ROGERSTONE COMMUNITY COUNCIL - OBJECTION TO RIVERSIDE FOOTPATH CLOSURE

Published: 14 January 2024

OBJECTION TO RIVERSIDE FOOTPATH CLOSURE - COMMENTS SUBMITTED TO NEWPORT CITY COUNCIL

The existing public footpath is a traffic free route used for active travel which is (was) very well used by residents from the adjacent housing estate, comprising approximately 900 dwellings as well as being used by many others.

This route is an attractive riverside route which encourages active travel to the sports and leisure facilities at the adjacent Rogerstone Welfare Grounds. The alternative route is approximately a mile longer which involves walking along some busy roads, in particular Tregwilym Road, which is also a bus route with some serious areas of safety concerns. This route does nothing to encourage walking.

There are associated issues which relate to our objection which are also worthy of consideration:

The footpath has been closed for well in excess of one year, yet the formal consultation notice period was posted 3 days before Christmas, which is not conducive to achieving full and proper community engagement, therefore the period of consultation should be extended and re-publicised.

Jubilee Park (Rogerstone Management Company Limited) have offered to work jointly with Newport City Council, both in terms of operationally and financially to reinstate the riverbank in order to re-establish the footpath. This formal offer has been refused without what we would consider to be due consideration of the options and Rogerstone Community Council were surprised to hear very recently that Newport City Council were planning to review road safety measures on the proposed diversion route. Surely it would be mutually beneficial and more importantly in the community's interest for the proposed budget to be used in a collaborative approach with Jubilee Park (Rogerstone) Company Limited to re-establish the existing riverside route?

Councillor Y. Forsey has asked that the following be noted on the above submission:-

I do not agree with the statement on the following two points -

It is not an active travel route

NCC have given due consideration of the JPMC proposal.