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20-year Methley path battle victory
Two ramblers with a combined age of 160 have won a 20-year battle with council lawyers, rail chiefs and a landowner over a pathway in Methley.
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Colin Seymour and Major Croman had fought to keep a a picturesque path beside the River Calder in Methley open to the public.
Mr Croman, 83, and other members of Rothwell Footpaths Group enlisted the help of Mr Seymour, 77, a veteran amateur lawyer who came out of retirement to help the group.
He claims Leeds City Council has lost 50,000 of tax payers' money fighting the protesters.
Mr Seymour, who is partially blind and hard of hearing, took the case because he is originally from the area and used the path many times as a youngster.
He unearthed a document from 1789 proving that it was a right of way even then. It states the landowner was able to claim tax relief for rights of way over his land.
The dispute over a 3/4 mile stretch of the pathway arose because of errors by Leeds City Council.
The path is clearly marked on an Ordnance Survey map dated 1908, but around 30 years ago council officers failed to list it in a "definitive map" of public footpaths in Leeds.
The former owner of the farmland fenced it off and threatened anyone walking in the area. Signs were also put up warning dog walkers that their pets would be shot.
Since 1990, the group has petitioned Leeds City Council to get the path included in the footpaths guide, but no action has been taken.
Mr Seymour took the case to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who have ordered the council to issue a 'modification order' to make the lane a public right of way.
Network Rail, which operates a line near to the footpath, also supported the council and current landowner Kenneth Howley.
The YEP reported three years ago how the footpaths group, which consists mainly of pensioners, planned to cross a barbed wire fence which blocks the forbidden but Mr Howley warned he would call the police.
A truce was called in which group members agreed to await the outcome of an inquiry.
Leeds City Council confirmed that the modification order would now be advertised for six weeks.
The local authority declined to comment on the amount spent on the case.
A spokesman said it had acted impartially in the case and had not supported either side.
An inquiry could be called by the Planning Inspectorate if there are objections.
Mr Howley declined to comment when contacted by the YEP.
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Saturday 19 May 2012
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