The Peak Park Authority is seeking a compromise with off-road recreational vehicle users, but the National Parks say the problem is worsening and something must be done...
The use of a byway that runs over one of Britain's most popular
climbing crags by off-road recreational vehicles is the focus of a
meeting in the Peak on Saturday 11 June as the Peak Park Authority
look for a consensus on the 'best way forward for everyone'.
The meeeting takes place at a time when National Park Authorities
are extremely concerned by an explosion of application from 4x4 and
trail bike enthusiasts to use ancient byways for off road
driving.
The government's Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill,
which is passing through Parliament at the moment is intended to stop
the anachronistic loophole which allows off-roaders to use ancient
byways, which were never designed for motorised vehicular use.
The measure appears to have backfired however, with this
Observer article claiming that off road enthusiasts have lodged
some 3,000 applications with local councils as part of a structured
campaign. It seems that these applications have to be processed
before the bill becomes law or the government may be in breach of the
Human Rights Act.
'The problem is getting worse'
The situation has alarmed the Council for National Parks (CNP)
which has called
for 'a government crackdown on motorbikes, four wheel drives and
other "off road" vehicles which are damaging the nation's most
protected areas'.
Donna O'Brien, CNP Policy Officer, said: "Off-road driving is
damaging wildlife, landscape, and heritage as well as disturbing
people seeking peace and quiet or making a living from the
land. Some Parks reported that they have regular convoys of
four wheel drives equipped to winch themselves out of ancient green
lanes, while others are plagued by scrambler motorbikes using open
moorland rich in wildlife."
The body says that Park Authorities do not have the powers or
resources to 'combat the increasing interest in green lane and
off-road driving and protect these special landscapes' and calls on
the government to provide more resources to do so, to encourage the
police to enforce existing laws to control off-roading and to
introduce clarity where there is uncertainty about a route's
status.
According to the Observer, a recent report by the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that 40 per cent of byways
in national parks are now being used by recreational vehicles and
wardens believe that the problem is getting worse.
The end result, says the CNP, is that if something isn't done, the
pressure for a total ban on off road recreational motoring will
become overwhelming as the problem worsens.
Peak Compormise
In the Peak, the Park Authority for one, is trying to reach a
mutually beneficial compromise at the 11 June meeting of the Stanage
Byways Forum. The public are invited to put their views alongside
representatives of the Land Access and Recreation Association, the
Green Lanes Association and the Trail Riders' Fellowship.
The meeting will 'focus on the use of 4x4s, trails bikes and other
off-road vehicles on the Long Causeway, an ancient packhorse route
over Stanage Edge.' The route cuts through the middle of one of the
most popular climbing crags in the UK and across beautiful moorland
terrain and while it's a legal route for offroaders, the Park
Authority is concerned both about damage to the track and the impact
of motorised vehicles on the area's role as 'a safe and peaceful
place for non-motorised users'.
The hope seems to be that off-roader organisations 'could
voluntarily agree to curb activities at certain times or recommend
reduced speeds.'
"We may not get a solution that pleases everybody from this
process", says the Park's Matthew Cronley. "But we hope to improve
the current situation for the benefit of all."
If you're interested in attending the meeting, please call 01629
816351.
