Alton Ramblers

Report on DMMO inquiry for the path between Caker Lane and Hangers Way. 28th April 2026.

The inquiry lasted one whole day, plus another 1 hour Teams call for closing remarks. Over 30 people from Alton (Ramblers, Councillors etc). This was most welcome.

The Inquiry proceedings were centred on the point of law, namely, was the path in question informally used sufficiently in the 20 years prior to the application by Gill Plumley to make this a defined path at HCC. All issues of safety, usefulness and resident’s well-being were set aside, so Alton Ramblers declined to speak, since it had no evidence of path use per se to put forward. However, we did present our case for adoption of the path on safety and usefulness.

Gill was questioned strongly by the landowners’ barrister about her use of the path and she was able to stand up to the onslaught well, but of course recollections from as much as 30 years ago are never watertight when a barrister wants to torpedo them! At no point was the landowner’s reason to object to the path being made mentioned. 

In summary, the Inspector had to judge whether the path was sufficiently used to justify the HCC Order to include it in the Definitive Map for the county. The Inspector found this to be a finely balanced case. In the end though, she found that insufficient use of the path was existing in the period in question (1996-2016) to justify the Order by HCC being allowed: I must conclude that the evidence is insufficient on the balance of probabilities, to demonstrate that a public footpath subsists.

The written evidence submitted by Alton Ramblers and the speakers from Alton Town Council was mentioned: The Ramblers and other supporters of the Order were of the view that the claimed path was very important when considering the health and safety of the right of way network. They felt that the claimed route was a safer alternative from Alton, to join the Hangers Way long distance route. Currently, FP26, which connects to Hangers Way crosses the A31, a busy dual carriageway, at road level. I crossed the carriageway twice on my site visit and both understand and completely sympathise with the level of danger this presents to walkers. However, the legislation is quite clear that such matters cannot be taken into account in my decision. Concerns regarding the safety of adjoining rights-of-way should be referred directly to the Council.

So sadly, the path requested by Gill was not accepted and will not go on to the Definitive Map. Please note, all, that as such this path can no longer be used legally, and one might expect to be challenged if you were to use it. Regrettably, we are not able to secure a safe crossing of the A31 to the south of Alton, (rather than Chawton and Neatham subways respectively) so residents are potentially denied a useful safe route to the countryside of Neatham Down, Clays Farm etc. Of course the surface crossings on the A31 remain, but our advice is that taking groups across this fast road with bends is not safe.

Our thanks go to Gill Plumley for valiantly and persistently putting this path forward to HCC, who had already drafted the Order paperwork, before the landowner's objection came up. Also thank you to all members and others who came to support the speakers etc.

As an author’s footnote, this is one of the few instances where safety is overruled by the law (which is set in favour of landowners, by putting the onus of legally-watertight proof of use on ordinary members of the public).

AJ Barlow (WEO, Alton Ramblers).

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