Footpaths start to reopen in South Bucks

If you see a young man get out of a Land Rover down your lane carrying a map, a staple gun and a handful of bright red or yellow posters it's likely to be Ian Burgess.

Mr Burgess, rights of way officer for Wycombe district, is deciding which of the large number of footpaths, tracks and bridleways in the area can be reopened to walkers, riders and dog owners.

Yellow posters have been in place since the beginning of the national foot and mouth outbreak, and mean no entry, but the red ones are good news because they give people access to the countryside again.

In Grubbins Lane, near Speen, resident Trisha Lenko was delighted that her car was blocked by Ian's vehicle. It meant he was reopening the lane from its junction with Moses Plat Lane, through to Lily Bottom Lane.

Like most people she wasn't against the closure of the paths. But she said: "This will make life much easier for everyone."

For Trisha it will mean she will be able to take her dog for a run again. Dog owners are the people most likely to phone Buckinghamshire County Council asking for footpaths to be reopened.

Horse owners, of whom there are hundreds in the Chilterns, will be relieved. Many live in London, but stable their horses here and since the bridleways closed have had nowhere for the horses to exercise apart from roads which can be dangerous.

Mr Burgess can take this into consideration when deciding to reopen a bridleway, though farming interests take precedence

Hordes of helpers put up the first yellow signs, but now it's up mainly to Mr Burgess to decide which ones should stay closed.

He will carry the can if there's an outbreak of disease as a result of his actions so he is taking things carefully. The county is foot and mouth free and has been since the beginning, though there have been several scares .

Making the decisions is not just a question of looking at the definitive footpath map and saying yes or no.

Many ancient hedged trackways can be reopened but with other paths it depends on where they go and what they link up with.

On Monday Mr Burgess was out inspecting the Speen area where he decided to open two tracks; Grubbins Lane leading to Lily Bottom Lane and Kiln Lane leading to Highway Bottom.

He had to go along each lane looking at the many footpaths and bridleways coming off them. They had been automatically closed before because the tracks were closed and so had no need of signs.

One, between houses, into a wood and to a lane, was OK, but its continuation into arable land across the lane was not.

Further down, a footpath entrance sign had been covered with a plastic bag by a farmer. Mr Burgess could have opened it but decided to talk to the farmer first. Farmers have been supportive and he wants things to stay that way.

Another path up through a field of sheep was definitely not to be reopened, while a narrow path with with hedges on both sides was OK.

At Lily Bank Farm the Chiltern Way was reopened in both direction as were paths into the Hampden estate.

Mr Burgess followed a similar process at Kiln Lane, first opening the track itself and then looking at those coming off it.

He marked the map with a note and said: "This field for instance is empty, but the farmer may want to put stock on it soon."

Buckinghamshire County Council was taken to task for closing all its paths and recreation areas, but has been reopening some after the advice it was given by MAFF was changed. Woods were closed because of warnings about deer getting foot and mouth. Later MAFF said woods could re-open.

In some ways, the closure has been a blessing in disguise during the wet weather. Bridleways that would have been turned into impassible quagmires by horses' hooves have had a chance to recover.

"And wildlife must think it's Christmas," said Mr Burgess. But there may be problems where farmers have not bothered to reinstate paths through fields of crops.

Footpaths and Rights of Way now open in Bucks include Wycombe district

Tom Burts Hill, Wheeler End Common, Booker Common Area of woodland between Horns Lane/Lane End Road and Squirrel Lane.

Keep Hill and Dean Garden Wood Area Bridleway and unclassifed road leading to it.

Walks within Leygrove woods between Cadmore End and Studley Green

The Ridgeway, Pinces Risborough. Wycombe Road to New Road.

Wycombe Road to the Ridgeway acoss an arable field.

Two paths from the Ridgeway to Clifford Road Ridgeway, Princes Risborough.

West Wycombe Hill to Wycombe Road across arable field.

West Wycombe Hill

Wycombe District Council have opened 90 per cent of Hughenden Recreational Park. All paths in Castlefield Wood, High Wycombe, are open.

Kingswood and Gomm Valley, Penn Wood, Ridgeway, Princes Risborough.

Roundwood Park High Wycombe, Castlefields Park High Wycombe, Downley Common (wooded areas remain closed), Flackwell Heath Golf Course

Chiltern & South Bucks District

Parsonage/Rectory Wood Amersham

Walks within Hodgemoor woods near to Chalfont St Giles

Walks within Wilton Park near to Beaconsfield

Stoke Poges, land at Rogers Lane.

East of Chesham Bois, paths to the south-west of the railway line and enclosed by Stubbs Wood and St Leonards Road

North-west of Gerarrds Cross, next to Maltmans Green Girls School, piece of woodland between Maltmans Lane to the west of the school, also short path off Maltmans Lane to the west of the school.

Between Farnham Park and Stoke Poges,the paths across the golf course east of the river from Stoke Court Drive and West End Lane; path west of the river remains closed to Parsonage Lane.

South-east of Stoke Poges, near golf course and Wexham Park Hospital, path between Plough Lane and Farthing Green.

North of Chesham Bois towards Lower Bois, the bridleway from the cemetery to Manor Drive; and the footpath from the cemetery through to Higher Bois Lane.

Chesham Bois Common

North-east of Gerrards Cross between A413 to M25, from the A413 the footpath across Gerrards Cross Golf Club that goes round the back of the research laboroatories to the weir then back onto the A413.

Chenies, Holloway Lane to ford.

Hyde Heath, footpath from Keepers Lane to Fullers Lane.

Harewood Down Golf Course

Buckingham Golf Course, at Denham (woods nearby remain closed)

Denham Golf Course

North Bucks & Aylesbury Vale

Haddenham:

Snakemoor Nature Reserve Thame Road

Station Road to Mill Lane (enclosed track with arable land on both sides).

Mill Lane to Scotsgrove Hill (track through woodland corridor).

Flint Street to permissive path just after the railway bridge Countryside Stewardship path from Station Road setaside strip.

Station Road to Countryside Stewardship path open (not whole area).

Bridleway to Thame Road.

Weston Turville (part) from Main Street to playing field.

A full list of footpaths open can be seen at the council website on www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/bucks