SIR – Bradford Rights of Way department continues to hide behind the phrase “We have to prioritise” as it allows footpaths to remain illegally blocked and overgrown.

I surveyed Silsden footpaths this spring and illegal blockages – blocked stiles, padlocked gates etc – in the parish reported in 2011 remain ignored.

What angers me is that access to all the paths in my patch was at best made tricky and at worst simply denied by the lack of waymarking and the repeated failure by the rights of way people to comply with the law regarding statutory signage.

My repeated requests on upgrading the waymarks have been met with silence; my offer to do this myself has been rejected with health and safety claims; fears busy farmers will complain about measures to keep ramblers off land they’ve no right to be on; and an inability to believe a long-experienced rambler can replace broken or faded waymarks without some long-winded meeting and action plan.

In neighbouring areas like Pendle and Lancashire this parochial attitude does not prevail. Their signage and responses are first-class. Somehow they manage to be organised and keep me informed of what they’re doing and have done.

Allan Friswell, Keighley Road, Cowling

  • Julian Jackson, assistant director for planning, transportation and highways at Bradford Council, said: “We fully acknowledge Mr Friswell’s frustration. We are unable to act on all the issues he has raised with us following his survey work. We have, however, been in regular correspondence with him and have explained a number of times that some have been resolved, some are in progress and some are pending; all, however have been noted and acknowledged. With reference to allowing Mr Friswell to go out waymarking rights of way, we have explained to him, we are not opposed to this proposal but would like to discuss with him an appropriate way to proceed. On three occasions we have offered a meeting to discuss this, but to date this has not been taken up; the offer, however, remains.”