Who do I need to complain to - fire on bridleway?

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zoeshiloh

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There is a chap that lives in our village whose house is right next to a bridleway. Him and his wife hate dog walkers and horse riders using the bridleway (despite having a horse and dog themselves) and seem to think it is for their private use. If you walk your dog up it, they shout abuse at you.

I haven't ridden up it for some time, but at the weekend I did. He has now taken to burning all his rubbish outside his front gate (on the actual bridlway) at the weekend in an attempt to keep horse riders away. As we were riding up the path, he came out with a bag of rubbish and tipped it onto the fire (lots of green twigs) so that it was spitting and hissing. This caused my horse to shoot back, almost landing in the ditch beside the bridleway. This is a wide path, big enough for a car to drive down, but it does have ditches either side of it.

Surely he shouldn't be allowed to have a fire this close to the bridlway? It isn't small either - it is about 6ft tall and probably over a 10ft square area.

I complained to our parish council, but that hasn't made a difference, as the person in question sits on the council. Who should I turn to now? Is it legal for him to do this?
 
you need to get in touch with your rights of way department at you district council.
what he is doing is wrong,he is causing an obstruction.
BHS also has a right-of-way dept.
 
You contact your local council who will have a bridleways officer, they are usually very efficient and they will tell him to stop what he is doing. You can also contact the BHS who will give you your local BHS bridleways officer details.
 
The fire and rubbish are deemed an illegal obstruction under 'Rights of Way Law'. What he is doing is very dangerous and could cause a serious accident.

You simply contact the Access Department of the local County Council where the bridleway is. You are best to do this in writing and to include a map which shows exactly where it is. Ask them to confirm receipt of your letter in writing. Send it to them by 'Royal Mail Special Delivery' so that there is no doubt that they have received it. (keep the receipt with your letter) If you do not hear from them within four weeks then write to them again.

If you then do not get a response contact your BHS Bridleway Officer who is Bryan Freemantle Tel: 07860 244673 who is known to me and is very good.

Peter Natt Volunteer BHS Bridleway Officer North Hertforshire and Stevenage E-mail info@bhs-herts.org.uk
 
Thank you very much for this information - I shall get on it right away
smile.gif
 
You should tell you District Council (Different to parish) and also try Suffolk Council.

I work for Derbyshire Council and this should not be alound, on the coucil or not!!! If that fails get an MP involved (Or threaten to, to Suffolk council) we always jump when MP is meantioned!! LOL

If all that fails, tell the police. They should then get onto council, sorry but the only way you get anything do my council's is to mob them!!
 

If you then do not get a response contact your BHS Bridleway Officer who is Bryan Freemantle Tel: 07860 244673 who is known to me and is very good.

yes he's v gd Peter, not sure he'll be best pleased about his contact being placed here though maybe a pm to the OP would have been better?
 
I would also put a formal complaint into the Parish council, As the Parish council is there to benifit the village, not individual persons, as they have a strict code of conduct and he can be removed from said council, if he's misusing his postion on the parish council.
 
As above, but if you complain to the Parish Council, and nothing gets done, do you have the opportunity of standing up at the full PC meeting where there is often a public participation section and formally complaining that one of the Parish Councillors is doing this, without naming names at that stage. There is usually a member of the Press present at these meetings.

District Council, County Council, BHS, MP.
And if all else fails (or you are feeling vindictive LOL) the Standards Board. There should be information about it on your local District Council website.
 
Agree with all above posts do not give up complaining, we had something very similar happen near us, our bridleways officer threatened a court case and it stopped almost immediately. Hope you get it sorted out soon.
 
How annoying - I had to ring up my local council one time due to not knowing where the bridleway went (and not wanting to ride over private land) and I found them very helpful.

Please do let us know how you get on.
xx
 
I do feel for you. Almost exactly the same used to happen to me, only the house-owner also let his dogs roam loose in the adjacent woods and they would lunge at horses from the undergrowth and chase them towards the road. He also lit fires on the bridleway and I ended up reporting him to the council, Dog Warden AND the police. The former two were more effective than the latter, who didn't even return my call.

If there are others using the bridleway, perhaps make the problem known and ask for help from other riders and dog walkers?
 
[ QUOTE ]

If you then do not get a response contact your BHS Bridleway Officer who is Bryan Freemantle Tel: 07860 244673 who is known to me and is very good.

yes he's v gd Peter, not sure he'll be best pleased about his contact being placed here though maybe a pm to the OP would have been better?

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this not in the Public Domain anyhow, otherwise, how are people supposed to find their local Officer?
 
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