Update from the DEFRA proposing to extinguish OCH8 following the recent legal debates about diversion and bridge or tunnel orders.
This would appear to be a loss of the PROW, a well loved and cherished footpath, and mainly due to a complaint from a resident of a neighbouring parish.
Nevertheless, the final paragraph suggests improving the permissive footway which uses a Network Rail maintenance access stairway.
Overall, this is a sad decision which removes a legal right of way in favour of a potentially easily lost permissive path. We can only hope that Network Rail continue to provide this route as a walking route for parishioners and others long into the future.
