Quakers group calls for support

10:31am Thursday 1st May 2008

THE newly-formed campaign group, the Quakers Walk Protection Group, is holding a public meeting in Devizes on Tuesday to raise the profile of the endangered local bridleway.

Developers Taylor Wimpey have plans to build 244 houses on land bordering the ancient byway.

Residents are more or less resigned to the development going ahead but they were horrified to learn that, as part of the outline permission for the site, that Quakers Walk had to be resurfaced, street lights installed along at least part of its length and the huge wrought iron gates at the town end opened.

Although bollards are to be put up in their place, protesters are concerned Quakers Walk could then be used by bikers and scooter riders, destroying the rural character of the area.

Consultants from Pegasus Planning Group were taken aback at the vehemence of the response at last week's consultation exhibition at Devizes Sports Club.

They had not been informed that concerns over the traffic impact of the new development still rankled, or that feelings ran so high over Quakers Walk.

They have agreed to a second consultation meeting at the sports club, probably in mid-May although a date has not been set, at which representatives of the developers and Kennet District Council will be present.

Tuesday's public meeting at the Bell by the Green pub in Estcourt Street at 7.30pm has been organised by the Quakers Walk Protection Group to spearhead the campaign to save the bridleway from interference.

Steve Dixon, one of the founders of the group, said: "We have names of 100 people prepared to support us and the meeting is to discuss where we go from here.

"We want to be able to sit down with Kennet District Council and the developers and come across as a responsible group with firm ideas about what we want to see at Quakers Walk.

"We are most concerned about the proposals for street lighting along there.

"It will actually make night vision worse as coming from the lit into the unlit areas will make it more difficult to see anything.

"There is also the concern that Quakers Walk will be used by people for drinking and taking drugs.

"Lighting means cables and laying cables along there could well damage the roots of trees.

"Lighting just creates a whole series of problems and we want to make Kennet see that we don't want anything done to Quakers Walk at all."

For more information about the meeting, call 07812 735446.

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