Footpath shut as tree felled by bad weather

Councillor Graham Sheldon with the fallen tree which forced the closure of the rcently repaired footpath

A PARISH council chairman donated £700 to restore a picturesque footpath - only to see it closed for safety reasons only 48 hours later.

Councillor Graham Sheldon paid the money from his ward allocation fund to have restoration work done on the path between Spring Street and Carr Lane in Saddleworth. But heavy rain and wind then toppled a tree, blocking the path.

Uppermill’s sub-postmaster Graham said: “The tree looked precarious a few days earlier. A different tree had fallen across the river and been cut back.

“I’m not surprised this second tree came down with the bad weather — it collapsed right across the river, hitting a building on the other side.”

Councillor Dave Hibbert, Cabinet member for environment and housing, said: “We immediately closed the footpath as a precaution and installed safety measures. We will be carrying out work to remove any trees that could pose a risk as quickly as possible.”

Councillor Sheldon noticed the footpath needed repairs after an earlier period of bad weather, and used some of the funds allocated to each ward councillor. The local environmental services team spent three and a half days laying two tonnes of hardcore along the 440-yard stretch of path.

“They did a wonderful job drying it all out and laying the new path — and all on a small budget,” he added.

“It’s a popular path used by walkers, mums with prams, people cutting through to the village to do some shopping and children walking to school. It’s wonderful to have had it relaid.”