At an Ashby Town Council meeting on Monday 21st July, councillors criticised the lack of transparency and communication from councillor Dan Harrison and Leicestershire County Council. 

At the full council meeting, several councillors raised that they had a feeling that there was 'smoke and mirrors' with the handling of the footpath closure and a conflict of interest for Cllr Harrison who previously worked with the landowners before he took up his role in the council. 

Ashby Nub News asked for comment on councillor Harrison's previous involvement with Wainwright before the closure and the lack of transparency with the Town Council. 

The comment from Cllr Harrison says: "The route needs to be made safe and a new sealed path constructed, and initial funding is available as part of the Money Hill development and supported by the County Council. The planned improvements include some minor alignment changes and we're working up designs and costs. We expect that this will lead to construction and the reopening of a new path, which will be easier and safer for more people." 

In response, councillor Chris Smith of Ashby Town Council said: "The statement by Dan Harrison that a long-term solution for footpath 089 is being worked on is welcomed.  However, it gives no timescales or any indication of when designs will be available for comment.  It also doesn't address the immediate issue of temporary closure of the footpath. 

"The lack of communication from the County Council and landowner as to why the footpath was closed or the action being taken to open up the footpath as soon as possible is creating rising anger in the town.  We will not sit back and let the right to freely use this footpath, established over many years, to be swept aside so easily. 

"The landowner has responsibilities and should be taking the reasonable actions proposed by the Town Council to open the footpath before the end of the school holidays.  Any long-term solution will require the existing obstacles to be removed.  The landowner should clear them now and allow the footpath to be opened as soon as possible. 

"I am concerned about the idea of a 'sealed' path.  Depending on design, it could present significant safety risks.  There needs to be clear delineation between path and lorry route, as with any other road.  High barriers, trapping people in a lengthy path, could be considered dangerous.  They would also frustrate the landowner's development opportunities which is certainly not the intent of the Town Council."