http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...home-path.html
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson in row with neighbours over holiday home path
The 48-year-old, known as the scourge of environmentalists, had little regard for the claim of rights on the path which crossed his property and did not want ramblers wandering past his lighthouse.
But far from backing down, the locals on the Isle of Man proved as unwilling as Clarkson to let matter rest.
Now, the row has escalated to the point where the ramblers have called on the island's government to intervene and accused Clarkson of adopting "cynical tactics" to keep the path closed.
The presenter bought the 63-foot lighthouse and surrounding five cottages at Langness on the southern tip of the island as a refuge for him and his wife, Francie, who is from the island, in 2005.
A year later, he erected a wire fence and a sign proclaiming "no access" which blocked off 250 yards of path near his cottage after becoming annoyed by walkers staring into his holiday retreat.
Local walkers were outraged and set up a campaign group, PRoWL (Public Rights of Way, Langness), to fight to get the route re-opened.
Although not legally a public footpath, historically the landowner had granted "permissive rights" to walkers.
PRoWL argued that the path had become a public highway under Manx law, because it had been used "as of right" without permission for more than 21 years.
The Isle of Man parliament, Tynwald, set up a delegation and was supposed to come up with a solution last April, but the process has been delayed three times.
Ian Costain, a spokesman fro PRoWL, said the matter should have been settled long ago.
"PRoWL has been urging Tynwald to take action to implement its footpath laws since summer 2006. Tynwald and the Manx people should find this further delay intolerable."
The group said Mr Clarkson had changed his legal advisers three times in just over a year and each team demanded that the negotiations start afresh.
"If this is true, it appears to be a cynical tactic to prevent agreement," said Mr Costain.
"We look to Tynwald to take the long overdue decisive action – let the Department of Transport require the obstruction to be removed, or send the matter to inquiry."
Terry Marsh, a travel writer, who used to organise walking festivals on the Isle of Man, said it was not easy to pry on the Clarkson household.
"To see in his kitchen would require you get into his property and walk directly up to the window," he said.
"I've no argument with him seeking to maintain his privacy. I would have thought it was possible to achieve a satisfactory solution".
David Cannan, chairman of the Tynwald delegation, had said in July it expected to make a report by October.
Yesterday he said: "I have to say that the progress we had confidently expected has not been made. The reason is that there has been a change of lawyers advising Mr and Mrs Clarkson, of which we were notified at the end of August.
"The new legal team requested to meet our delegation, and they did so towards the end of last month.
"It was apparent from that meeting that there had in effect been a change of negotiating stance, and the legal team representing the Clarksons asked for more time to bring the negotiations to a conclusion."
He said the delegation would make a final report in December, a date that had been accepted by the Clarksons' advisers.
Mr Clarkson has declined to comment.
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I the paper there is a map of the path in dispute....
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...,0.017295&z=16
Seems a bit mean to give location of his holiday home.....
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson in row with neighbours over holiday home path
The 48-year-old, known as the scourge of environmentalists, had little regard for the claim of rights on the path which crossed his property and did not want ramblers wandering past his lighthouse.
But far from backing down, the locals on the Isle of Man proved as unwilling as Clarkson to let matter rest.
Now, the row has escalated to the point where the ramblers have called on the island's government to intervene and accused Clarkson of adopting "cynical tactics" to keep the path closed.
The presenter bought the 63-foot lighthouse and surrounding five cottages at Langness on the southern tip of the island as a refuge for him and his wife, Francie, who is from the island, in 2005.
A year later, he erected a wire fence and a sign proclaiming "no access" which blocked off 250 yards of path near his cottage after becoming annoyed by walkers staring into his holiday retreat.
Local walkers were outraged and set up a campaign group, PRoWL (Public Rights of Way, Langness), to fight to get the route re-opened.
Although not legally a public footpath, historically the landowner had granted "permissive rights" to walkers.
PRoWL argued that the path had become a public highway under Manx law, because it had been used "as of right" without permission for more than 21 years.
The Isle of Man parliament, Tynwald, set up a delegation and was supposed to come up with a solution last April, but the process has been delayed three times.
Ian Costain, a spokesman fro PRoWL, said the matter should have been settled long ago.
"PRoWL has been urging Tynwald to take action to implement its footpath laws since summer 2006. Tynwald and the Manx people should find this further delay intolerable."
The group said Mr Clarkson had changed his legal advisers three times in just over a year and each team demanded that the negotiations start afresh.
"If this is true, it appears to be a cynical tactic to prevent agreement," said Mr Costain.
"We look to Tynwald to take the long overdue decisive action – let the Department of Transport require the obstruction to be removed, or send the matter to inquiry."
Terry Marsh, a travel writer, who used to organise walking festivals on the Isle of Man, said it was not easy to pry on the Clarkson household.
"To see in his kitchen would require you get into his property and walk directly up to the window," he said.
"I've no argument with him seeking to maintain his privacy. I would have thought it was possible to achieve a satisfactory solution".
David Cannan, chairman of the Tynwald delegation, had said in July it expected to make a report by October.
Yesterday he said: "I have to say that the progress we had confidently expected has not been made. The reason is that there has been a change of lawyers advising Mr and Mrs Clarkson, of which we were notified at the end of August.
"The new legal team requested to meet our delegation, and they did so towards the end of last month.
"It was apparent from that meeting that there had in effect been a change of negotiating stance, and the legal team representing the Clarksons asked for more time to bring the negotiations to a conclusion."
He said the delegation would make a final report in December, a date that had been accepted by the Clarksons' advisers.
Mr Clarkson has declined to comment.
===================================
I the paper there is a map of the path in dispute....
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&...,0.017295&z=16
Seems a bit mean to give location of his holiday home.....
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