Ashenground Bridge is a bottleneck where paths from Bolnore Village come together to cross the railway.

Residents who worked hard to support the opening of a new nature reserve at Ashenground are particluarly angry with the news.

Janice Tipping, of The Ashenground Residents' Association (TARA), said: "The bridleway is now a very important link for communities on both sides of the railway.

"It is ironic that within weeks of Mid Sussex District Council finishing very good path improvement work, West Sussex County Council announce they are now going to completely close it off. Even worse, they plan to do it without any consultation at all, and with less than 10 days' notice."

The closure begins on June 1 and will affect Bolnore Village residents who cross the bridge on foot to take their children to school, those who walk to the town for work, and many residents who use it daily to walk their dogs and to access the newly-opened Local Nature Reserve.

The work will be carried out by Crest Nicholson, who will re-surface the bridleway south of St Catherine's Cottage, Isaacs Lane, to Ashenground Bridge over the railway.

West Sussex County Council says the work will result in a greatly improved path with a surface of Grunden Stone laid over a three metre width along with appropriate drainage.

For a full report see this week's Mid Sussex Times.

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