A PUBLIC inquiry will be held to determine whether a path which has been controversially locked by residents will be reopened to the public.

The public inquiry will take place by the Planning Inspectorate into whether Teneriffe Path, which connects Broad Street to Marine Parade in Lyme Regis, will be recognised as a public right of way. The path is currently locked at both ends, with all residents on Tenneriffe Path given a key.

A campaign to reinstate the route as a public right of way was launched in 2002 by then town councillors Lorna Jenkin and the late Dr Spencer Hogg.

The inquiry will take place on February 22 and campaigners are urging those who remember using the path to come forward and give evidence.

Ms Jenkin said: “I look forward to this public enquiry as I hope it will find that the Teneriffe Path is indeed a public footpath, to confirm their first decision of some six years ago.

“The late Dr Spencer Hogg and I began this long process in 2002 when we were both town councillors, when two retired boatmen came to me and asked me to help re-open it. They had used it in pre-1990 as a short cut to the harbour to avoid stormy seas at Cobb Gate. There will be an opportunity for the public to speak to the inspector and I would encourage anyone with a story of using the path long ago to go along in February. The principal objector no longer lives there, so I’m hopeful. All our previous evidence including more than 50 signed statements from local residents has been presented to the inspector.”

Deputy town clerk Mark Green, said: “A letter has been received from the Planning Inspectorate confirming that a second public inquiry will be held into the inclusion of the path on the map of public definitive rights-of-way for Dorset. While Dorset County Council will provide administrative support in organising the logistics of the inquiry, they are not prepared to play any role in presenting evidence to the inspector and will, instead, take an entirely neutral stance. It means all evidence in support of the inclusion of the path on the map will have to be provided locally.”