Letters sent by the Chairman to Richard Leafe, and The Westmorland Gazette re The use of 4x4 vehicles on Green Lanes in the Lake District. 6th June 2021
FAO RICHARD LEAFE
Dear Sir,
Please see the attached copy of a letter I have submitted to the Westmorland Gazette regarding the excessive use of these vehicles in the National Park.
I am requesting on behalf of our cycling club that you curb the use by imposing a Traffic Regulation Order through your Rights of Way Committee and I am also requesting a place on your committee on behalf of the Kendal and District Cycle Scene cycling club. With over 100 members many of whom walk and Cycle on the affected lanes I have been mandated to make representation to your authority to try and change this situation for both current and future generations. Notwithstanding you are asking people to comment on the future direction of the park action on this matter , this can only contribute to your purpose and aims for now and the future.
Steve Warner
Chairman KDCS ( full contact details at the foot of the letter )
To the Westmorland Gazette:
MOTORISED OFF ROAD VEHICLES RUINING THE LAKE DISTRICT LANDSCAPE
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to you in my capacity of Chairman of The Kendal and District Cycle Scene ( KDCS ) a local cycling club of 30 years standing to highlight to your readers the increasing and excessive impact following the growth of 4 wheeled drive off road vehicles and motorised trail bikes across the Lake District National Park. I recognise the historical and responsible use of such vehicles on the ‘green lanes’ over a number of decades when there were far fewer in number using them and the impact was much less. Indeed local farmers use such vehicles, quad bikes etc. to go about their legitimate business. However the numbers using these tracks particularly around the Little Langdale, High Nibthwaite and Oxen Fell areas is out of all proportion and commercial companies are encouraging and promoting this as a leisure activity with it seems the blessing of the National Park. There are around 75 off road tracks affected including ancient farm and quarry roads and byways open to all traffic ( BOATS ). The legal status of these is unclear but there is an assumption of vehicular rights. 18 of these are very vulnerable including those previously highlighted with Little Langdale caught in a network of lanes being used by off road vehicles. In a survey conducted in the 3 months following the 2020 lockdown there were 3,400 such vehicles using just the 3 areas I mention and I believe this is unsustainable both environmentally and socially. These are high polluting vehicles on track surfaces built for horses and carts and they are ruining the landscape character. They impact on other residents including farmers, locals,walkers, cyclists etc.
The Lake District National Park has the special power to make Traffic Regulation Orders but has so far refused to do so preferring through its rights of way committee to have a partnership management group to ‘ monitor’ the position. This committee has 6 representatives of the various motoring organisations on it plus those opposing the continued use of these lanes such as Friends of the Lake District, Wainwright Society, Ramblers Cumbria, Bridleways Society. The National Trust and CCC also have a place at the table. Interestingly the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Peak District National Park have introduced TRO’s to protect their environment.
Richard Leafe appears regularly in the media including your paper to promote the National Park for all despite the increasing pressures put upon it through increased visitor numbers, poor public transport links, an inadequate road infrastructure and limited parking opportunities. Only this week he was on TV asking visitors to leave their vehicles at home yet he heads an organisation that is continuing to allow the most polluting vehicles to use inappropriate lanes that sit in the midst of the natural beauty of the Park.
The statutory purpose of the National Park is as follows:-
to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage of the park
to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of National Parks by the public
This is also a World Heritage Site and if you look at the reasons this status was given you will see that they did not envisage the wide scale use of motorised off road vehicles in the heart of some of those most outstanding areas in the park where many visitors come to enjoy the peace, tranquility and beauty of the landscape which includes many areas of conservation.
What can your readers do about it? Well they could write to the National Park and it’s Rights of Way Committee and get them to impose a Traffic Regulation Order to limit the use of these vehicles as their counterparts have already done in 2 other National Parks one of which is on our doorstep. 380,000 people have already signed a petition asking for this. Readers can find out more about this by visiting the Save the Lake District and Lake District Green Lanes Alliance sites who are fighting strongly to maintain a fantastic area in the face of unacceptable use.
As a chairman of a local cycling club whose members regularly cycle in the area many of our members are opposed to the increased numbers of polluting vehicles using these lanes and following a survey I was given a mandate to raise this on our clubs behalf.
I would add that I am not a member of the Green Lanes Alliance, Extinction Rebellion or any other of the major environmental groups but a 67 year old cyclist and fell walker who has seen the direct impact of these vehicles. The National Park seem to hold 2 opposing values when it comes to this matter. I hope your readers can help to preserve the Lake District for future generations by opposing the excessive numbers of these vehicles now using these unsuitable lanes.
Stephen Warner