Improvements to the safety and accessibility of public footpaths around Toft have been welcomed by local residents.
The popular network of footpaths west of Toft High Street, towards Kingston to the south, Caldecote to the west and Hardwick to the north, have benefitted from seven new gates – which replace stiles – the levelling of a path over prominent tree roots and the repair of culverts along the edge of a field.
The work, jointly funded by South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Parish Paths Partnership scheme and Cambridgeshire County Council, was carried out in close collaboration with Toft Parish Council, local landowners and farmers.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Parish Paths Partnership brings local volunteers and parish councils together to help improve and promote local paths and bridleways to get people out in to the countryside and to encourage walking, riding and cycling. Grants for Parish Path Partnership projects are allocated from the Council’s Community Chest to help fund work from way marking and resurfacing through to replacing stiles with gates and installing bridges.
Cllr Ray Manning, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “South Cambridgeshire’s rural character and natural environment are highly valued by local people and contribute to making it a great place to live and visit. We are very pleased to have been able to help fund the improvement work needed in Toft to enable more people to enjoy the beauty of the district’s countryside.”
Jeanne McCarten, a Toft Parish Councillor, said: “Our village footpaths are popular with many walkers from the village and the surrounding area and these improvement works will mean that even more people can access and enjoy the wonderful natural amenity that Toft has to offer.
“The paths have already received renewed interest and the feedback from local people has been extremely positive.”
See full story here.
.