion to the riverbank, and are thankful to the owner of the adjoining land for agreeing to the fence being moved as a temporary measure so that people can continue to get through.
“We are due to visit later this week to carry out this work to the fence and will pursue longer term solutions to the erosion issues with the Environment Agency.”