'A fundamental omission': Retired police officer raises concerns over council report on plans for new foothpath

A new path in Peterborough will be narrower at its tightest point than is stated in a council report.

The Peterborough City Council (PCC) planning document laying out proposals for the footpath through Westwood Grange Recreation Ground said it “would have a width of 2.85m”, but failed to mention that it would be just 2.2m wide at its access point.

A council spokesperson said the authority “can see how this could have been miscommunicated”, but added that it applies to less than a metre stretch of the path.

The figure was also included in site plans drawn by architects and available to the public.

The issue over the report was brought to light by local resident Stuart Kent who said that he, along with neighbours, is “very disappointed” with the council’s decision to approve plans for the path.

“As a retired police officer I take public safety very seriously and the integrity of the local authority,” he said. “In this case both have been let down.”

Mr Kent, who has previously worked for Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the National Crime Agency, has lived in the area since 1986.

'Fundamental omission'

He described the lack of mention of the 2.2m access point in the council’s report, also available to the public on the council’s website, as a “fundamental omission”.

Mr Kent raised concerns about the footpath with police, one of the authorities the council must consult before making most planning decisions, before it was made.

This resulted in a letter to the council from ‘designing out crime’ officer Jules Hanrahan raising “serious concerns for public safety”.

Footpaths should be “as straight and as short as possible with a minimum width of 3m” in order to “avoid potential physical conflict points as pedestrians pass each other”, she added. The path will also be used by cyclists.

PCC approved plans for the footpath on 8th February after PC Hanrahan’s letter was received on 5th February. Site plans which include the 2.2m label were submitted to PCC’s planning portal in January, at which point some but not all consultees had entered their comments.

PCC says guidance suggesting paths should be a minimum of 3m is “where space permits” and that it’s “not a policy requirement to be any wider”.

It also “worked with internal and external parties” to consider the comments PC Hanrahan raised, a spokesperson said.

Scheme will see Netherton United clubhouse extended

The path is part of a wider scheme which will see the new path linking up with an existing path to the west of Netherton United FC’s clubhouse. The building will also be extended to the front, side and rear.

PC Hanrahan also said public footpaths shouldn’t run to the rear of buildings as “these have been proven to generate crime, particularly when looking at the use for the football ground”.

The council says the doors and windows of the clubhouse, which will be next to the path, will be inward opening and used for fire escape purposes only.

The council’s report on the footpath and wider scheme acknowledges “concerns” that the “proposed footpath was too narrow”.

“The existing footpath has a total width of 3.30m whilst the proposed footpath would have a width of 2.85m,” it adds.

“The LHA [Local Highways Authority] have not raised any concerns on this. Whilst the proposed footpath would curve upon entry via access on both [sides], it should be minded that the layout of the existing footpath is mirrored. This is in order to slow down traffic of users to avoid head on collisions.”

“As such, as two access [points] would remain [in] use through the peak travel times of the day, there would be limited to no obstructions to users of the recreation ground as a thoroughfare access route.”

The report can be found in the council’s planning portal.