doobreydog
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Just thought I would pass on e-mail recieved today some good info and contacts for anyone planning trips in Peaks.
Hello - Thank you for signing up to our emailing service.
From now on we will send you items of interest that are happening regarding the use, management and information relating to unsurfaced highways across the Peak District National Park and how we are working with partners to tackle illegal off-roading (that is use away from the highway).
We believe the recognition of these two distinct issues is very important and we are working hard to educate visitors and local people into being aware of these distinctions.
This will not be easy but you can help us by passing this email to as many people as possible and encouraging others to sign up to our service as well, of course, as spreading the word yourself. We are particularly aware that a large number of chat-rooms and forums relating to this issue exist on the internet and how well used these areas are please feel free to post this message if you are a member of such forums.
Illegal use is currently not only damaging some of the most protected land in the country, costing considerable funds in terms of staff time and repairs, but tarnishes the hard work done by vehicle user groups and legitimate users of unsurfaced highways. The press release at the end of this email explains part of our work in this area and was issued last week.
In relation to managing unsurfaced highways, this year we will be working closely with Derbyshire County Council to progress the management plans on the eight routes in the National Park which we consider require the most urgent action.
Across the whole unclassified highway network in Derbyshire we have identified 23 routes (out of about 180) which concern us. The issues across these routes vary greatly, but weve identified the eight we consider to have the most pressing need for action. These are:
Bamford CP/Sheffield - Long Causeway
Bonsall Moorlands Lane
Brough and Shatton - Brough Lane
Brough and Shatton Shatton Lane
Edale/Chapel en le Frith Chapelgate
Great Hucklow New Hedge Lane
Hartington Upper Quarter - Washgates
Pilsley Bradley Lane
This set of routes was chosen from the unclassified highways within the Derbyshire portion of the Peak District National Park.
We are aware that other routes are damaged and that some routes may seem worse to those that use them or live near them, but this section of routes was the one identified by ourselves and Derbyshire County Council as a good place to start. We are currently only awaiting the engineers report from Derbyshire County Council before formal meetings can take place to recommend a course of action at these routes.
One crucial partner in this work is the Local Access Forum a representative group of walkers, riders, landowners, vehicle users and other interested parties. This group has already made recommendations for the eight routes and officers are very pleased that, broadly, consensus was reached. These recommendations will be fed into the overall management plans, which will detail, in a clear way, all the issues relating to each route. They are not, to clarify, a list of proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) as has been rumoured in some quarters.
This year we will also continue our work to:
We welcome all suggestions via our website at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/vehicles . Above all, please share this email with others and ask them to sign up to this service so that we can inform more people directly about what is happening in this issue.
Finally, we are sure you share our concern at the damage being caused to land adjacent to the highways at Pin Dale, Castleton and particularly Houndkirk Road at Sheffield. This land is protected as sites of special scientific interest the highest designation of protection land can have.
Please encourage others to keep to the track at these locations, the damage being caused is not only ruining protected sites but tarnishing the image of responsible vehicle users.
Please spread the word through forums and friends that this behaviour is unacceptable and the longer it goes on, the more pressure we and our partners come under to take draconian measures.
For our part we will continue to work with the police to ensure that illegal users will be caught by the increasing number of joint police and ranger operations to stop such use.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update, please do spread the word about the LARA code of conduct and about illegal use. And dont hesitate to make suggestions or give us comments.
News Release
13 January 2009
Police and national park rangers mounted a joint operation to encourage 4x4 drivers and trail bikers to act responsibly in the Peak District National Park.
The day-long initiative on Saturday (Jan 10), part of Operation Blackbrook, involved giving out leaflets and talking to recreational drivers and motorcyclists at popular meeting points and refreshment areas. The aim was to make them more aware of lawful and unlawful routes and responsible behaviour towards residents and other users of the national park.
Three Derbyshire police officers, five from South Yorkshire, seven Peak District National Park Authority rangers and a rights of way officer from Derbyshire County Council approached a total of 18 trail bikers and 24 4x4 drivers.
The operation covered Pindale near Castleton (which contains an archaeological site on English Heritages Heritage at Risk list), Longstone Edge, Rowland, Eyam, Great Hucklow, Abney and Houndkirk Moor.
Operation Blackbrook co-ordinator PC Kevin Lowe said: This was the second event of its kind, and was a great success. We were able to talk to the drivers and bikers in a friendly way and give them the information they need to act responsibly.
At the same time it enables local people to know that we take this matter seriously and are working together to tackle issues that 4x4 or trail bike use might cause for them.
Jenny Waller, national park Field Services north area team manager, said: In the main most users were really supportive of the initiative and the majority were using the correct routes in a sensitive way, being respectful of other users. Many were members of organised clubs which give members researched routes they can enjoy, while ensuring they are all legal.
One 4x4 driver was cautioned for a road tax offence.
Motorists and residents can get full information on the Peak District National Park Authority website - at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/vehicles It includes maps of areas drivers and riders should avoid, details of how to report problems and case studies of areas where problems have been successfully managed.
Operation Blackbrook encourages 4x4 drivers and trail bikers to:
only use lawful unsurfaced routes and byways
understand the impact of their activities on the lives of local residents
use peer pressure to stop unlawful or inconsiderate behaviour by a minority.
Peak District National Park Authority © 2008
John Fern
Head of communications
Peak District National Park Authority
Telephone: 01629 816356
Website: www.peakdistrict.gov.uk
Hello - Thank you for signing up to our emailing service.
From now on we will send you items of interest that are happening regarding the use, management and information relating to unsurfaced highways across the Peak District National Park and how we are working with partners to tackle illegal off-roading (that is use away from the highway).
We believe the recognition of these two distinct issues is very important and we are working hard to educate visitors and local people into being aware of these distinctions.
This will not be easy but you can help us by passing this email to as many people as possible and encouraging others to sign up to our service as well, of course, as spreading the word yourself. We are particularly aware that a large number of chat-rooms and forums relating to this issue exist on the internet and how well used these areas are please feel free to post this message if you are a member of such forums.
Illegal use is currently not only damaging some of the most protected land in the country, costing considerable funds in terms of staff time and repairs, but tarnishes the hard work done by vehicle user groups and legitimate users of unsurfaced highways. The press release at the end of this email explains part of our work in this area and was issued last week.
In relation to managing unsurfaced highways, this year we will be working closely with Derbyshire County Council to progress the management plans on the eight routes in the National Park which we consider require the most urgent action.
Across the whole unclassified highway network in Derbyshire we have identified 23 routes (out of about 180) which concern us. The issues across these routes vary greatly, but weve identified the eight we consider to have the most pressing need for action. These are:
Bamford CP/Sheffield - Long Causeway
Bonsall Moorlands Lane
Brough and Shatton - Brough Lane
Brough and Shatton Shatton Lane
Edale/Chapel en le Frith Chapelgate
Great Hucklow New Hedge Lane
Hartington Upper Quarter - Washgates
Pilsley Bradley Lane
This set of routes was chosen from the unclassified highways within the Derbyshire portion of the Peak District National Park.
We are aware that other routes are damaged and that some routes may seem worse to those that use them or live near them, but this section of routes was the one identified by ourselves and Derbyshire County Council as a good place to start. We are currently only awaiting the engineers report from Derbyshire County Council before formal meetings can take place to recommend a course of action at these routes.
One crucial partner in this work is the Local Access Forum a representative group of walkers, riders, landowners, vehicle users and other interested parties. This group has already made recommendations for the eight routes and officers are very pleased that, broadly, consensus was reached. These recommendations will be fed into the overall management plans, which will detail, in a clear way, all the issues relating to each route. They are not, to clarify, a list of proposed Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) as has been rumoured in some quarters.
This year we will also continue our work to:
- collate and monitor use and pass this information to partners
- patrol sites with ranger staff and, crucially in our view,
- begin to install informal signing on site to inform users of all types about the use of lanes and the LARA code of conduct. Officers believe signage of lanes (and the ongoing maintenance of such signs) is a crucial step in diffusing tensions and promoting understanding.
We welcome all suggestions via our website at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/vehicles . Above all, please share this email with others and ask them to sign up to this service so that we can inform more people directly about what is happening in this issue.
Finally, we are sure you share our concern at the damage being caused to land adjacent to the highways at Pin Dale, Castleton and particularly Houndkirk Road at Sheffield. This land is protected as sites of special scientific interest the highest designation of protection land can have.
Please encourage others to keep to the track at these locations, the damage being caused is not only ruining protected sites but tarnishing the image of responsible vehicle users.
Please spread the word through forums and friends that this behaviour is unacceptable and the longer it goes on, the more pressure we and our partners come under to take draconian measures.
For our part we will continue to work with the police to ensure that illegal users will be caught by the increasing number of joint police and ranger operations to stop such use.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update, please do spread the word about the LARA code of conduct and about illegal use. And dont hesitate to make suggestions or give us comments.
Richard Pett, Rights of Way Officer Jan 2009.
[email protected] News Release
13 January 2009
Police and national park rangers mounted a joint operation to encourage 4x4 drivers and trail bikers to act responsibly in the Peak District National Park.
The day-long initiative on Saturday (Jan 10), part of Operation Blackbrook, involved giving out leaflets and talking to recreational drivers and motorcyclists at popular meeting points and refreshment areas. The aim was to make them more aware of lawful and unlawful routes and responsible behaviour towards residents and other users of the national park.
Three Derbyshire police officers, five from South Yorkshire, seven Peak District National Park Authority rangers and a rights of way officer from Derbyshire County Council approached a total of 18 trail bikers and 24 4x4 drivers.
The operation covered Pindale near Castleton (which contains an archaeological site on English Heritages Heritage at Risk list), Longstone Edge, Rowland, Eyam, Great Hucklow, Abney and Houndkirk Moor.
Operation Blackbrook co-ordinator PC Kevin Lowe said: This was the second event of its kind, and was a great success. We were able to talk to the drivers and bikers in a friendly way and give them the information they need to act responsibly.
At the same time it enables local people to know that we take this matter seriously and are working together to tackle issues that 4x4 or trail bike use might cause for them.
Jenny Waller, national park Field Services north area team manager, said: In the main most users were really supportive of the initiative and the majority were using the correct routes in a sensitive way, being respectful of other users. Many were members of organised clubs which give members researched routes they can enjoy, while ensuring they are all legal.
One 4x4 driver was cautioned for a road tax offence.
Motorists and residents can get full information on the Peak District National Park Authority website - at www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/vehicles It includes maps of areas drivers and riders should avoid, details of how to report problems and case studies of areas where problems have been successfully managed.
Operation Blackbrook encourages 4x4 drivers and trail bikers to:
only use lawful unsurfaced routes and byways
understand the impact of their activities on the lives of local residents
use peer pressure to stop unlawful or inconsiderate behaviour by a minority.
Peak District National Park Authority © 2008
John Fern
Head of communications
Peak District National Park Authority
Telephone: 01629 816356
Website: www.peakdistrict.gov.uk
