We have asked our highways contractor to review the condition of the route. They will assess the route and ensure that it is safe for users. The fault is recorded on the Herts direct fault reporting system: 201005150389 and can be tracked using this reference number at the following web address: http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/transtreets/highways/hhonlineservices/hfr/. It is likely that the in some areas the footway will have been overgrown by the grass verges or hedgerows adjacent to the route. As part of the assessment referred to above any immediate hazards will be dealt with by our contractor and where necessary attempts will be made with the adjacent land owners to ask them to maintain their hedgerows to ensure the highway is kept clear. The route is not currently designated as a cycle track and as such cycling is not facilitated. We are aware that there maybe a desire for less confident users to have an off road facility and will rank the route against the Cycling Delivery group targets to assess if it is likely to be able to attract funding .The system currently favours investment within towns as it is likely to attract a higher number of users and provide the best value for money. The lack of a pedestrian crossing facility has not been raised previously possibly due to the relatively low usage the route has the likely hood that the most busy times would be when traffic flows are lower. In the light of this petition the site will be brought to the attention of the local County Councillor for the area and considered by officers using our internal ranking processes that will determine if it should be considered for funding in the future."