A council has agreed to establish a controversial entry point to a piece of land for easier vehicle access.

Provided it costs not more than £5,000, the access route would be built on the southern border of the Elms Estate in Uppingham, facilitating access from Aris Close onto a field in which the future use is currently up for debate.

Cllr David Ainsley told Uppingham Town Council on Wednesday evening (August 5) that irrespective of how the land is ultimately used, its maintenance will remain a perennial responsibility for the council to keep the area safe, and thus relevant vehicles will need access

In addition, Cllr Ainsley highlighted a more ominous scenario over which straightforward vehicular access could be demanded in the future.

He said: "I am sure you have all seen the horrendous scenes across Europe right now involving bush fires and flash fires. Similar things are happening in Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Our summers are going to get hotter.

"If we have a fire in that field, we'll need somewhere for the fire engines to get in."

Cllr Ainsley's caution was well received by some members of the council, who concurred with the seriousness he indicated regarding the risk of fire, and the need for a vehicular access point to mitigate risk.

However, the motion was not without opposition, given that Elms Estate residents were not consulted with before the motion was drafted.

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"Good decision making requires evidence, consultation and due diligence. This proposal has skipped these essential steps," Councillor Hugh Illingworth said.

"To spend £5000 before consulting those affected or exhausting the alternatives is not prudent stewardship of public money. It is premature and risks becoming an avoidable waste of taxpayers money."

After several amendments, including a rewording to ensure the access point remains "provisional" and therefore liable to be modified or removed in the future, the proposal was voted through, with 10 votes for, two against and one abstention.

Later at the meeting, the council agreed to a deadline by which details concerning the land must be finalised, including how it would be maintained and any ecological implications.

A deadline of the council's November meeting was set, to coincide with the last annual "mow" of the field – in accordance with environmental precautions – after which the council will decide "what it wants to do" with the land "in more detail".

The motion was voted through unanimously.