Excavator Sparks Outrage Over Historic Footpath Work

More than 120 residents gathered at a public meeting to voice concerns over unauthorised work on land adjacent to a public footpath in Lambley, Cumbria. The presence of an excavator on the west side of Whites Cut last month led to complaints, resulting in the landowner agreeing to cease operations. Michael Newberry, who purchased the land in November, attended the meeting and apologised for damage caused to the site. He stated his intention to eventually build a property and workshop on the neglected land, claiming he was performing minor engineering works to clear blocked watercourses. However, local councillors emphasised that the land, situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and near a Site of Special Scientific Interest, requires planning permission for any development, with no permitted development rights existing for the site. Cumberland county councillor Roger Dobson indicated that a temporary stop notice would be issued if any further work was attempted. Dobson is also working with the community to establish the former railway line as a public right of way and a community asset. Newberry has offered a strip of land for a public footpath and cycle route as a gesture of goodwill.