St Leonards OAP’s concern at fly tipping on path used by Tesco shoppers

Richard Weiner, of Copse Close, said the path that runs alongside the Innovation Centre, which is part of the Churchwood Industrial Estate, was used as a dumping ground.

He said: “The other week I saw a several items fly-tipped along the length of the path.

“The footpath itself was put in place to provide a safe walk through to Tesco and on to Silverhill and is, currently, a network of footpaths and pavements.

“The particular section by the Innovation Centre was designed to be accessible to emergency service vehicles as both the industrial estate and Robsack housing estate each only have one access road.

“In the nearly 20 years it has been in this form there has been little attempt at maintenance. As a result it has become significantly overgrown with bramble and is much reduced in width.

“One of the access gates has been stolen and the other is welded closed and is no longer fit for purpose in an emergency.”

He said the path had become a ‘hotspot for littering and for people to dump shopping bags full of household waste’.

Mr Weiner added: “The path itself is shortly to be part of the Silverhill to the Link Road Greenway Cycle Path, denying the disabled and older residents of the housing estate a safe way to walk to the local superstore.”

The footpath adjoining the Innovation Centre is owned by East Sussex County Council.

A county council spokesman said: “We are grateful to members of the public for bringing the condition of this footpath to our attention.

“Following concerns raised, we are arranging for the overgrown vegetation to be cut back and for the missing gate to be replaced.

“We will check the functionality of the second gate and carry out the necessary repairs.”

* Got a story? Ring reporters Richard Gladstone on 07803 505794 or Stephen Wynn-Davies on 07393 754494.