§ 119. Mr. Snowasked the Secretary of State for War why he has authorised the obstruction by a gate of a public right of way, public path No. 17 of Whittington Parish, Staffordshire, in view of the fact that such an obstruction is in contravention of the Highways Act. 1959.
§ Mr. GodberThe gate was erected by a golf club to whom my Department has leased an area of land on Whittington Heath, through which the bridle path concerned passes.
I understand that the path has been used extensively in the past by motorists to gain access to what is private land, and that by their behaviour some of them have caused nuisance to the golf club and to the occupants of nearby cottages. I am informed that in putting up the gate, the golf club intended only to prevent the entry of motorists to the land and not to obstruct the right of way along the bridle path of pedestrians or horse riders.
101WI understand that the secretary of the golf club is in correspondence on this matter with the Lichfield Rural District Council, and I have instructed the local War Department Land Agent to join with them in looking into this matter.