WALKERS and conservationists in Rawdon are furious that footpaths on a popular nature site have been blocked off by barbed wire fence.

Leeds City Council has cut off access to paths in the protected Rawdon Billing Dam area by putting up boundary fencing, including barbed wire and sheep netting.

The authority says the work is one of its 'legal requirements' as owners of the land. But Rawdon Billing Conservation Group is outraged that well-used paths have been effectively closed to the public, without any warning.

Leeds City Councillor Graham Latty (Cons, Aireborough) says he is baffled by the move - and will be taking part in a meeting with the Council's Chief Executive, Paul Rogerson, tomorrow to find out more.

He said: "What's been done is outrageous, the fence actually crosses footpaths and it's not been a year since Councillors Clive Fox and Nigel Francis did a survey of the paths to be considered in the Unitary Development Plan.

"Now we're blocking them off - it's absolutely crazy.

"None of us knows what the real reason for it is but 'legal requirements' sounds like a lot of cobblers to me. Hopefully the meeting will clarify things.

"These paths are trod every day by people and their dogs and children, it's a very popular site this is denying access."

Rawdon Billing Conservation Group has already held an emergency meeting with ward councillors and council officials to agree to open up the paths again until their status has been decided.

While concerned at their closure, founder member Philip Gomersall believes some good might actually come out of it if it speeds up the paths' classification as 'rights of way'.

He said: "Another plus is that at long last with the erection of the fence around the Billing, it would appear that Leeds City Council has finally accepted responsibility for this protected nature site.

"We have been campaigning for over four years to gain easier and well defined access to the Billing, and also for environmental improvements to the site, with it's magnificent view over the Pennines and the Wharfe Valley.

"We are hoping we may now see some of these measures finally implemented."

Leeds Council has confirmed it will be putting stiles in along the boundary to give walkers access again.

A spokesman said: "A number of paths are alleged to exist over the land adjacent to the Billing and we will be installing stiles at several points to avoid these being blocked.

"We have received several applications to add these paths to the definitive map of public rights of way."

Councillor Brian Cleasby (Lib Dem, Horsforth) says at least one stile has been put in place already, and admits he was impressed by the standard of work.

But he is angry at the 'heavy handed' way the Council has gone about things - and the lack of any notice.

"They've done a smashing job with the stile I've seen," he said.

"And it's good news they've started doing that.

"What offends us, though, is that not only did we know not anything about this but now our residents are up in arms about it.

"They consider Rawdon Billing to be their land, not council land, and these are the people who pay the bills - they really are upset that their paths suddenly been cut off.

"This has obviously been planned for a while and we should have been told what was happening so people weren't alarmed.

"Somebody's dropped a clanger and at tomorrow's meeting I'll be trying to see how we can stop the same thing happening again."

Coun Cleasby added that he believed livestock could soon be moved back onto the field, which might explain the reason for the new fencing.