Plans for a multi use path in Knowsley have been approved despite fears raised by some local residents that it could be used for “county lines activities”.
The proposals for the pathway attracted a number of complaints when submitted by Knowsley Council to its planning department .
Fears raised ranged from concerns over nearby clay pigeon shooting, to fears over potential flooding, lack of lighting, inaccessible barriers and possible crime along the pathway.
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At a meeting of Knowsley Council’s planning committee tonight, January 12, one local resident raised concerns that it could be used for county lines activities.
This was dismissed, however, by planning officer Clare Appleyard following a question from the chair, Cllr David Longergon. Ms Appleyard said that she received no reports from the police about county lines concerns in the area the pathway would cover.
Wider concerns that the pathway, which would run between Prescot and Cronton at Foxes Bank Lane, could become a magnet for anti social behaviour were also addressed by Ms Appleyard, who said that there had only been seven incidents of anti social behaviour recorded in the past two years.
The objector, Mr Mark Pullan, also raised fears that the pathway could become costly for the council as one area in particular was often flooded out.
He said that photographs had been sent to the planning department showing flooding at the site, adding: “There is a loss of the field due to flooding that happens on a regular basis all along that edge. There’s washaway on a frequent basis, I’ve lived there 20 years and have seen it frequently.”
Cllr Ron Gaffney said he had been made aware that sometimes the site resembles a “lake”.
Another issue raised concerned the lack of lighting, something that had been put in place to reduce the harm to night-time wildlife populations.
Mr Pullan said this fed into the anti social behaviour fears and that there was a suitable options on the A5080 that was already lit and should have been considered instead.
Other concerns included making use of greenbelt or arable land for the cycle lane, although officers said that the benefits of sustainable travel, and working towards tackling the climate emergency weighed more than the loss of a small amount of arable land.
Further, the route will connect to Halton and part of the wider TransPenine route, helping to connect up a network to build sustainable travel options across the wider area.
Ultimately councillors voted in favour of the proposals, with 12 votes for and just one against, meaning the Prescot to Cronton multi-user sustainable pathway can now go ahead.
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