WALKERS have vowed to step up their fight against the proposed closure of a series of footpaths near a historic Ribble Valley hall.

Oxendale Hall, Osbaldeston, is owned by Jersey property and investment company Belmore Holdings, which wanted to divert four footpaths running through the grounds of the 17th century manor house.

The diversion of footpaths was given the go-ahead by Ribble Valley councillors last June.

But the proposed diversions hit a legal snag and the company wants to delete the footpaths altogether, replacing them with another that does not pass so closely to the property.

Ribble Valley planning and development committee has given the revised scheme the thumbs-up and the matter is now to go to public consultation. The council's legal director, Paul Timson, said: "The network of footpaths around Oxendale Hall and Oxendale Hall Farm evolved to serve the needs of workers.

"However, the hall and farm are now residential and the footpaths are used primarily by leisure walkers and ramblers.

"The new proposal seeks to give the occupiers of the hall some degree of privacy and increase the security of the hall and the farm.

"The owners of Oxendale Hall have requested the council to proceed with making a public path extinguishment and creation order.

"In the council's view, the proposals draw a proper balance between the needs of the occupiers of the hall for security and privacy and the needs of walkers for a convenient and enjoyable walk."

Councillors gave the scheme the go-ahead after hearing Belmore Holdings was to bear the full cost of the new footpath, including the provision of stiles, kissing gates and a footbridge.

But Rita Kay, chairman of Blackburn Ramblers, said her group would fight the proposed closure tooth and nail. These footpaths have been established for hundreds of years. How dare they move old footpaths?

"We are completely opposed to the alteration of any of the footpaths and will fight this tooth and nail.

"Walkers don't stand and stare at the hall. We really don't know what the problem is and our views will be expressed at any opportunity."

Oxendale Hall was built by the Osbaldeston family, which can be traced to pre-Norman Conquest times. Paul Timson said a period of consultation would start and he would be writing to everyone who had expressed an interest.

"The orders will be drafted and advertised in the local press," he added.

Margaret Panikkar, former chairman of Clayton-le-Dale Parish Council, said: "The footpaths are ancient historic footpaths and not short access routes.

"The owners of Oxendale Hall bought the property knowing the footpaths were there and extinguishment orders are usually made when footpaths are no longer in use, which is clearly not the case. We will be fighting closure of the footpaths and look forward to stating our case at a public inquiry."