When is a Whittlesford path not a path?

When it isn't really needed. This scene is the end of Butts Green in Whittlesford, which has a sheltered housing scheme and a good number of elderly people living there. For some reason a planning condition to have a footpath link was placed on the site just beyond the hedges where the road ends. 

That site is currently a grain store with a weigh bridge but there is planning permission to build houses there. Although the owners have always been good neighbours to the William Westley School next door in Mill Lane in terms of keeping the lorries away at key times of the day, it will be good to see the site used for much needed housing in the village, including some affordable housing.

The footpath condition has been holding up the sale of the land. Given that if the path was built it would come out in a parking area, and then through the sheltered housing, the question is - do we demand the footpath is kept in the plan, and see the housing deal stall again? Having spoken to the planning department at South Cambs at the moment the footpath is due to go. I think on balance this is right.