Peak Park To Protect Tracks From 4x4s

The Peak District National Park authority is drawing up plans to protect eight unsurfaced routes in the Peak District from damage caused by 4x4s and trail bikes, with the surfaces set to be 'improved' to prevent further damage being caused.

The eight routes chosen are the first batch from some 23 trails which have been assessed as being 'potentially unsustainable unless improvements are made to prevent further damage being caused to the surface'.

Individual management plans are being drawn up for each route to determine the best course of action in each case with input from Peak Park rights of way officers, conservation officers and area rangers, a Derbyshire Country Council highways engineer and a  Local Access Forum sub-group, which includes representatives of outdoor users, including motor vehicle user groups.

Potential measures could - say the Peak Park Authority - include warning signs, resurfacing, voluntary restraint agreements with motor vehicle users, temporary traffic bans or traffic regulation orders, which could permanently ban vehicles from the route.

The first eight routes to be looked at are the first eight routes to be looked at will be:

Bradley Lane, Pilsley
Brough Lane, Brough / Shatton
Chapelgate, Edale/Chinley
Long Causeway, Bamford / Sheffield
Moorlands Lane, Bonsall
School Lane, Great Hucklow
Shatton Lane, Brough / Shatton
Washgates, Hartington Upper Quarter, Staffordshire

Interesting stuff - as anyone who regularly walks, runs or bikes in the Peak will know, off road recreational vehicles have contributed significantly to trail erosion on tracks like the above.

Councillor Andrew Marchington, chair of the Peak District National Park Authority’s services committee, said: “We are seeking to find a permanent solution to the problems that exist on these routes and others in the national park.

“By using all the powers at our disposal, and working with our partners, we aim to build a consensus on how these routes can be properly protected while still allowing lawful use of the land by all groups.

“By doing this we hope to solve the problems that exist rather than just move them on to another part of the national park.”

Plans for the other 15 earmarked routes will be worked on once the first eight have been completed.