A 300-year-old riverside footpath in Salford could remain open, with a campaign to save it now set to force a public inquiry. Salford City Council initially agreed that developers could close the pedestrian route by the River Irwell, diverting walkers through a back and a hotel lobby.
But protesters objected saying the public's fundamental right to walk along the river might be taken away. The path runs along Salford's border with Manchester and is where the coming Ralli Quays development will see government office buildings replaced by a 16-storey hotel with 260 beds.
Plans were approved in January when councillors accepted the argument from the developer Legal & General that it was not viable to maintain the 207-metre footpath in Blackfriars. That prompted a wave of protest with more than 120 people objecting to the proposals.
