READER LETTER: Muddy route - Conservation group is behind new paths

Although he rambles on quite eloquently about his complaint, summarising what council officers might think or do etc, most of his facts are not correct.

First of all Mansfield District Council is not responsible for the new all-weather paths which have been built leading to the picnic area on Quarry Lane Nature Reserve. The local volunteer friends group Maun Conservation Group is, having obtained grants from Veolia Environmental Trust and local independent councillors, a fact reported in Chad some weeks ago.

Having obtained the go-ahead from the council and the Environment Agency, we employed the contactors to lay the paths and install steps down the steep bank, opposite the Stags ground, onto the picnic site and fishing pegs.

It is part of Maun Conservation’s ongoing programme to make this local nature reserve more accessible to the people of Mansfield, so that they can enjoy the countryside on their doorstep.

Contrary to Ian’s statement, although only a few weeks old, they are used and will be even more if it ever stops raining.

With reference to the dreaded puddle, the track on which it is situated is part of Mansfield’s history, built to carry stone from the quarries in use at that time. The track is in the ownership of Notts County Council highways, as with most of the tracks and highways in Nottinghamshire.

However there is no need for football fans to have to negotiate the puddle, for if they are approaching from that direction they must have parked on Matlock Avenue (probably in front of my house – fair enough).

From Matlock Avenue there is a perfectly good Tarmac path all the way to the One Call Stadium, bypassing the puddle altogether.

Oh, and one issue, the river mentioned is not the Meden, but the river Maun, the clue is in the name Maunsfield – Mansfield.

Happy and dry footie (pun) Ian.

Colin Etches

Chairman, Maun Conservation Group