Landowner warned over 'unauthorised' footpath work
Roger DobsonMore than 120 residents packed a public meeting after concerns were raised that unauthorised work was taking place on land containing a public footpath.
The appearance of an excavator on the west side of Whites Cut in Lambley, near Brampton, Cumbria, last month prompted complaints after which the landowner agreed to cease further operations.
Michael Newberry, who bought the land at auction in November, attended a public meeting on Tuesday and apologised for causing damage to the site.
Cumberland county councillor Roger Dobson said if any further work was attempted in the area he would take steps for the council to issue a temporary stop notice.
The land, formally owned by Sustrans, contains the route of Lord Carlisle's railway, which was one of Britain's earliest railways.
Newbury told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he eventually wanted to build a property and workshop on the land which has been neglected for a number of years.
Newberry said he had undertaken "minor engineering works" trying clean four water courses which were blocked, but they had flooded the area and his 22-tonne digger ended up getting bogged down.
Roger DobsonNewberry claimed he did not need planning permission for the type of work he was attempting.
Speaking at the meeting at Lady Thompson Memorial Hall, he said: "We've ended up moving more material than we wanted to," he said.
"If it had been dry, if the watercourses had been kept to a normal position and cleaned out, we wouldn't have had this problem."
However, Liberal Democrat councillor Roger Dobson said the land lay within an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, overseen by North Pennines National Landscape, and borders, or was extremely close to, a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
"To do anything on that site, it requires planning permission," he said.
"There is no permitted development whatsoever on that site."
Dobson said he was working with the local community to try and establish the former railway line as a public right of way and nominate it as a community asset.
Newberry said he had offered a strip of land on the edge of the site which could also be developed as a footpath and cycle route.
"So the public's still got the use of it and obviously that's a gesture of goodwill on my behalf," he said.
