A neighbour row has erupted in a picturesque Hampshire village over a "shameful" attempt to shut off a footpath from public use.
Residents in Brockenhurst, nestled in the New Forest, say the 200-metre-long footpath is a "great asset" to the area and the community, dozens of whom who use it daily.
Adrian and Allison Mincher have filed applications to both Brockenhurst parish council and the New Forest National Park Authority to close off the path, with the couple citing concerns over privacy, damage to their vehicles and a long-running problem with dog poo.
But neighbours have reacted with fury - John Stanton, 53, said: "What frustrates me is if any of these issues were real concerns to them, come and talk. Dog fouling? Talk about it... If those issues were real issues, they would impact us as much as them."
The footpath cuts past the Minchers' home
Stanton took aim at the couple's "hostile" planning application, adding that their "exaggerated" claims about issues with the path had upset locals.
And the 53-year-old's remarks come amid a flurry of planning objections - almost 200 of which have been filed against the Minchers' initial application.
The path long predates the arrival of the couple at the centre of the row - according to 83-year-old Bob Coombs, it has been used for over 40 years, and was among the reasons he and his wife moved to their home in Brockenhurst.
And if the couple's application went through, walkers would be forced to walk a significantly longer journey to access the cul-de-sac currently served by the path.
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Residents could be forced to walk a much longer route to access either side of the path
Coombs hailed the footpath's near-constant use, calling it a "great asset to the area" as he noted how locals used it multiple times a day.
He added: "It would be shameful to deny the community this facility, and, in my opinion, a travesty to then allow vehicular access."
The Minchers' application read: "Having a right of way access across the land which is extremely close to the property severely intrudes onto the applicant's privacy and is a security and liability issue.
"Those that do use the access use it as a place to exercise their dogs with a great deal not cleaning it up - they constantly leave dog mess outside the rear gate, outside the front door and where they have pedestrian access into the forest."
But this had been thrown out by the council, who said the couple had reduced their own privacy by cutting down hedgerows around the front of their home and installing a front door with a view of the path around five years ago.
The council have also dismissed further claims that motorbikes had used the footpath, saying: "Residents are not aware of this happening ever in over 40 years.
"If it was an issue, it can be immediately resolved by the owners fulfilling their duty and maintaining a gate allowing only pedestrian access."
The New Forest National Park Authority has not yet come to a decision on the application.
