HUNDREDS of residents in Rogerstone are still calling for the restoration of a public footpath to Jubilee Park.

A campaign Facebook page titled ‘PROW JUBILEE PARK ROGERSTONE’ has garnered 535 members.   

A public right of way (PROW) is a path the public can use to pass over private land while on walking or cycling etc. 

The path in question was closed in December 2021 when a storm caused “significant loss of bank” at the nearby River Ebbw.  

The damage caused a section of the footpath to eventually ‘collapse into the river’ and has since been blocked off at School Terrace to Jubilee Park Walk.  

A large section of the footpath was also lost in January 2023 after bad weather caused it to collapse in 2023.  

Previously, more than 1,500 people signed a petition demanding repairs to the damaged path.  

The council claimed it does not have a duty to repair the path because “it is not the owner of the land, and the loss of the riverbank was due to a natural phenomenon”. 

The future of the path and the possibility of its restoration has been in a state of limbo until the landowner can be found. 

The council who fenced off the area say they have put warning signs up as ‘anyone trying to access it is putting themselves at risk’. 

The campaign group invited Newport City Council to a public meeting organised on October 22 this year, but the offer was declined. 

On November 8, a spokesperson for Newport City Council said:  

“Increased safety measures, including enhanced safety fencing and warning signage, will be installed on site early next week, to replace previous fencing which had been vandalised. 

“An alternative, safe route is available for those wishing to access the welfare ground from Jubilee Park.   

“The council has been unable to find the responsible landowner for the site. Any future works on the site would be for the landowner to determine.   

“It should be noted that even if the council can identify the landowner in future, it cannot force them to carry out work on the site.   

“The council has received correspondence claiming to identify the owner of the land, however we have been unable to verify these claims.”