The Parish Council has been sent documentation for our information by the Planning Inspectorate, who are adjudicating on the status of the track owned by the Sailing Club that runs beside Piddinghoe Pond, from the Street to the riverbank.
Following an application from the Rambler’s Association, it was decided a couple of years ago that this track is a ‘restricted byway’, meaning that it is a public right of way for everything except motor vehicles. As a result, the Egrets Way Project was able to negotiate with the Sailing Club to run the section between Newhaven and Piddinghoe along this track rather than along The Hoe riverbank.
The Sailing Club appealed against the track’s designation as a restricted byway not because they have changed their mind about the Egrets Way (that is a done deal), but because the Club want to retain the barrier into their car park to guard against vandalism, fly-tipping, and unauthorised and/or overnight parking. However a restricted byway has to be accessible to non-motorised (eg horse-drawn) vehicles so the barrier must be removed.
The documentation comprises the final statements to the planning inspector from the Ramblers’ Association, the Sailing Club and East Sussex County Council who are the Rights of Way authority. As the statements show the case has become very technical, albeit rather fascinating. The planning inspector will visit the site in September, and we are all warned not to try and engage them in any discussion as all representations are now concluded.
