Airfield runway footpath could be diverted

A public footpath which directly crosses a runway in an airfield owned by film-maker Guy Ritchie could be diverted.

A new path has been proposed around the edge of Compton Abbas Airfield in Dorset to make it safer, following a request by Ashcombe Estates, trading as the airfield.

Dorset councillors heard on Friday that the part diversion of Footpath 11 would make the route around 500m (1,640ft) longer, but safer, and would also see some crossing points being improved.

But Compton Abbas Parish Council objected to the change, saying the path had likely been in existence since 1888 without problems or accidents.

The council also said the path could clearly be seen from the control tower and the approaches to the airstrip, which was only established in its current form in 1962, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said the current route, straight across the 800m-long (2,624ft) runway, took less than four minutes to walk with good all-round visibility. The proposed route would be more than double the distance, and cause "a substantial loss of convenience and public enjoyment".

Dorset councillors sitting on a strategic planning committee in Dorchester on Friday were told the changed route would coincide with moving the test area for aircraft further away from any public path.

Councillors voted unanimously to support the legal order, which will now go to the Secretary of State for a final decision.

Lyme Regis councillor Belinda Bawden said: "Not walking across the runway seems a very sensible safety measure."

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