ANGLESEY campaigners who fought to get a popular footpath officially recognised have won their appeal for public access.
Dr Nick Stuart and Gareth Phillips claimed that the Llangoed route had been used for generations before gates on the path were padlocked.
The pair, from Llangoed, had battled for years to win back use of the path, which runs across land near Lleiniog beach to the back of the 11th century castle, Castell Aberlleiniog.
The route passes the large, newly built holiday home and residential development, Lleiniog Barns.
Developers Amos Group Ltd stated in June 2023 that it had not padlocked gates along the farm track, saying they were not in its ownership, but that they “understood” the closure was “historical”.
Objections over bids for public access, including an extended footpath route, had come from landowners – including a private family trust – tenants, and developers.
Years of legal wrangling had seen a swathe of applications and appeals made, including a refusal by Anglesey County Council to establish a “definitive map modification order”.
Dr Stuart had made the legal case on behalf of villagers with support from retired health professional and campaigner Mr Phillips.
They and friends had collated evidence from residents including a number of elderly citizens in their bid to prove the path had been walked by locals and visitors for decades and was part of a much older route.
The campaigners only had to prove the route had been used for far longer than the minimum 20 year period required for a right of way to be deemed a public footpath.
An appeal was considered by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales [PEDW], and a report has now been released, confirming that the campaign had been successful.
The PEDW report said: “According to the council, the land over which the claimed A-B route runs was in the ownership of a family trust, from 1937 to 2020.
“In September 2020, some land and outbuildings were sold to Amos Group Limited.
“This land includes the first section of about 108 metres of the claimed route, running northwest from point A.”
It noted the council had indicated that the remainder of the land crossed by the claimed route, as far as point B, is in the process of being sold to the trust’s long-term agricultural tenants but that, as of June 2023, it was still shown as “pending first registration” at the Land Registry.
The report said the council refused the application, which then resulted in the appeal.
The report said the council had “refused the claimed route on the basis that it did not consider that the terminus at point B could be defined as a ‘place of popular resort’.”
It added: “Similarly, a submission on behalf of an objecting landowner Amos Group Ltd, prior to the council’s decision… alleges that A-B is ‘a route to nowhere’ as it merely leads to the boundary of private grounds.”
But the inspector cited “user evidence” which indicated “that the public had walked from A-B to access the castle grounds at the gate, at point B”.
“Some have then visited the castle itself or continued on a longer walk. Some had referred to people picnicking in the castle grounds and children playing there,” he said.
“Others refer to walking across the castle grounds and using the claimed route from B-A, as part of a journey to the beach.”
Anglesey Council is now directed to make an order to modify the definitive map and statement for the area, to add the claimed A-B route within six months.
In a statement, Dr Stuart and Mr Phillips said they were “pleased at the result and the positive implications for the community of Llangoed”.
They said: “Being able to walk freely and extensively through the beautiful countryside of Ynys Mon is a major factor in maintaining quality of life and health.
“The path from Lleiniog Castle to the coast substantially expands the area local people can walk and provides a safe route from the village to the coast.
“It is also a useful diversion for visitors walking the coast of Ynys Mon who wish to visit Lleiniog castle.
“We also thank everyone in the community who supported the campaign, friends who provided expert advice and guidance and would also like to pay tribute to [Ynys Môn MS] Rhun ap Iorweth for his support as well as the Ramblers.”
Mr ap Iorwerth added: “I’m grateful to the inspectors for giving such careful and detailed consideration to the appeal for the restoration of this footpath.
“I know how much it will mean to the campaigners who’d made the case so strongly that this was a path used by the community for many years.”
Amos Group Ltd declined to comment. Anglesey County Council was contacted for comment.
