Jubilee Walk

Article by Councillor David Northage

Shepshed Town Council has entered into negotiations to purchase Jubilee Walk from the owners, Grace Dieu Estate.

It came as a complete shock to everyone, including Shepshed Town Council and Charnwood Borough Council, when a section of the old railway line forming part of Jubilee Walk was put up for sale by auction last October.

Charnwood Borough Council had just completed the re-surfacing of the entire length of the path from Charnwood Road to the Tickow Lane bridge, thus honouring their agreement dating back to 1984 that they would fully maintain Jubilee Walk, including the first section from Charnwood Road to Rockingham Close, which Charnwood Borough Council own, and the rest of the path from Rockingham Close to Tickow Lane bridge, owned by Grace Dieu Estate.

Shepshed Town Council was successful in registering the land as an Asset of Community Value on 5th December and subsequently submitting an "intention to purchase" notice which prevents the land being sold on the open market for six months. The land was withdrawn from the auction which was to take place on 8th December.

Charnwood Borough Council have kindly agreed that they would continue to fully maintain Jubilee Walk should Shepshed Town Council be successful in purchasing the land. This is critical as with this agreement in place there would be no ongoing costs to Shepshed Town Council.

The community of Shepshed as a whole were quite rightly outraged that Jubilee Walk could be sold and many hundreds of people petitioned the Leicestershire County Council to include Jubilee Walk on the Definitive Footpath Map. Angela Kilpin and Tracey O'Brien, with the help of many more concerned residents, managed to submit in excess of a thousand forms to LCC and we can be confident a Definitive Map Modification Order will be made.

The structural report following a survey of the Tamworth Close/ Jubilee Walk bridge indicates that costly repairs will be required at sometime in the future, this along with the inclusion of the path on the Definitive Map, will hopefully deter other potential buyers, thus enabling Shepshed Town Council to preserve this much loved asset in its present form.

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