Volunteers calling on council to maintain path

Volunteers who rebuilt a bridge and restored an ancient county track are calling on Herefordshire Council to honour their responsibility to upkeep the footpath and ensure it is safe.

People in Almeley came together last week to rebuild the bridge and restore the track to improve access and safety for residents living along The Batch.

The Batch is an ancient pathway running alongside a stream and through a steep, wooded valley. Locals say it’s an important route in the village linking Almeley with Wootton.

The volunteers finished the first phase of the restoration last Saturday, spreading 60 tons of aggregate and filling 126 sandbags for the bridge to make it much easier and safer to access four cottages, and in particular, for carers and ambulances supporting Martin Wilks.

Martin fell off a stepladder and suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2018 which has left him in a wheelchair and confined to his cottage.

Carers visit Martin four times a day and the poor state of the track and the very wet weather has made this increasingly difficult.

The project was funded by a generous contribution from Herefordshire Community Foundation, Almeley Parish Council and donations from residents and neighbours.

However, there is no money left to permanently rebuild the section of the track so drastically damaged by the rain. This will require equipment, materials and know-how. The group of volunteers is now appealing for help from civil engineers or builders to provide what is needed to ensure the long term future of The Batch.

Resident Mary Goode said, “We will also appeal to Herefordshire Council and ask them to honour their responsibility to upkeep the footpath and ensure it is safe. We have made huge improvements to the track, footpath and bridge, but there’s only so much we can do without more specialist practical help. We will also need the weather to improve before we can tackle the next stage of our restoration of this important pathway.”