John Bainbridge, of Gorway, Teignmouth, has sent us a copy of the letter he has sent to county councillors on behalf of Teignmouth and Dawlish Ramblers:

We are writing to you to express our concern for the future of Devon's public rights of way, in the light of possible budget cuts.

Our paths network, despite generating billions of pounds by way of tourist and local user income, is under immediate threat because of government spending cuts. We are concerned that Devon County Council will see the rights of way budget as an easy target for cuts.

The result would be that footpaths and bridleways will become overgrown, ploughed out, illegally obstructed, missing signposts, waymarks, stiles, gates and bridges. A disaster for anyone who enjoys a walk in the country and for the many local businesses that depend on walker-generated income.

In Cornwall, where cuts to the rights of way network have already been imposed, we have heard that many walkers have cancelled holidays.

Our wonderful footpaths and bridleways are not just an important asset for walking and riding, but hugely valuable as an historical resource. Walking many of our paths takes us exactly in the steps of our ancestors. We can discover the way people travelled to church, the routes some took on pilgrimages, the old green tracks along which drovers took their cattle and sheep to market.

Nearly 40 years ago, the paths in Devon were in an appalling state. Sometimes, it was hard to complete a walk away from the open ground of the high moors. I suspect the paths of many counties were in just such a parlous state – some still are.

Gradually, after an enormous struggle and after many years of work – in alliance with county council officials - we won the battle to open up rights of way – in Devon at least.

Many paths could become unwalkable again in the face of short-sighted spending cuts. Many paths will be lost, some never to be regained.

Over the years, Devon County Council and user groups have rolled back the decades of neglect, got paths cleared, signposted and open. As of today, we understand that around 97 per cent of Devon paths are walkable – making the county one of the best in Britain for the care of its rights of way. That is a figure to be proud of. But paths need care: rights of way work needs funding.

While we understand that cutting the rights of way budget is tempting for councillors, that temptation should be resisted. In the long run neglecting rights of way will cost more. Future remedial work would be prohibitively expensive.

The minimal cost of keeping Devon rights of way open is nothing compared to the millions walking brings in to the local economy, the businesses that thrive because of walkers attracted to the county, the health benefits of walking, and the pleasure, not only of visitors, but for the council tax payers of the county.

Our beautiful countryside attracts hundreds of thousands of walkers every year, at a very modest cost. These visitors will be deterred if the public rights of way of Devon are not found to be clear and viable.THIS AND OTHER LETTERS IN OUR ONLINE EDITION