I visited the Hampshire County Councils website today and found this.

A couple of weeks ago we came across this 'temporary' closure with concreted in heavy duty metal barrier at the bottom and metal no vehicle signs again concrete posted.

Anyone who has driven this boat will be saddened by its loss.

If enough of the responsible users contact the council MP's etc we might be able to slow it or possibly stop it although with the permanence of the barrier i'd say it was a long shot.
Whitsbury BOAT 19a 411390 121070 412075 121375 Whitsbury Parish Council, Rockbourne Parish Council, Local Member, Landowner, local equestrian and residents
June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles

fook - theres a lot int there?

equested Traffic Regulation Orders
Parish Description of Route Start Grid Reference End Grid Reference Raised by Current Stage
Ashmansworth BOAT 18 441050 159248 443010 157512 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
12 month Temporary TRO in place.
Buriton BOAT 45 (Weston) 472272 121437 472543 121947 Local residents and users June 2008
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Chawton BOAT 10 (Weathermore Lane) 468112 135810 468168 135608 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Clanfield BOAT 702 468696 118079 469236 116500 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Eastleigh BOAT 29(Doncaster Drove) 444223 117483 445065 117467 Eastleigh Borough Council - Countryside Service October 2007
Under Investigation
East Meon BOAT 42 (Halnacker Lane) part of South Downs Way 466804 123144 467520 119154 East Meon Parish Council June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Fareham BOAT 125 450524 108865 450623 109546 HCC Countryside Service October 2007
Under Consultation
Farringdon BOAT 25 468168 135608 468040 135165 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Farringdon BOAT 26 (Weathermore Lane) 469468 135870 468528 134902 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Four Marks BOAT 25 (Weathermore Lane) 468040 135165 468010 135110 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Hawkley BOAT 24 (Standfast Lane to Waterford Lane) 475934 131074 475824 130672 Hawkley Parish Council June 2008
Apply for seasonal TRO for all vehicles
Hawkley BOAT 26 (Standfast Lane to Waterford Lane) 475824 130672 475152 129974 Hawkley Parish Council June 2008
Apply for seasonal TRO for all vehicles
Headley BOAT 36(Cradle Lane) 481525 138531 481696 138953 District Councillor October 2007
Under Investigation
Hordle BOAT 501 427476 94565 427925 93769 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Hordle BOAT 743 (Polecat Lane) 428881 96332 428992 96096 Local Landowner June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Kingsley BOAT 29(Cradle Lane) 481421 139553 481695 138951 District Councillor October 2007
Under Investigation
Langrish BOAT 17 471006 122327 471497 121626 Local residents and users June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Langrish BOAT 19 470505 122435 471826 123405 Local residents and users June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Martin BOAT 38 408390 119770 408910 119850 HCC Countryside Service June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Rockborne BOAT 32 408910 119854 411390 121070 Whitsbury Parish Council, Rockbourne Parish Council, Local Member, Landowner, local equestrian and residents June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles for section east of Rockborne Road
Sway BOAT 9 (Polecat Lane) 428791 96713 428881 96332 Local Landowner June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Twyford Restricted Byway 16 (unconfirmed BOAT-DMMO) 448296 125544 450206 127411 Twyford Parish Meeting/ Tenants of Land June 2008
No Action in the short term - monitor activity and surface wear
Whitsbury BOAT 14b 411947 122619 412604 121535 HCC Countryside Service October 2007
Under Consultation
Whitsbury BOAT 19a 411390 121070 412075 121375 Whitsbury Parish Council, Rockbourne Parish Council, Local Member, Landowner, local equestrian and residents June 2008
6 month Temporary TRO in place
Apply for permanent TRO for all vehicles
Whitsbury BOAT 21 (Wick down) 412225 121023 412603 121535 Whitsbury Parish Council, Local Member October 2007
Under Consultation

yep sure are. Hampshire cc sure don't like laning !( changed for Grip )

Disco71 said:

yep sure are. Hampshire cc sure don't like off roading

Click to expand...

GREENLANING IS NOT OFFROADING FFS!

sorry Grippa ! I thought it was BOATing now

I just get strung out about the distinction.

Are you a GLASS member? They are the only organised body working specifically on our behalf (they work fairly closely with the TRF as well). They were quite politically naive, but are getting better.

They got stuffed over badly with the NERC bill, thinking they had an MP on side who U-turned late in the day & really farked them over, no surprise there, but they were daft enough at that point to actually trust a politician!

I give them my subs & attend the lane clearance days they hold, but the Hants branch are based more Portsmouth/Southampton way so they do less up in North Hampshire where I am.

One thing I've noticed on our scratchy lanes up this way is that if we didn't drive them they'd soon be so overgrown you couldn't walk them anyways, let alone get an 'orse along them.

We're often stopping to cut back the larger branches or drag whole trees aside & if we didn't I cun't see some tw@thead in a pair of red socks doing it!

All that said, I reckon our 'hobby' has 5 years left, tops & no amount of campaingning will do a bluddy thing to improve that. Not being defeatist, just realistic.

We have NO allies. It's like the global warming thing. There's such a tsunami of government backed, tabloid fuelled, vox pop, Jeremy Kyle-esque public opinion we're well and truly farked!

What's this generic 4X4 term FFS? I drive a Series, it's 2 wheel driven 99% of the time. When laning I rarely engage 4 wheel drive. Would I have such scorn poured on me if I drove a Fiat fekin Panda 4X4?................er, well, on here, er, yes probably!

Aww bollox, ah need a little lie down!

I used to go to my local TRF group a lot and have been involved in writing letter etc to MP's, local councillers and just about anyone else who will listen. Suffice it to say, none of them do.
We just aren't powerful enough to make them care.
Now if some of us were landowners and parish councillers we might have a chance, but even though the law is on our side, those that impose the laws just ignore everything for that mighty vote!

Like Grippsy said above, we have no allies.

Join GLASS if you drive BOATs and UCR's and enjoy a day out in the countryside on lost legal lanes, or the TRF if you like riding them. Either way join and help the fight or don't complain when we get shafted out of the countryside.

If you happen to see any of the following while you're out and about:

Fly tipped rubbish
Fly tipping
People using lanes illegally, irresponsibly or dangerously (be they motorised, equestrian or pedestrian)

Be a sport and report it to:

GLASS
The local council highways team
The police

Photographic evidence and number plates are best.

Don't feel that you "shouldn't" because of some misguided sense of fraternity with another 4x4 driver/Trail rider/pony and trap driver etc - if they're damaging a lane or the relationship between laners and the public (be they local or national), they're no friend of yours!

Reply from local councillor about my concerns......

I thought I should inform you that the closures of BOAT 19a and 32 are wholeheartedly supported by me.

The keeping them open deprives an even larger number of tax paying residents, who wish to walk cycle or ride their horses, from enjoying their activities, because of the devastation caused by 4x4's.

Over the last seven years I have received numerous requests from residents for these BOATs to be in an acceptable condition, which is not possible to sustain if they remain open.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Kathy Heron

dont look good then!

she's just not had any dong in a few years. go sort her out the miserable coont