## FOOTPATH AND WALKING ENVIRONMENT SUB-COMMITTEE
## MEMBERS PRIORITY LIST – AS AT 13 MAY 2026
**STUART SHURLOCK – NORTH HAMPSHIRE DOWNS GROUP – SUBMITTED 27** **FEBRUARY 2026** To choose one individual issue to prioritise out of many is difficult, but here is one that has been in my head for a long time. It's in Deane, to the west of Basingstoke, an area that is deservedly popular for walking. It's for a new link path to avoid walking on the B3400. This road is everything a walker would wish to avoid. It's busy, fast, narrow, bendy and hilly. Footpath Oakley 10 & Deane 4 is 1.35km long from Oakley church to the B3400 with no connections to other rights of way along its length. It's in reasonably good condition considering its extremely light usage. The proposal is for a 400m path on the headland of an arable field on the north side of the roadside hedge along the B3400 linking from near the end of Deane 4 to the minor road in Deane village. The route is shown in red on the OS 1:25000 map extract below.
1
## LES MILDON – ROMSEY GROUP – SUBMITTED 21 APRIL 2026
**Romsey Extra FP 17.** The path runs from the Romsey Road (south of the Ashfield roundabout) to Hoe Lane across 2 fields. Around the middle of the path, there is a field gate (198/133). The gate is tied top and bottom at both ends. Both support posts are unstable. There is barbed wire fencing to both sides, hence the gate is the only way through. Walkers can only get through by climbing the gate and, given the support posts, this is very risky. Alongside the gate is a culvert (198/59)
which has been blocked for years. In wet weather, rain water covers the path and has washed away part of the culvert surround on the western side, leaving a drop from the path which may not be obvious in wet conditions. Access from the Hoe Lane end is now overgrown. From here, the path links with FP Nursling & Rownhams FP 5. This path is, also, the subject of several issues including badly broken stile; steps that have worn away; 3 fences blocking the Definitive Map alignment and an electric fence.
A 28-house development is being built adjacent to the path on the Romsey Road - the former tyre dump. With the nature of the Romsey Road at the site entrance, the only link to the outside world for the prospective residents is by car, as long as FP 17 remains in its current state. If FP 17 were brought back into use, residents could use it to link with Hoe Lane and therefore to North Baddesley or, using N & R FP 5 to Toot Hill, Rownhams and Lordswood.
Kate Martin is looking to improve matters at the Hoe Lane end.
** end
**end* 2