Bridge over troubled waters could yet return

A village campaign could pave the way to the first step to the return of a footbridge to ease problems over troubled waters.

The Dobcross Village Community Executive raised concerns after a flooded footbridge over the River Tame was closed.

It was suggested a footpath claim could speed up the process of getting the 1980 timber footbridge reopened.

John Walton, of Oldham Ramblers, Footpath Secretary for 40 years, gathered user evidence from 34 locals who had walked the riverside path for up to 60 years.

The path crosses three plots of land - two of which are council owned - and they have been managed since 1980.

There is 45m of unregistered land and notices had to be fixed on site to flush out any landowners.

None appeared and the statutory legal notices were sent to the known landowners, but there were no negative comments.

The claim was submitted in January 2020, but it was turned it down.

Then Covid kicked in and the claim gathered dust until the Spring of 2022.

However, inquiries established the 2020 claim was still valid.

Mr Walton said: “The bulky folder with masses of evidence was submitted to the new ROW Officer on June 21 last year.

“But a few days later he came back to say the legal team had rejected my claim which is that parts of the path are over Council land and that access has been ‘by right’ rather than ‘as of right’ and the claim is not valid.

“They said the path was a permissive path which had been in existence since the 1980s.

"However, during these 40 years there had been no signs erected, so travellers along the way would have been blissfully unaware if  the path was a public right of way, a definitive path or a permissive path.

“Any traffic order has to be submitted before the Traffic Regulation Panel (TRP) for them to rubber stamp or not the Council's legal submissions. 

“The Panel met on January 19 and more than 30 Saddleworth folk turned up to witness the proceedings.”

Mr Walton, backed by ward cllr Luke Lancaster, gave a three minute speech in support of the claim. 

He said: “The overwhelming supporting evidence was the Tame Valley Way, which runs from Denshaw to Portland Basin, had been used by thousands of walkers since the late 1980s and followed the riverside path through Dobcross.

“The Panel accepted the Tame Valley Way evidence and voted unanimously in favour of the footpath claim in Dobcross.

“The crowd applauded the decision, which means Oldham council will now have to go back and process the footpath claim within the 12 month statutory period.

"Fingers crossed there are no objectors.

“The next stage is the reinstatement of the timber footbridge using man-made materials to give a much longer life than the timber one which was paid for and erected by GMC in 1980.”

He added: “However, in order for the new bridge to get onto the drawing board, help maybe required from grant sources, businesses and donations and a wide spector of people.” 

Councillor Lancaster spoke in support of Mr Walton and councillor Max Woodvine underpinned the move.

Cllr Lancaster said: "It is a superb result, and a true team effort.”

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