Private road to be opened to public

9:15am Sunday 6th July 2008

THE OWNER of a private road is furious after the council announced plans to open it up to the public.

Printers Lane in Bromley Cross has been gated off for the last two years by Graham Turner, the managing director of Bradshaw Sheet Metal Works.

The lane forms a private access road to the works, and Mr Turner says the council has no right to open it to the public.

Despite his opposition to the move, the council's planning committee has approved a compulsory footpath creation order.

If no-one opposes the order within 28 days of it being publicised, the order will be confirmed and Printers Lane will become a public footpath.

If anyone objects, however, the decision will be made by the secretary of state for the environment.

A council spokesman said the order would be advertised in the Bolton News shortly.

The issue was discussed at Tuesday's Bromley Cross area forum meeting, where Cllr Alan Wilkinson said public opinion was overwhelmingly in favour of opening the road.

Cllr Wilkinson said the road was used by many residents in the area, as well as Turton High pupils as they walk between the school and their homes in Bradshaw.

He said: "We've all agreed really it should be open. The kids find their own way across otherwise, possibly through people's gardens.

"Some of them even climb over the gates, which are a six foot high, and it's a bit dangerous."

Landowner Mr Turner declined to confirm whether he would object to the order, but said he was very strongly against the council's plan to open it.

He said: "They can't. It's my land. There's no public footpath and there never has been. It's as simple as that."