I was at Santa Pod today and noticed a sign saying that the Byway is to be kept closed indefinately it seems (as well as others in the area), due to the wear on the surface. Yeah right! If cars are allowed to drive the byway in dry conditions it will actually reduce the ruts! If a tractor spent a day with a plough and then a harrow, the whole byway could be made smooth very easily (what they want I assume) - have they not seen what a tractor can do to a field in a day?!?!:doh: I intend to telephone the right of way officer next week with suggestions.
Does anyone else have any info on this as I have only just moved back to the area?

To be expected, I had several emails with Bedfordshire Council last year. They are complete cocks, no valid reason why 40 foot couldn't be opened apart from quoting H&S and inadequate budgets. Adrian Fett is your man, good luck.

Adrian Fett! Good Luck!

As soon as I mentioned greenlaning he was very short and put the phone down after telling me i should not drive ANYWHERE until I checked it was legal. I was on the phone to ask him if a particular couple of lanes were legal. To which he replied He was not certain and I should drive NOWHERE until i can confirm. I believed it was his job to help. How wrong I was!

This is the answer I got from a Hampshire councillor. By the way the lanes in question go past 1,yes one farm house who is a wealthy land owner ......work it out for yourself

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

Thanks!
By the way it IS open to horses etc. Ask any farmer that you'd like to rent a field/paddock for horses and you'll get a very certain NO, because they churn up (poach) the ground (and they do!). We all know the real reason for closures but armed with a few facts, it may help ones case.

This is the email I got from BCC last year:


"Subject: Forty Foot Lane byway

Dear Sirs

We have received many complaints and enquiries about the continued closure of part of the Forty Foot Lane byway in Suoldrop and Wymington.

Over recent years Bedfordshire County Council (and since April 2009 Bedford Borough Councl) has spent many thousands of pounds on remedial and improvement works to the surface of the 50 or so kilometres of green lanes in the Bedford Borough area. This has been compeimented by a seasonal closure regime to protect the lanes throughout the autumn and winter months.

This year we have opened all of our green lanes on time with the exception of Sandy Lane (Swineshead and Dean), Donkey Lane (Keysoe) and part of Forty Foot Lane. Extensive works have been carried out on Donkey Lane and Sandye Lane and these will be re-opening in a few weeks when those works have been allowed to settle down.

Forty Foot Lane poses different problems. It is c.4km long, and can only be closed off in controllable sections. The lane is divided into three sections which may be closed to certain classes of traffic if the conditions warrant it. The first section runs from the A6 at the lane's eastern end to Blackmere Farm. The second runs from Blackmere Farm past Gt Hayes Wood to Santa Pod raceway; the last section is between Santa Pod and Dungee Corner.

Last year the section by the A6 was closed because widening work was being carried out on the A6 for access to the bio-mass plant. This year, although parts of the second section are in very good condition following works last year and the winter closure, the section beyond the railway up to Santa Pod is in a bad state.. The emergency closure was an administrative error and should have been a straight forward closure.

As I am sure you are all aware, public sector finances are being squeezed across the board. This department's capital budget has been cut from £355,000 last year to £120,000 this year with no allocation at all planned for subsequent years. As things stand, we do not have the funds necessary for the level of remedial works necessary to open this section. If, through underspends elsewhere in the budget during the financial year, funds were to become available then we would look to carry out the work needed and open this section of the lane.

I have engaged the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charities (BRCC) to produce a comprehensive management plan for all our green lanes covering vehicular and non-vehicular usage, conservation, bio-diversity and landscape heritage issues. I am hoping for these plans to be delivered in July 2010. It will be these plans, once adpoted by the Council, which will form the basis of the Council's policy towards these byways going forward. Until that work is complete, we won't be looking to any medium or long term arrangements or changes to the management regime.

I would say by way of summary that over the years this department, when it was part of Bedfordshire County Council and since it has become part of the Bedford Borough Council unitary authority, has consistently championed the rights of all legitimate users ot the area's byways, often against concerted political and local pressure to close them to vehicles altogether. We remain committed to managing the lanes in a balanced way having regard to all legitimate interests and to the cost-effective use of scarce public funds."

Regards

Martyn Brawn
Outdoor Access & Rights of Way Manager
Bedford Borough Council
Borough Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP
Tel: 01234 228983
fax: 01234 228315

martyn.brawn@bedford.gov.uk

This is a copy of the email i have sent to the council. I will post the reply when I recieve it.

Dear Mr Fett

Re: Temporary Closure of Forty Foot Lane – A6 to Santa Pod

With reference to the above closure, I would like to make comments.

I understand that the closure is to
‘prevent serious damage to the lanes which would be likely if they were used by vehicles during the present conditions’
I have to disagree with this statement for the following reasons:

• The present conditions are ‘very dry.’ The use of the byway in dry conditions will have the effect of flattening any ruts present NOT making it worse.
• If you are expecting the surface to improve by simply leaving it alone (allowing only for weather erosion), then you will be waiting years.

I sympathise that some users of byways are not respectful to the environment, but there are many (the majority) who are (myself included).

The correct solution to repair any non metalled surface is:

• To plough the surface.
• To go over ploughed surface with a disc harrow.
• (Only if required) to roll surface to flatten.

I am sure you have seen the deep ruts created in a field of potatoes (deep enough to trip a horse or to fall into). A modern tractor can reduce these ruts to a flat, level surface in a matter of hours. This is a simple, effective and inexpensive soloution – far cheaper than trying to fill the surface with hardcore or agregate. The area is surrounded by argricultural land and there are a number of farmers in the area with appropriate equipment.

I am interested in hearing your comments regarding the above. Not having driven or walked down the byway recently, I would like to know whether you consider the current condition to be dangerous and if so, to whom.
Yours sincerely...

I've written to Adrian Fett & Martyn Brawn this morning, I'll post their replies should I receive one.

110 Daddy - having just read you post - can I ask a couple of Q's.....

If it is badly rutted, then surely this is dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists if left "as is"?

What is the relationship with local farmers - could one be persuaded to harrow??? the lane. I am sure if the council could be told that you have arranged to "fix" the lane at no cost to them, that would severely weaken their position.

The Mad Hat Man said:

110 Daddy - having just read you post - can I ask a couple of Q's.....

If it is badly rutted, then surely this is dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists if left "as is"?

Click to expand...

The section of Forty Foot Lane that's closed is right behind the startline of Santa Pod drag strip. I've never seen a horse or a walker on the lane. A Horse would be scared ****less by an 8,000hp top fuel dragster. Walkers are discouraged by Santa Pod security as they'd be getting in without paying.

I'm pretty sure Santa Pod has an influence over BCC's decision to keep the lane closed, as accessing the lane means using the byway through the centre of Santa Pod Raceway.

The only users of the lane in the past have been 4x4s and bikes, it goes from the main A6 to a drag strip, hardly a scenic day's rambling.

has anyone approached Santapod to get their opinion?

The Mad Hat Man said:

has anyone approached Santapod to get their opinion?

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I haven't, but I'd have thought they'd rather it be closed. The byway literally bypasses their pay booths and goes right through the middle of the place. Very difficult to stop people getting in to watch the racing for free.

The Mad Hat Man said:

What is the relationship with local farmers - could one be persuaded to harrow??? the lane. I am sure if the council could be told that you have arranged to "fix" the lane at no cost to them, that would severely weaken their position.

Click to expand...

I don't know the answer to this, but it would be a good way forward.
has anyone else met the local farmers (I havent been in this area for 4 years - until now).

The Mad Hat Man said:

has anyone approached Santapod to get their opinion?

Click to expand...

Not I. I very much doubt they are too bothered about anyone who might try and get in for free because so few people would actually bother to go 4 miles off road to do so!

I wonder whether approaching them would make it worse?!?

I walked Forty Foot today, no reason whatsoever why it shouldn't be opened to vehicles. Ground is rock hard. Sure there are still some ruts, but driving the lane would only flatten them out. Any deep ruts that are still there can easily be driven around.
Council have no excuse.

I'm guessing you'll be sending the pictures and another email to beds council spyderman.. Even harder for them to wriggle out of it now there is evidence!

Spyderman said:

The section of Forty Foot Lane that's closed is right behind the startline of Santa Pod drag strip. I've never seen a horse or a walker on the lane. A Horse would be scared ****less by an 8,000hp top fuel dragster. Walkers are discouraged by Santa Pod security as they'd be getting in without paying.

I'm pretty sure Santa Pod has an influence over BCC's decision to keep the lane closed, as accessing the lane means using the byway through the centre of Santa Pod Raceway.

The only users of the lane in the past have been 4x4s and bikes, it goes from the main A6 to a drag strip, hardly a scenic day's rambling.

Click to expand...

Maybe you are right and Santa pod doesn't want a legal byway running through there grounds.walked it the other day as well and it is bone dry.all other byways are open in the area so not sure why they haven't opened this one.

wonder how a letter to the local paper stating that Santa Pad are in collusion with the local council to deprive peeps from there legal right to access the byeway, would go down?

nothing to loose

if its that bad surely 1 day with a roller will have it nice and flat, cost of circa £400 quid.