A WELL used footpath at Calstock which forms a vital part of the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail could be closed off to the public if the Environment Agency decides not to renew its lease with the landowner. Calstock residents and staff from the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team say the loss of the riverbank path would be a great blow to the community and to local tourism. The one kilometre path, which runs between the recreation field and Okeltor Quay, is a permissive path which means it is available for public use because of an agreement between the landowner and the Environment Agency. The ten-year lease is due to expire in July and the EA, which pays £150 a year for the path, has not yet decided whether to renew. Project officer for the AONB team Stephen Russell said: 'This section of footpath is very important. It forms part of the Tamar Valley Discovery Trail which links to Launceston to Plymouth and is an important part of the AONB in terms of moving people around the valley. 'It is also extremely well used by the people of Calstock and would be a real loss if it was to go.' Mr Russell said although £150 a year was quite a small amount on its own, it might be part of a national drive to cut expenditure. Neither the AONB or the Calstock Footpath Society had the legal right to enter into such an agreement with the landowner and the landowner might decide not to lease it to anyone else anyway, he said. 'At the moment we are just playing a waiting game and we hoped to be notified as soon as the EA makes a decision. They have to notify the landowner of their intentions by April. David Lane from Calstock Footpath Society said the society was set up because the riverbank footpath, which leads to the Okeltor Mine site, was under threat 25 years ago. Since then it had become even more important because of the discovery trail and the mining heritage landscape designation. 'It is probably the most popular footpath in the Tamar Valley,' he said. 'People come off boats and trains at Calstock and use the path,' he said. 'It is vitally important for visitors and locals — any daylight hour you will see someone on it.' He also said when the regeneration project took place at Calstock several years ago, a lot of resources were put into making the path accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Cornwall County Council put in a bid on behalf of the footpath society to purchase land for sale which included the riverbank path last year, but it was not accepted. The society's aim was to get the footpath designated as a public right of way. Mr Lane said his fear was that the land, which was still up for sale, could be sold off as separate units and if the riverbank was in different ownerships, it would be more difficult to establish it as a permissive path. Mike Dunning from the Environment Agency said the agency made a 'gesture of goodwill' when they entered a lease agreement ten years ago to encourage people's enjoyment of the Tamar Valley. At the time the AONB service was just getting established and encouraging people to explore the area on foot. 'We are currently considering what the options are, because it is very unusual for the Environment Agency to be involved in something like this,' he said. 'We had a request to create this permissive path by the AONB and we were pleased to get it up and running but strictly speaking, it is not something that falls within our remit.' Land owner John Start said he was unaware the Environment Agency was considering its options regarding the footpath. He said he had had no contact with them and was waiting to hear from the agency in due course regarding the lease.
