CALLS have been made for decision makers to reject plans to close a popular, ancient footpath through Okehampton Camp, with objectors calling it a ‘blow to the public’.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has proposed to close the public footpath that runs through the military camp on the northern side of Dartmoor National Park and re-route it around the camp’s boundary to enable the land to be ‘used efficiently without danger to the public’.

But objections have been raised by conservation groups that don’t want to see the public lose a direct footpath between Okehampton and the moor.

The Open Spaces Society, Britain’s oldest national conservation body, is urging the proposal to be rejected, arguing that it would be a blow to the public who would be forced to walk around the camp’s perimeter.

The society said it could not understand why the MoD ‘suddenly’ wished to close this route when the services and the public had coexisted ‘satisfactorily’ here for decades.

Kate Ashbrook, Open Spaces Society’s general secretary, said: ‘This closure can only be confirmed if the decision maker, the secretary of state for transport, is satisfied that it is necessary to close the route in order for the land to be used efficiently without any danger to the public.

‘There has been a public footpath through the camp for as long as anyone can remember and we are not aware that it has affected the efficiency of the camp, nor that the public has been in danger.

‘We therefore argue that the legal requirements are not met.

‘Furthermore, the proposed new highway is very much less convenient to the public, forcing people to walk almost twice the distance around the boundary of the camp.

‘Most users of this path are likely to be travelling between the town of Okehampton and the moor and the route through the camp is the most direct — for residents and visitors.

‘In this 70th anniversary year of the national parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, which gave us national parks such as Dartmoor, we should be making the parks more accessible to the public, not closing public paths in them.

‘We have urged the secretary of state for transport to reject the proposal.’

The order for the ‘stopping up of the highway’ has already been authorised but the order is open to public consultation.

Some local residents have also questioned the order claiming that the path had never caused concern for their safety before.

John Bainbridge, a former chief executive of the Dartmoor Preservation Association and a moorland walker for more than 50 years, said he objected to the proposal.

‘The proposed alternative route is longer, nowhere near as attractive and not as convenient to walkers who wish to access the open moorland beyond the camp,’ he said.

‘This path existed long before the military came and has been there throughout the camp’s history.

‘I have used this path for over 50 years and I don’t judge that my presence has been any sort of inconvenience to the military, nor them to me.

‘When the battle camp was built, the people of Okehampton were promised that the path would remain as it is. It is one of Dartmoor’s ancient paths.’

However, Okehampton Hamlets Parish Council unanimously decided to support the redirection of the path when the order was discussed at a recent meeting.

Jane Gillard, clerk to the council, said: ‘They [the councillors] had the opportunity to be met at the camp and be shown and walk the proposed new route.

‘Where there were public footpaths through other military establishments many years ago, these were all re-routed and it is quite likely the Okehampton route “got missed” at that time.

‘The prime reason for the request for re-routing is safety to the public and safety to military personnel as well.’

The order is open to public consultation. If there are substantial objections then it may require a public inquiry. The final say will stay with the secretary of state for transport.

To object to the proposed order, state your reasons in writing to the secretary of state for transport at [email protected] by midnight tonight (Thursday, March 7).

To view the order, you can visit Okehampton Library.