Yorkshire Land Rover Owners Club

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is again seeking to close a Byway Open to all Traffic (BOAT) in the Dales. The Authority are consulting on a permanent Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) on Gorbeck Road, which runs from Langcliffe (SD830652) to Langscar Gate near Malham (SD880648).

 The route was only confirmed as a BOAT in September 2006, and is one of the routes ‘saved’ through the High Court ruling in June 2009 against the Park Authority’s previous order. The route was subject to extensive repairs to BOAT standard in 2005/6 and is now a non-challenging but highly scenic chance to appreciate the Dales landscape.

 You are encouraged to comment on the proposals, in writing to:

Mark Allum

Access Officer

Colvend

Hebden Road

Grassington

North Yorkshire

BD23 5LB

 Or in writing to: mark.allum@yorkshiredales.org.uk by 30 May 2010

 More information is available at:

http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/index/looking_after/access_to_the_countryside/green_lane_management.htm

with the reasons for the order and a route assessment report.

 It should be noted that individually drafted letters carry more weight than petitions or copied letters signed by different people.

We need to encourage as many objections as possible, and you should refer to the assessment report.

• It should be noted that the route is in very good repair other than very short stretches of shallow ruts which total 5% or less of the length of the route. These areas could easily be repaired to the same standard as the rest of the surface, a cheaper and more proportionate response to the scale of the issue.
• Recreational use is acknowledged to be reducing across the Park and hence any perceived threat is diminishing.
• The threat to natural beauty is hypothetical and based on vehicles straying from the route onto sensitive areas (for which there is no evidence) or increased use. Any right of way requires maintenance and this is no different. As a historical route it will have needed maintenance since its creation and cannot expect to survive without.
• Agricultural use is expected to remain at levels of almost 50% of current 4×4 use. This vehicle presence will remain and the surface needs maintenance to accommodate this. As a historical route, wheeled and mixed users will always have been present so users must acknowledge this as part of the character of the route.
• Its length and impact comprises a minute fraction of the total area and length of rights of way which do not have vehicle rights in the National Park.
• The route is highly acclaimed meeting the National Park’s ‘natural beauty’ and ‘recreation’ tests, but these should be equally available to all users, without discrimination.
• National Park Officers have recommended a seasonal order, but elected Members have acted unilaterally to promote a permanent order. Seasonal and flexible restrictions are used successfully in many parts of the country including National Parks, so why do the elected Members feel they know best and should act contrary to fact and reality.
• The response proposed is disproportionate to the issue, is prejudicially weighted against motorised users who continue to be stigmatised by officers and members of the Park Authority.
• The proposed TRO is contrary to Policies AS3 and AS4 of the Park’s adopted Integrated Access Strategy.
• The proposed TRO is contrary to the proper management of the route by testing less adversarial measures and a proportionate response to the issue, as recommended by the Government in ‘Making the best of Byways’.

 Please help oppose this continued loss of our rights and the prejudiced bias of the Park’s elected members. Write and object before 30 May 2010.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 at 9:05 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.