A bitter row has erupted in a Warwickshire village after the chairman of the local parish council applied to extend his £800,000 home in a move that would block a historic footpath.
Colin Ray, 78, and his wife Sue, 75, have successfully applied for a Lawful Development Certificate to extend the existing snug at their detached property in Wilmcote.
Villagers are furious as the extension would effectively "stop up" the public right-of-way which has existed for more than a century.
The footpath, known officially as AL79, passes through the Rays' driveway, beside their home and through a gate to the rear of the property.
The access has caused a row in the small village
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It lies just a stone's throw from Mary Arden's Farm, once the childhood home of Shakespeare's mother.
The footpath weaves between the Rays' property and an annex they rent out as accommodation, before following the edge of their land.
It eventually crosses a stream and joins the towpath of the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. Walkers can then loop back into Wilmcote, continue towards Stratford-upon-Avon or head towards Snitterfield village.
Local resident Ted Mander, 90, who served as parish council chairman himself for 24 years, said the path was "old when I was young".
The Rays have lived at their sprawling home for more than three decades, built on the site of a former orchard.
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It lies just a stone's throw from Mary Arden's Farm, once the childhood home of Shakespeare's mother
WikICommons
If the footpath is blocked, walkers would need to use a spur path that runs through three private gardens before emerging further down Church Road.
Neighbours have voiced strong objections to the plans, with parish councillor Sarah Hession expressing disappointment that Ray hadn't highlighted the application to fellow council members.
"This application appears to play down the blocking of the public footpath," she wrote. "Ignoring the extenuation of a public footpath to suit one resident is in my opinion morally wrong."
Neighbour Annette Pharo told the Daily Mail: "Mr Ray wants to get rid of the footpath through his land and there are a huge amount of people who are not happy about it especially as he is the Chair of the parish council."
Sheila Rose, 82, a Ramblers Association member for 40 years, said: "We just can't understand why the chairman of the parish council is applying to do something like this."
Stratford-on-Avon District Council granted the Rays their Lawful Development Certificate in January, but noted it "does not override the need for a legal order to divert/extinguish the right of way."
Warwickshire County Council confirmed they objected to the proposal to extinguish part of Footpath AL79.
Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, local authorities can make orders to divert or extinguish public rights of way, reports the Mail.
However, if a development blocks a path without prior permission, it could face demolition. The Ramblers Association stated: "Public footpaths are important community assets. Many paths have been used by communities for decades, or even centuries."
They added: "If people continue to use this path, as they have done for years, it's unlikely it could be legally closed."
Ray previously told the Stratford Herald: "I'm following the proper planning process and there's nothing underhand."
