A NORTH Cornwall parish council is appealing for support to help bring a popular walking trail into public ownership.

Marhamchurch Parish Council have launched a crowdfunder in an effort to secure enough funds in order to purchase the Hele Valley Trail and bring it into public ownership after the site was listed for sale.

The Hele Valley Trail winds its way through 16 acres of beautiful riverside native heritage woodland and well-established broadleaved woodland on the outskirts of the village of Marhamchurch near the North Cornwall coast.

The trail is accessible from a small car park and currently offers unrestricted public access to nature which is loved by locals and visitors alike.

A well-established open space area, it has enjoyed unrestricted permissive access year round for the last 20 years.

However, despite this, there is now concern among locals that, should the land be sold, there is no guarantee a new landowner would maintain public access — with the council claiming there has been a history of loss of local paths in similar circumstances in the area.

As such, in the hope of keeping the much-loved route accessible to everyone, the council is calling for local support to help purchase the site.

As part of the process, Marhamchurch Parish Council has been working to secure funds to purchase the land, and have received an offer from The Community Ownership Fund, from the Ministry of Housing and Communities and Local Government of £152,000.

This sum equates to 80 per cent of the sale price, however, terms of the grant require the council to match fund the remaining 20 per cent - a total cost of £38,000.

The fear is that should this sum not be raised, the opportunity to buy the land will pass.

A spokesperson from Marhamchurch Parish Council said: “If this sum can not be found the once in a generation opportunity to buy the land and the trail will be lost.

“If the match funding can be raised it will secure the Hele Valley Trail in perpetuity for local people and visitors to the area to enjoy the access to nature. The Trail can be used for education of local children and work by volunteers can enhance the land for nature and wildlife benefit.

“We need to raise £38,000 to provide matched funding against the Community Ownership Fund potential funding in order to purchase the land.”

As such, the council is turning to the public for support. With more than £8,100 raised already, there is a way to go to hit the target and less than 80 days until the fundraiser’s end.

The spokesperson continued: “All money raised will support the parish council's aim to secure funds to purchase the land, any surplus funding will be used to fund future maintenance on the site.

“If the project doesn't go ahead all donations will be returned by Crowdfunder to the donors. Crowdfunder will automatically return the donations in those circumstances.”

To donate, visit: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/dnz4w4ml