Campaign mounts over removal of popular stepping stones

A campaign group has called for popular stepping stones and concrete steps at a beauty spot on the Hogsmill River not to be removed.

The Environment Agency (EA) and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) have said they should be replaced with a new footbridge, after concerns about public safety were raised.

Ray Peck, the chairman of Friends of Hogsmill Stepping Stones, said the crossing in at Ewell was a "great local asset" and residents wanted it to remain the way it is.

The EA has been approached for comment, while a senior councillor at EEBC said they appreciated that some people would feel disappointed, but safety had to be the priority.

The stones, which were laid in 1983 as part of the Hogsmill Local Nature Reserve, and the steps, are currently closed, with fencing and signs put up in the area.

It is not clear who has the ownership of them.

Previously EA, which owns the riverbed and banks, said its preferred option was for their removal, and for a new footbridge to be erected.

EEBC was asked whether it wanted to take over responsibility for the crossing, including inspection, maintenance and associated liability, but made the decision not to.

Increased water levels mean that there are longer periods when the stones are submerged under the river, while the number of dogs has led to erosion of the concrete steps, the council said.

Peck told BBC Radio Surrey that the stepping stones were "much loved" and a "focal point" which people such as dog walkers and families should be able to continue enjoying.

"It's not just a crossing, it's a great local asset that lots of us want to keep," he said.

He added that he felt that "nothing in life is absolutely 100% risk-free".

Jack Finnerty, who is also a member of Friends of Hogsmill Stepping Stones, has started a petition to pause the removal of the crossing while other options were explored, which has more than 2,000 signatures.

He said stepping stones were rare in Surrey and that there was a "sense of adventure" about them.

The creation of a wetlands in the nature reserve has led to gravel flowing downstream which is affecting the water levels, the group say.

"It is effectively acting like a dam holding back the water around the stepping stones, which is increasing the level and submerging them," Finnerty said.

Peck added that if measures were taken to reduce the problem, then the crossing was "quite safe."

A spokesperson for the South East Rivers Trust, a charity which created the Chamber Mead wetlands, said it was "overseeing planned work to redistribute gravel around the crossing which will lower the level of the water, leaving the tops of the stones dry and passable".

The work was expected to happen in the week starting July 20.

They added that while they recognised the concerns raised by EA and EEBC they supported keeping the stones as they believed removing them "may be an overzealous response and may not fully reflect the wider value they provide to the community".

Councillor Liz Frost, Chair of the EEBC Environment Committee said: "The stepping stones have historically been a popular crossing spot at the Hogsmill River and we appreciate that some people will feel disappointed that they are no longer available to use.

"However, the safety of residents and visitors has to be our priority."

She had added they had "carefully explored a range of options" but "unfortunately, other measures considered did not fully address the health and safety concerns".

A report to the Strategy and Resources Committee at EEBC on 14 July is recommending that the new pedestrian footbridge should be funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy, a charge typically for developers as a contribution towards essential infrastructure.

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