'Replacing stiles was a waste of money' (From Gazette & Herald)

'Replacing stiles was a waste of money'

PERFECTLY good footpath stiles have been torn out for no reason and replaced at ratepayers' expense, says the person who looks after footpaths for Pickering Town Council.

But the man at North Yorkshire County Council in charge of maintenance and repair of the stiles says they were rotten and they all had to go.

Around 30 stiles were destroyed and replaced. But Brian Mullins, of North Yorkshire County Council, admits one stile was replaced after only a metal catch was found to need repairing.

"One stile possibly wasn't falling down, but because the contractor was in the area, it was more economical to replace it since it looked as if it wouldn't last."

He had been very concerned about several routes around Pickering and said there had been complaints about the state of them.

Betty Hood, Pickering Town Council's footpaths officer, maintains the footpaths had been kept in good working order. They are regularly used and checked by her and also Pickering resident Pauline Hukin, who runs guided walks across the footpath network.

The Mayor of Pickering, Coun Natalie Warriner, believes there has been a serious breakdown in communication.

"Our economy in Pickering is based on walkers," she said. "We have to make sure we all work together. Our footpaths officer works so hard I don't know what we would do without her."

Betty Hood told the Gazette & Herald how stiles she had put in had been taken away without any consultation.

"Some had only been in for two years," she exclaimed. "It's heartbreaking, really. And when they put the replacement stiles in, some were too high to get over.

"We had complaints that people couldn't get over, so we had to put in another layer.

"I am very hurt and disappointed that these 30-odd stiles, which we had put in ourselves and looked after, were just ripped out.

"At least two were put back in the wrong place and one wasn't even put up in a right of way."

Mr Mullins asserted the replacements were made as part of a programme of work due to major complaints about the footpaths.

"If I had to consult with every parish council to get work through, it would take even longer to get it done," he said.

"I told the contractor to use his initiative. If I've upset anyone, I apologise."

He added: "I admit there are better ways we could have done the work, but my colleagues and I are all fully stretched.

"In an ideal world, we would consult."

Mr Mullins has already responded to a letter from the Pickering town clerk requesting a meeting on the subject of footpaths and the stiles.

Updated: 09:29 Thursday, June 06, 2002