A FOOTPATH preservationist has blasted the council for its plans to close a public right of way in an area he dubs the "forgotten backwater."

A public inquiry was opened in Golborne after Donald Lee, of the Open Spaces Society, refused to withdraw objections to the closure.

And Greater Manchester Pedestrians' Association joined the fight after an investigation revealed the proposed closure was "symptomatic of a policy of neglect and indifference."

Mr Lee told The Journal: "The footpaths of Golborne are in a real state, filthy, overgrown, unkempt.

"This is symptomatic not only of the problems walkers these days are facing, but of the council's trend to put resources in more affluent parts of the borough."

Gloria Gaffney, for the Pedestrians' Association added: "The Association is appalled at the fait accompli and complete destruction of Footpath 9, so the public are in no position to exercise their rights and to demonstrate their need to use it."

But the council said Golborne was given as much priority as any other area.

"We are spending £100,000 on public rights of way this year - more than ever before - and if there are problems we will deal with them in Golborne as anywhere else," said a council spokesman.

The inquiry heard the footpath was once a right of way across the colliery, and in parts also a cart track, but in the 50s a housing estate was built for coal workers which obscured some of it.

In 1998 another section of path was built over by a private developer - despite warnings from the council that legal action would be taken if he continued.

Even though the building work was completed, the council never took action and instead decided to close the path altogether.

Mr Lee told the inquiry: "In apparent deliberate transgressions of this nature ... we expect Wigan MBC to implement their statutory duties relating to rights of way and enforce reinstatement action.

"It is quite wrong and unacceptable for the Council to turn a blind eye to the development ... in defiance of a planning condition supposedly imposed to protect public footpaths."

He said the path, although still used in part as access to Tesco and bus stops on Bank Street "would have been as fully used today as it was in the past if they hadn't put a housing development on top of it.

"Footpaths are important, just like roads are important, and they should not be forgotten and left to rot."