Smeeth Bank footpath decision by planning inspector is ‘Pyrrhic victory’ for Norfolk County Council and British Horse Society, claims landowner
A landowner has branded a decision to reopen a pathway following a public inquiry as a “Pyrrhic victory” for campaigners.
Steve Niemiec of Terrington St John had tried to block moves by the British Horse Society and others to have barriers removed along Smeeth Bank but lost the fight following the public hearing in October, with the Planning Inspector announcing the decision.
Smeeth Bank is a remote 5km stretch that runs along Smeeth Lode, a man-made waterway connected to the Great Ouse River in West Norfolk.
It links the villages of St John’s Fen and Emneth - but the route had been blocked off in recent years by oil drums, concrete barriers, and even barbed wire in places.
The blockages along the track led the British Horse Society, a national charity for horseriders, to call on Norfolk County Council to have it registered as a restricted byway, which has seen the barriers removed.
At the hearing, Mr Niemiec argued that removing the barriers would leave the route at risk of being abused by motorbike riders, encourage hare coursing, and attract fly-tippers.
Now he has issued a statement in answer to what was said during the hearing and claims that predictions of vandalism caused by unauthorised vehicles tearing up the surface have already been fulfilled – making for what he calls a “Pyrrhic victory” for the British Horse Society and Norfolk County Council.
He said: “Despite claims that Smeeth Bank has been ‘reopened’ by the Planning Inspectorate, the truth is it was never closed to begin with.
“For decades, walkers and riders have freely and respectfully used this route without obstruction. There has never been a need for intervention – access has always existed for those who sought it.
“However, since the misguided decision to reclassify Smeeth Bank as a ‘restricted byway’ just weeks ago, the once-accessible path has been effectively destroyed for large segments of the community.
“Disabled buggy users, pushchairs, cyclists, and unsteady walkers now find the bank impassable, thanks to the unchecked rampage of unauthorised vehicles tearing up the surface.
“The evidence is clear in photographs – uneven, hazardous ground where there was once a smooth, well-maintained path. What was a safe, enjoyable route for all is rapidly turning into a dangerous quagmire.
“Local landowners used to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining this path, cutting grass and filling holes at their own expense, ensuring it remained a usable and cherished resource.
“Now, Norfolk County Council, the Planning Inspectorate, and the British Horse Society congratulate themselves for their so-called victory over local objections, eager to mark another line on the definitive map. But the reality is grim. The western quarter of the bank has already fallen into disrepair, and the remaining sections are rapidly following suit.
“Despite their new designation, these paths will receive no maintenance or enforcement from Norfolk County Council, whose neglect of other unlawfully blocked footpaths and byways stands as a testament to their indifference.
“Local farmers and landowners, once the stewards of this path, have been driven to abandon their efforts by the council's insistence on removing barriers. The result? An open invitation for off-roaders to transform Smeeth Bank into a personal race track.
“Helen Chester, representing the British Horse Society, has demonstrated a callous disregard for the needs of anyone outside her narrow interests. Her actions have set off a rapid decline that will only accelerate, leaving large swathes of the community cut off from a path that once united and served all. This is the cost of self-interest masquerading as advocacy.”
