Help - please add your support to sustain the right to ride green roads.

[akendall1966]

The rights to ride your motorcycle on some of the best unsurfaced roads in the UK is under threat. In the peak district the unelected body that manges the Peak District National Park is seeking to ban recreation use of vehicles including motorcycles from 20+ green roads starting with the iconic 'Chapelgate'. The Trail Riders Fellowship is fighting the cause but needs ALL motorcyclists sympathetic to your fellow riders right to use these roads to object to the proposed closure. Nationally we can only use 3% of the unsurfaced rights of way, in the Peaks this is nearer 2%, this could set a dangerous precedent that will allow local authorities up and down the country to extinguish this legitimate pastime for many and will be a threat to amateur motor-sport in the from of long distance trials and rally-raid as they use many of these unsurfaced roads as part of the course linking up the special tests.

The TRF are aiming to have over 6000 objections for Chapel Gate (the TRF membership is only 3000 so we need massive outside assistance). Please circulate and forward this to as many clubs, forums and users as possible all across the UK , with a request to ensure objections are submitted by 28th of June.

When recording an objection you need to go to http://consult.peakdistrict.gov.uk Then click on "more info and link to key documents" At the bottom of the page click on " submit a representation" and fill out the form. Use some of the arguments below. Please do it now, it will only takes 5 minutes!

The objections do not need to be long or technical. Simply saying you object is sufficient but to help there are several points below, which you may wish to incorporate into any objection:

The Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) is acting in a discriminatory fashion by singling out recreational vehicle users in this way.

The PDNPA is openly prejudiced and biased against vehicle users, with Members of the Authority taking public positions and being members of pressure groups opposed to recreational drivers and riders.

The recommendations of the Local Access Forum (LAF), which is a legal body formed to advise the PDNPA on matters around Rights of Way was ignored in proposing this Permanent TRO. The LAF had recommended a limited TRO.

The Rights of Way Officers conducted a flawed survey as part of an unlawful Experimental TRO, yet they still used its biased and discriminatory findings to seek the approval of the PDNPA to proceed to a Permanent TRO.

Much of the Authority's concern is for the ecology of the area, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) but they will not concede that the area is also Open Access and therefore subject to walkers leaving the route to wander freely across the landscape.

The Authority claims to be concerned about other users being forced from the route by vehicles or the 'expectation' of meeting vehicles and so creating parallel tracks. However, they are not concerned when the same problem occurs elsewhere on bridleways. In this way the PDNPA operates double standards.

The PDNPA is utterly unconcerned that they are removing a legal right to use Chapel Gate for a small minority of users. The Authority is happy to suggest that vehicle users can use the surfaced road network as an alternative but refuses to suggest that walkers, cyclists and horse riders could use alternative footpaths and bridleways to avoid the Chapel Gate BOAT.

PLEASE object however briefly and please ensure that you submit the objection BEFORE 28 June. Your effort will count. Let's swamp the process make the task impossible for the Peak Park to carry out.

Thanks for reading, and please support your fellow riders.

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TRO - Traffic regulation order
BOAT - Byway Open to All Traffic

[coachgeo]

The rights to ride your motorcycle on some of the best unsurfaced roads in the UK is under threat.....
PLEASE object however briefly and please ensure that you submit the objection BEFORE 28 June. Your effort will count. Let's swamp the process make the task impossible for the Peak Park to carry out.

Thanks for reading, and please support your fellow riders.

Submitted Objection

[Geoff W]

Objection submitted. I assume that you have contacted MAG about this.

[akendall1966]

MAG is a good point TRF are affiliated to the BMF but the more militant MAG membership could be supportive of this cause.

Thanks

[manc_stu]

Objection submitted.
As well as a motorcyclist and classic Land Rover driver I'm a keen hill walker but I feel the PDNPA is taking the easy option by closing lanes to vehicles.

Stu

[wardy]

OBJECTION LODGED