Access to archery sites and homes

[Bird_2112]

OK, you may have heard about the NERC Bill on the news aimed at preventing vehicles using unsurfaced lanes in the countryside and stopping offroad 4x4 and motor bike hooligans. What is going to happen is a certain class of right of way (Road used as a public path - RUPP) which should have been reclassified with or without vehicular rights by councils after the Countryside Act 1968 will be reclassified as Restricted Byways loosing vehicular rights. A lot of Councils havent done so. If you drive anywhere without vehicular rights then you risk a fine and having your vehicle confiscated and that is current law. The bill will remove vehicular rights on those remaining RUPP's and all fly tipping, illegal scrambling on playing fields, footpaths, commom land etc will stop (dont think so). The responsible 4x4 user (yes I am one) will have even fewer places to enjoy the countryside. It will leave 2% (from current 5%) of the rights of way network open to vehicles and about 50% of that is blocked illegally, overgrown or just not maintained by the council. Some of the other will now be dead ends due to one council having reclassified and the neighbouring one not having done so.

What there hasn't been any provision for are homes that are located on RUPP's, these could have a tarmac surface and a figure of £100million worth of homes in one area alone will have owners who will not be able to drive to their home.

You may want to check how you access a field archery site or even a target archery field. Look at the OS map and check with the council. As for homes if you own the field check your deeds and make sure you have an easement. Others who will be affected are anglers needing access to lakes and rivers, radio hams in reaching higher ground and a lot of other outdoor users who need access to a site when transporting equipment or are disabled. There are many 4x4 owners who are suffering from ill health or are disabled and can only enjoy the countryside from a vehicle.

The bill will be having another hearing at the end of the month in the House of Lords. I should have posted this late last year so you dont have much time to think about it but do so. Forget the debate about vehicles as 3 government reports have stated there is no widespread problem with legal vehicle use off tarmac in the countryside. The bill won't stop illegal activity and no doubt some people will swap from abiding the law where they drive to not doing so as there will be less responsible users out there to report them and less legal lanes in their area.

Write to your MP if your affected online at ...

http://www.writetothem.com

for more info see the Green Lane assocoiation website at

http://www.glass-uk.org/

And there is a fine example of lost access on the this page...

http://www.byways.org.uk/P6_Problems.htm

bye for now,

Gareth