Trail riders launch bid to reopen Derbyshire lanes

[Richard Simpson]

The Association of Peak Trail Riders is petitioning Derbyshire County Council Highways Authority to reopen four iconic Peak District lanes to motorcycles.
Chapelgate, Roych, Long Causeway and Leys Lane were all closed by the National Park Authority to ‘preserve their beauty and amenity’ ignoring the fact that they had been used by motorcyclists without issue for over a century.
A spokesman for the Association of Peak Trail Riders said: “There are many times more footpaths, bridleways and restricted byways which are open to those who do not want to encounter motorcyclists when they are enjoying the Peak District than there are vehicular rights of way in the park.
“The anti trail riding policies of the Peak District National Park Authority are driving trail riders away from the Park to other, more welcoming, areas. This is now having a real impact on businesses in and around the National Park.
“We are asking the County Council Highways Authority to put local people and businesses, jobs and the tourist trade first, and remove these damaging restrictions.”

Find the petition at:

https://www.change.org/p/derbyshire-cou ... eated=true

Visit the Association of Peak Trail Riders website at www.peaktrailriders.co.uk

[johnnyboxer]

Richard, serious question

Do you think it'll do a jot of good?

[Richard Simpson]

Serious answer:

Well, I know what will happen if we don't keep doing things like this, and that will be trail riding will be driven out of the National Parks.

Will this, on its own. make any difference?

Probably not, but as part of a continued campaign...who knows?

Bear in mind just about any political campaign...the 'right to roam' for instance...or banning foxhunting...resulted from decades of getting in peoples' ears!

So for, our opponents have won on this issue because they were more prepared to make a nuisance of themselves than we were. I propose that we need to learn from that!

[kev.t]

signed (a while back actually through the book of faces)

[johnnyboxer]

Thanks Richard, you are right (thumbs)

[Mike101]

A question for you Richard. What is the exact reason why the lanes have been shut..not what we think but what are the exact legal reasons given.

To fight each legal argument one at a time word by word is the only way to win.

If they say damage...we say "show us the damage that bikes cause"...if they say noise "show them quiet bikes and as what constitutes as loud"....if they say beauty.." ask the about the miles of lanes now not open to anybody as they are not used so get too overgrown to use"...if they say "safe for walkers"..ask the to provide evidence that walkers are in danger by having bikes.

What it will come down to is a prejudice towards all users of petrol who want o venture off-road. As bikers we can win this if we prove once and for all that we do not damage the countryside and that a nonfactual based prejudicial system is in place that does not stand up in law. Once this is proven as fact all the TRO's will come tumbling down

Mike

[SteveR]

Heard about this from some local guys last weekend.

Thanks for the link. Signed!

[KtmRy]

Chapelgate, Roych, Long Causeway and Leys Lane were all closed by the National Park Authority to ‘preserve their beauty and amenity’

They did a good job of that getting all the heavy machinery in and grading it all, i don't know how that preserves the beauty and amenity.

Seen this fella all over facebook and signed i it months ago, he is trying his best to be a thorn in their side which he seems to be doing a good job of it but will it change anything, i very much doubt it

[KtmRy]

As bikers we can win this if we prove once and for all that we do not damage the countryside

That is maybe the case Mike but while ever the TRF are sticking by the 4x4s then thats never going to happen, its a no win situation because the TRF stand by GLASS which in my opinion GLASS being mainly 4x4s cause 99.9% of the damage so motorbikes and the TRF are branded the same yet if the TRF was to ditch GLASS then they lose half of the people fighting the battle.

That's just my opinion and not a dig at the TRF so lets not get into the big debate (thumbs)

[Richard Simpson]

The justifications for the TROs were to 'preserve tranquility' which is at best a little nebulous.

Three of the four TROs were decided by an NPA Committee chaired by a 'Golden Guardian' of an organisation called Friends of the Peak district, which campaigns to ban what it calls 'off-roading' from the national park and lied that there were 300 unsurfaced vehicular rights of way in the Park. When he was asked to list them, he announced his retirement!

The fourth was decided by a Committee chaired by a bloke who works for the Ramblers, who replaced the Golden Guardian.

Protests were made about all this at the time, and in the 6-week timeframe allowed to challenge TROs, but apparently these other interests do not mean the decision was biased in any way!

Which is why the Highways Authority (a separate body) is being asked to look at them again!