Herefordshire Council under fire over 'disintegrating' public footpaths

Herefordshire Council said its extensive network of footpaths meant repairs had to be prioritised

A man who monitors footpaths in Herefordshire has called on the council to do more to maintain them after he calculated up to 2,500 minor defects.

Herefordshire's network of public rights of way runs to 2,113 miles (3,400km) according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However Dave Howerski, who monitors them for the Open Spaces Society, said they risk falling into disrepair.

The council said its network was so extensive, works must be prioritised.

"I have been reporting for over five years, and I estimate that there are 2,000-2,500 minor defects on the network," Mr Howerski said, adding they can take up to three years to be repaired.

"A competent and properly funded and staffed highway authority can proactively respond to minor defects in two to three weeks."

Dave Howerski wants to have more meetings with the council about maintaining public rights of way

The Open Spaces Society campaigns to keep public rights of way accessible and Mr Howerski said it was struggling to maintain a dialogue with the council which he said was "undermanned and starved of resources".

He said members currently only meet once a year with the local authority but that "nothing can be achieved" on that basis.

He hopes the council will agree to meetings once a quarter, but in the meantime said he had submitted Freedom of Information requests to get a clearer idea of issues on the footpaths.

Mr Howerski said his research revealed dozens of notifications about obstructed rights of way, most of which were not inspected.

The Open Spaces Society said the failure to deal with issues was "not good for promoting tourism in Herefordshire".

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: "The public rights of way network is extensive so we must prioritise any issues to ensure the network is fit for purpose.

"We value our working relationship with local communities and volunteers, and will make contact with the member of public and work through their specific concerns."