Derek Deedman

The weed growth in this footpath has now been treated and the evidence of this should shortly become visible. The Local Highway Manager has assured me that Highways staff will keep an eye on it in future and if it needs more than one spray a year it will be organised.

Concern has also been expressed about the overhang growth problems, but these are totally the responsibility of the landowners. Woodmancote Parish Council will be writing to all the relevant landowners asking them to deal with the problem, as such personal letters have been shown to be far more effective ( 95% success rate ) than the County Council sending impersonal letters which tend to be ignored. If no action results from the Parish Council letters within a reasonable timescale, then the County Council will be willing to follow-up more formally in due course.

I have asked the Parish Council to obtain more statistics of use of the footpath so that a case may be made to complete the final part into Henfield. Clearly such a scheme will have a higher priority in the Highway Works Programme if an increasing number of people are using the footpath.