“After a long campaign, the Piddle Path Action Team is delighted that Dorset Council has started repairs along the Piddle Path. But it’s been a long time coming and would not have happened without a lot of community partnership work”. So said Maria de Figueiredo at the May Dorchester Transport Action Group zoom meeting.
Maria had been invited to come and tell us all about the community campaign to get Dorset Council to improve the path. Together with a group of residents she has been campaigning for many years for a safe route for walkers and cyclists along the Piddle Valley.
Maria explained that “The main road is very dangerous with heavy traffic and no pavement. But there is an existing bridleway parallel to the main road which we thought would be ideal however it lacked maintenance and sections had become impassable when wet. Due to run off from fields because of hedges being removed and lack of maintenance.
Some landowners wanted it reserved for horses and were against increased traffic from cyclists. They were also concerned about having a new surface on the path. But the path improvement has been in the Neighbourhood Plan since 2013. So when the idea gained support from the local community, the local School and the High Sheriff we started raising funds to make it happen”.
The Action Team tried to contact all of the land owners – one was very supportive and planted trees/hedges. However Maria said there was oscillating support from Dorset Council who said they did not maintain bridleways for cyclists – just for equestrians and walkers and they considered that the Piddle Path was passable.
So, in 2023 the Action Team served Dorset Council with a Section 56 notice under the Highways Act 1980 which required them to maintain the path.
Works started in the summer of 2024 creating a new mixed surface but it did not include maintaining the ditches and drains. About one quarter of the path is now completed (in separate sections). Although this is a huge improvement, sections still remain muddy at times and so it is not quite an all-weather, all year-round transport route yet.
Maria explained “This new binding course creates the appearance of a sealed surface but allows water to drain through and is a fabulous final coat suitable for persons of all ages and abilities to traverse whether on foot, bike or horse. The surface is also designed to green up at the edges and meld in with the environment. We are, however, sorry to see that not all the requested areas have been repaired and neither has the drainage been successfully addressed as we had requested. We will continue to petition Dorset Council to this end”.
Legally the Section 56 notice expired after 6 months, so the Action Team will be resubmitting it to get work on the rest of the path completed.
You can follow progress on the campaign on the Piddle Path Action Group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430727477926666
(Photo: Before and after of a section of the Piddle Path)