New footpath welcomed by residents in York village

Local residents have welcomed the completion of a new footpath along Sandy Lane from The Village to Barr Lane in Stockton on the Forest, following years of having to endure an inadequate and unsafe path by the main road.

The work has been partly funded by a ward funding grant of £25000. Previously the location only had a small, narrow path stretching along the main road in the village, which was unsuitable for wheelchairs and double buggies that had to go on the road as there is no footpath on the other side of Sandy Lane. The path has now been widened and resurfaced, which was a pledge Cllr Fisher gave when he was elected.

Cllr Tony Fisher has spoken to many residents along Sandy Lane who have all welcomed the completion of the works and noted that the results were excellent.

Councillor Tony Fisher, Liberal Democrat councillor for Strensall ward, commented:

"I was appalled that users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters, as well as people with pushchairs, had to walk on the main road because the old path was far too narrow. The new excellent footpath has been welcomed by the local community, who have had to endure an inadequate, unsafe and inaccessible path on the main road for years. The next priority in the area is to resurface the path from Barr Lane to the bus stop on Sandy Lane opposite The Hollies.

"Getting this footpath improved was a priority for me after I was elected, so I am very happy to have been able to secure this important improvement for our community. The project was only possible due to the significantly increased ward funding allocated by the Lib Dem/Green administration when it took over in 2019. This funding is crucial in allowing councillors to address local priorities – from smaller community grants to bigger highways improvements such as this. Sadly, there are still political parties who argue for cutting this ward funding pot, which would mean that schemes such as this would not be possible.”