It’s cramping our stile, say angry Verwood residents (From Bournemouth Echo)

It’s cramping our stile, say angry Verwood residents

4:30pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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DOG walkers say a stile on a popular footpath is effectively barring them from a network of rights-of-way.

Pet owners in Woodlands near Verwood claim the stile, on a field behind the village green, is too high for their animals to climb and effectively keeps them from a network of paths featured in a district council map as “Woodland Walk”.

Villager Jeremy Freeman, has served Dorset County Council with a notice under section 130a of the Highways Act 1980, requesting the removal of an obstruction.

“The raised stiles present a real hazard and make a mockery of the government and the council’s policy of improving access to the countryside, particularly for the disabled,” she said.

“There is no access for the disabled and dog owners have to carry their dogs over the stiles.”

Pensioner Robert Oliver, 88, who has lived in Woodlands since 1976, said a kissing gate would uphold the access provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act.

“My wife, Margaret, and I are both registered disabled. Margaret, 79, now has to put our Labrador, Jade, in the car and drive her to Potterne Park in Verwood for walks,” he said.

Neighbour Tony Gates, 68, said he continues to walk the path “as a matter of principle,” but described lifting his 35kg Labrador, Saffie, over the stile as “no joke”.

Landowner Greg Davison said: “We are hoping to retain the stile as it has been for many years. We believe that the stile has always been there and we would like it to continue to be so.” He had researched the history of the stile and footpath and made representations to Dorset County Council.