A housing association has reassured concerned residents that a popular footpath in the centre of Marlow will not close.

More than 100 residents and the town council campaigned earlier this year to save the footpath at New Court that cuts through Cromwell Gardens to the High Street after Red Kite put the site up for sale in November 2015.

The 19th century house and gardens were bought by developers, Lennox Estates, who have now moved onto the site to begin work.

However, a concerned resident of nearby Cromwell Gardens, who did not want to be named but uses the path regularly, complained that the footpath has become hazardous since workmen moved onto the site and says she was told that it would eventually be closed.

She said: “The developers have erected hoardings all around the edge of the footpath, which has left it pitch black and it is very dangerous there now.

“I have already bruised my hand there because it is so dark. I went to complain and workmen on the site told me that the footpath would be cut off anyway because it belongs to the developers.

“Hundreds of people use this footpath, it is not right.”

More than 100 residents responded to the town council’s plea earlier this year to fill out user evidence forms which were sent off to Bucks County Council in a bid to put the footpath on the map.

However, a spokesman for Red Kite Housing has reassured residents that the path will be staying open.

Zosia Katnik said: “Earlier this year, Liston House and its associated land was sold by Red Kite Community Housing to Lennox Estates, who are now on site and moving forward with their development plans.

“The monies received following the sale will be reinvested by our organisation in to the provision of new housing. As part of the sale agreement, the reserved right of access for the path that runs from Cromwell Gardens through to Liston Court will remain.

“We are very aware of the campaign that took place around the footpath, so we have made sure that the access for local people is retained.

“We’re sorry to hear that someone hurt their hand when using the path recently – we have fed back the comments about lighting to Lennox Estates so that they can address these however they feel is most appropriate.”

The site was owned by the Liston family until Nesta Sybil Liston’s death in 1970, when she bequeathed the house and grounds to the then Urban District Council of Marlow.

Wycombe District Council then transferred the whole site to Red Kite in 2011 with the rest of its housing stock - minus part of the gardens and the car park - which are still maintained as public space by WDC.