It is, indeed, disappointing that the kissing gate by Trehill Lodge in Ivybridge has “disappeared”, as reported in your newspaper last week, and I share the concerns of Alex Tempest, the owner of the Lodge, and of other local residents.

Hopefully it has now been recovered and not melted down for scrap or something.

As pointed out, not only is this part of the history of the town but its removal clearly opens up a hazardous situation that did not exist before.

Much, if not all, of the area of land east of the footpath as far as the St Peter’s Way area formed part of the Trehill estate – hence Trehill Lodge, Trehill Road and, more recently, Trehill Arms.

The first part of Trehill Road and the roads off it was one of the first new, post-war developments in the town leaving an area of land which, it seems, might have been developed with more houses of a similar type to those built but remained as an open area, across which the footpath went to join up with Trehill Road.

Subsequently, Devon County Council developed the site for the – now empty – Butterpark Residential Home, diverting the footpath to do so.

The hazards, as has been pointed out, involve risks to children, pedestrians and others.

With no barrier now, young children on foot, bicycles or scooters could run/ride straight into the road across the footpath and possibly right into traffic.

The possibility of cyclists using this narrow stretch of pathway as a short cut, could inconvenience and likely put at risk, pedestrians who regularly use it as well as maybe motorcyclists/motor scooters using it as well.

As a former resident of Exeter Road in that area, I am aware of this and I hope whoever is responsible is aware of this.

Not so many years ago, there were, in fact, two such gates on that stretch of footpath.

The inner one was removed by Devon County Council who, apparently, promised to return it but it disappeared, perhaps for scrap or for another town or village.

The county council also wanted to remove the present gate and residents objected to this for precisely the reasons being expressed now.

Responsibility for footpaths rests with the county council but I appreciate the need for the district to deal with potential risks.

However, they do seem to have rather mishandled this, removing something – which does not belong to them – and then seemingly losing it.

Tony Barber

Greenfield Drive, Ivybridge