COUNCILLORS have greeted an invitation to get more involved with the maintenance of local footpaths and bridleways with caution.

Members of Wellington Town Council’s environment committee met on May 22 where they discussed a letter received from Somerset Council’s rights of way service manager Peter Hobley.

Mr Hobley said that Somerset Council was responsible for maintaining around 6,200kms of public rights of way across the country.

“We achieve this in partnership with Exmoor National Park Authority and around 400 registered volunteers in our many schemes that we operate under the Community Paths Partnership,” he wrote in the letter which had been sent to all city, town and parish councils in Somerset.

Mr Hobley said that although some local councils already help with the maintenance of pathways, some authorities were not and he was reaching out to those who might be interested in helping keep things such as signage, gates, steps and surfacing in good order.

But councillors on Wellington Town Council, which already helps to keep the area looking tidy, were not entirely taken in by Mr Hobley’s letter and they mentioned a number of concerns.

And having already agreed to take on a number of services from cash-strapped and bankruptcy-threatened Somerset Council, they were worried that they could be taking on more.

Cllr Catherine Govier said: “I’m concerned about this. It’s a lot more involved than what we have been doing and the costs will increase.

“Somerset Council is asking for us to do far more than we can potentially manage. We don’t really know what Somerset Council is going to carry on doing and not doing and yet we are being asked to do things when we don’t know what is going to happen.

“We are being asked to do something when we don’t know what the costs will be.”

But Cllr Govier added: “Whatever happens – we need to keep our footpaths in order.”

Committee chairman, Cllr Mike McGuffie, said: “This is a fishing expedition by Somerset Council.”

Town clerk Dave Farrow said: “In principle we are happy to look at this, but we need more information.”