The British Horse Society supports Somerset riders

Somerset riders are celebrating a victory in getting a local footpath upgraded to a bridleway.

The application to upgrade the path in the parish of Tolland, was originally made in 2000, although Somerset County Council investigated the order and thought there might be evidence to suggest the even higher status of restricted byway. This caused a delay in calling a Public Inquiry, which was eventually held in February 2012. The British Horse Society supported the order, which met with some opposition from local landowners.

At the Inquiry, Inspector Roger Pritchard heard evidence from local riders in support of an upgrade to bridleway and local landowners who had objected to the upgrade. The Inspector found sufficient user evidence from local riders to upgrade the path to a bridleway.

Director of Access, Safety and Welfare at The British Horse Society, Mark Weston, said: “We were pleased to support this claim. Local riders will benefit from the recognition of this route’s status as a bridleway which will provide another 730 metres of safe off-road riding.”

For further press information and pictures, please contact our Press Officer: Alison Coleman, The British Horse Society, 02476 840463 or a.coleman@bhs.org.uk 

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