Middleton allotment holders facing uphill struggle after being banned from accessing prized plots by car

Green-fingered Middleton gardeners, many of them elderly, now face having to haul barrow-loads of manure and other materials up a 200-yard steep and potholed lane after Craven District Council fixed a gate across the East Castle Street entrance without even consulting them.

They scoff at council claims the barrier has been installed for safety reasons, arguing the gate will instead jeopardise their own health. They also claim vehicles have been using the route for more than a century without any problems.

And they fear it could see some tenants having to give up their long-time hobbies.

Tom Mooner, an allotment holder for 18 years, said: "What sense is their in putting a gate up for health and safety reasons and then making it a health issue for us? Most of the people here aren't young.

"Think of this. They are now telling us we can't bring vehicles up here but Craven District Council has surfaced the road in the past and put up speed bumps. What was that for – to stop us walking too fast!"

An allotment holder for 35 years, Sam Kimberley said there had always been vehicle access. "I've driven up and down here all that time, all those years.

"What are we going to do when the farmer comes to the bottom of the hill with the manure? We can't by hauling it up in barrows."

Samantha Bollen, who has had her plot for ten years, is angry at the way there was no consultation with the 140 allotment holders.

She added: "We received a letter from Skipton Town Council, also on behalf of Craven District Council, on the Saturday informing us what was going to happen in the near future – their words. And low and behold, it appeared the following Monday.

"We understand vehicles have been coming up here since 1910 – people using them now have been driving up for more than 30 years, so we have established rights."

Tenants were also concerned about how emergency vehicles, especially ambulances, would be able to reach them if the gate was locked.

In a letter to tenants, Skipton town council refers to the lane as an official footpath and says it has "deteriorated to a level where both the town council and Craven District Council – the owners of the footpath – have raised serious concerns about its safety and its continued unofficial use by vehicular traffic."

A Craven District Council spokesman said vehicles had damaged the path and there are concerns about safety, as well as anti-social behaviour, theft and fly-tipping.

They added: “The path is officially designated as a public footpath, which makes it very difficult for us to repair the work to allow for use by vehicles.

"For these reasons, we proposed to install the gate at the bottom of the footpath, a measure which was agreed by Skipton Town Council, which manages the site. This still allows access for pedestrians, including those with pushchairs and wheelbarrows."

lWhat do you think? We welcome letters on this or any other subject. E-mail richard.parker@nqyne.co.uk or write to the Content Editor, Craven Herald, 38 High Street, Skipton BD23 1JU. Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number.