Loss of Peak District rights of way

[blurb55]

Hi All,
don't post often but for those of you who enjoyed the event in the Hope Valley, a quick update from Nimby Central.

It seems that a cohort of people who have moved to the Valley - along with some farmers and landowners who would ban anyone from their land if they had the power - have decided that trail bikes and 4x4s are destroying the green lanes around the Peak Park and have started to gather support to have all the Green Lanes in the Valley downgraded. They already have the support of a couple of Parish Councils and re starting to lobby the Peak Park Authority all of which was publicised in the latest Parish Newsletter.

The main reason is that the green lanes are falling into disrepair - and they are, I ride them on my MTB. These rights of way are the responsibility of the Highways Agency but the snow damage to the roads around here is extensive and so resources are being diverted into that area, the Parish Councils are next in line for grief about the state of the lanes and they don't have the kind of cash needed to effect the repairs. Infuriatingly the biggest culprit round here are some irresponsible trail bikes and rain. I have come across trail bikes riding bridleways and footpaths when out riding and any attempt to remonstrate is met with abuse and threats. There are equally many who are responsible but because of the way a trail bike needs to be ridden to get through some of the more challenging sections, the rear wheels gouge out ruts, these then become drainage channels when it rains heavily and the lane ends up completely washed out (for an example see the lane from Brough to Bradwell Edge).

We have already lost a superb route around Shatton mast - nice lane with brilliant views up the valley. Shatton is a very well to do hamlet and is packed with the kind of residents who move out here for the peace & quiet, not to be disturbed by noisy bikes and 4x4s - I am sure you can work out what happens next.

Not sure what can be done, not sure if anyone else is really as bothered as the nimbys in and around the Valley but if they win, we lose - Stanage Pole, Pindale, Chapel Gate, Abney, Windy Knoll, the trail to Hadfield where Doug lost a tyre on the last trip to name but a few great routes.

I have posted this on Brick-Yard and if anyone wants to post it into other 4x4 forums please feel free.

Cheers, Paul.
Unhappy 4x4 driving resident of the Hope Valley.

[toomanytoys]

The irresponsible few will always screw it up for the rest...


I propposed a something to my local group where the local rights of way officer could issue a permit (and key) to organised users.. with lanes gated at each end... "We" would have to install gates and repair/maintain "roads" as much as poss etc etc to get them on board so as to reduce the councils burden... a fair swap for retaining access and maintaining the routes, with some degree of control.. seemed to go down well, but never amounted to much...
Of course.. the flouters would still try and use them and screw it up for us.. but at least if they were caught, we could just drive over the twonks... with our "licience to kill"

[syncrosimon]

I have actually noticed that the condition of some of the Somerset forbidden lanes has deteriorated since the ban, and the gully formation down the center has increased. Sometimes having the wheels on the outside helps push the stuff back in the middle.

I also like AT tyres as should we really be anywhere where they cant take you, and they can dig a lot of soil and tempt you to make much more mess?

There really is hatred out there for anything with wheels.

[Syncro G]

I also like AT tyres as should we really be anywhere where they cant take you, and they can dig a lot of soil and tempt you to make much more mess?

Certainly a valid point in the peak district as a lot of the lanes have a stony( or gritstone) base so ATs are fine - hight is good to clear the rocks but agressive tread is needless. The lanes that are prone to mud get very bad when wet whatever tyre you have and are fine for ATs when dry. Sadly some of the peak lanes atract winch chalange trucks (which usually bellyout on a rock and then use their overtweeked V8's or Tdi's to swing their oversized tyres untill they snap halfshafts of blow the diffs, then they need to drag themselfs off the rock with a winch, a jack and a carefully placed pebble works better but doesn't cost enough - Both methods seem to attract simular levels of hate from the redsocks though, afterall, why should they have to put up with meeting vehicles on the 50odd miles of peak park byway they chose to walk, not like they've got any vehicleless bridleways or exclusive footpaths when they don't want to excersize the right to roam (invented there) is it?

Sounds like its only a matter of time before the PDNP caves in to redsocks requests which will be a shame, on the whole I think they've tried to get on with everyone.

I quite like the Chappelgate situation, aparently its been completely trashed by vehicles (has some rutted bits a Unimog wouldn't clear so to say its something other than water is rediculous) though everyone always quotes "its much worse than last time" which I think is an exageration. Thing is not that many years ago it was a tarmac road, can still see bits of the old serface that the water hasn't quite washed away.

I think there are plenty of "fluffy" lanes now impassable since being closed to vehicles as the hedges have taken them back. When regularly bracon bashed by Land-Rover they were naturally kept to almost Land-Rover width, good enough for a horse or walkers side by side apart from that unlikely but possable encounter with a vehicle - remove the vehicles and now spaniels struggle to get through - Some forms of maintinance aren't initally obveous, carefull use can achive a lot.

[blurb55]

Right you lot - if you want to continue to drive the Peak Park, I suggest you start by emailing the following with your concerns/feelings etc and then copy and post this anywhere and everywhere you think may be appropriate.:

Peak Park Right of Way: rightsofway@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Parish Council Clerk: stevelawless@supanet.com

The newsletter can be downloaded from here: http://www.bradda.org/Newsletters/Issue_97.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is a transcript of the article:

Green Lanes

During recent years there has been a significant increase in motorised vehicles using our green lanes and bridleways and this, coupled with an almost complete lack of maintenance by Derbyshire County Highways Department which has responsibility for their upkeep has meant severe deterioration, meaning in turn that walkers and riders find it difficult, if not impossible to use them.

Your Parish Council has been involved in discussions on this topic for a number of years, but recently several local Parish Councils and local people to form a new group, the "Forum for Ancient Byways" (FAB). This group has been making representation to Highways, Peak Park and the Police regarding the severe and continuing deterioration of these byways, and efforts are being made to find ways to repair them and prevent further degredation, by restricting motor vehicles.

This work is being done against a background where budgets to carry out repairs have been slashed and responsibility for use and control orders is being passed between the different authorities involved. We will continue to keep you as to developments in this important area.