IN RESPONSE to Mr Waldie’s letter in Chard and Ilminster dated April 27, we would like to clarify the situation.

Bumpy Lane has been used by people for decades, until 2012 when private road signs were placed at the crossroads.

Two reports were written by Somerset County Council. The initial report dated December 2012 recommended that Bumpy Lane not be put on the Definitive Map; this was challenged and pulled from the meeting for legal reasons.

Somerset County Council decided to re-investigate the findings and wrote a more detailed report, dated August 2013.

This recommended that Bumpy Lane be put on the Definitive Map, which was upheld at the Regulation Committee Meeting and an order made on January 24, 2014, for Bumpy Lane to be added to the Definitive Map.

It was also supported by Ilminster Town Council from the very beginning.

Mr. Waldie mentions ‘expenditure of public monies’ being spent. Although Winterhay North residents are within their right to object, if they had accepted the Somerset County Councils 2013 report and the decision at the Regulation Committee Meeting 2013, instead of insisting that this matter went to the Secretary of State, extra ‘public monies’ would not have needed to be spent.

Winterhay Action Group would like to let people know that the Public Inquiry that was to be held on 10th May, 2016, at Donyatt Village Hall has been cancelled.

Consideration of the order will now take the form of written exchanges of statements of case and comments on statements of case.

We would like to thank everybody for their continued support to get Bumpy Lane added to the Definitive Map and await the outcome from the Secretary of State.

Winterhay Action Group

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