A bid by Essex County Council to upgrade bridleways to allow vehicular traffic across an ancient estate at Coggeshall has been rejected.
Planning inspector Sue Arnott studied maps dating back to 1594 and scrutinised 70 objections at a four-day public inquiry before making her ruling on Marks Hall Estate.
The decision was welcomed by the estate trustees and adjoining landowners, who said that the proposals would have created one and a half miles of public highway open to the "four-wheel drive brigade," shattering the peace and tranquillity.
The council argued at the inquiry that the basic rule of "once a highway, always a highway" applied.
Council experts said that the routes were rights of way for carts centuries ago.
However, the inspector concluded that there was not sufficient evidence to reclassify the routes.
Published Thursday, May 29, 2003
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