Hertfordshire residents blocking footpaths to keep walkers away during lockdown

Since the beginning of ‘lockdown’, exercise has become an increasingly important part of the daily routine for residents.

And many have been taking to the roads and footpaths around the county for a daily walk.

But it seems some residents whose homes are close to those footpaths are keen to keep walkers from straying too close.

And it has now emerged some efforts have been made to block a number of footpaths and other rights of way in the county, particularly where they go through gardens, farms or close to canal barges.

The issue was highlighted at a meeting of the county council’s special cabinet panel on Friday (April 17), during a discussion on the county council’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Following the meeting executive member for highways Cllr Phil Bibby stressed that rights of way should not be blocked.

He confirmed that there there had been a small number of “obstructive incidents”. And he said that they had all been resolved after conversations with residents.

He says he understands that residents may feel safer if they do not have members of the public trampling over their property – particularly if the path passes close-by.

But he says the county council does not have any powers to restrict rights of way specifically for the Covid-19 outbreak.

And he says the county council would take steps to ensure they remained accessible.

“There have been a trickle of requests to close rights of way,” he said.

“And these are coming from residents who have paths going through their gardens and farms with paths through operational farmyards.

“We do not have the power to close any paths for Covid-19 and recent government advice has enforced its position.”

Cllr Bibby said residents were entitled to take exercise during the lockdown, so long as they didn’t travel too far from their homes to do so.

But he urged people to keep their distance when they approached others while taking exercise.