Act now and save historic Washgate green lane
By John Dickinson on 23rd Mar 16
Off-road fans are being urged to throw their weight behind a campaign to prevent a popular green lane in the Peak District from being closed to vehicular use.
There is an uneasy relationship between most National Parks and off-road motorcyclists – whether they are trail or trials riders – as by nature the NPs are against mechanically-propelled vehicles.
They have specialist departments that spend endless man hours and many tens of thousands of pounds effectively persecuting off-road motorcycles, through legal channels, out of the Parks by constantly introducing TROs (Traffic Regulation Orders) which in effect are total vehicular bans on previously perfectly legal unsurfaced roads.
The Peak District NP is particularly industrious in gaining TROs and its latest target, with a TRO Consultation in process right now, is a long-standing right of way known as Washgate – a one-and-a-half kilometre lane which is in the Hollinsclough area near Buxton and which has been used in national trials in the area.
The Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) does a sterling job of defending the interests of off-road motorcyclists nationwide and Graham Taylor of the South Yorkshire and Derbyshire branch is asking TMX readers who ride, or have ridden, in the Peak District – particularly on Washgate – to log an official objection to show the strength of feeling against this closure.
It is actually very easy to let them know your objections in this consultation process simply by logging on to http://consult.peakdistrict.gov.uk and scrolling to the bottom of the page where there is a ‘live' button. There is a very simple process to follow and you can log your objection in just a couple of minutes. You can even include photographic evidence or documents.
Obviously the more people that make their views known the more weight the objection carries.
The consultation period extends to April 22 but don't wait until the last minute, get online and get involved – or Washgate will be gone.
Off-road fans are being urged to throw their weight behind a campaign to prevent a popular green lane in the Peak District from being closed to vehicular use.
There is an uneasy relationship between most National Parks and off-road motorcyclists – whether they are trail or trials riders – as by nature the NPs are against mechanically-propelled vehicles.
They have specialist departments that spend endless man hours and many tens of thousands of pounds effectively persecuting off-road motorcycles, through legal channels, out of the Parks by constantly introducing TROs (Traffic Regulation Orders) which in effect are total vehicular bans on previously perfectly legal unsurfaced roads.
The Peak District NP is particularly industrious in gaining TROs and its latest target, with a TRO Consultation in process right now, is a long-standing right of way known as Washgate – a one-and-a-half kilometre lane which is in the Hollinsclough area near Buxton and which has been used in national trials in the area.
The Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) does a sterling job of defending the interests of off-road motorcyclists nationwide and Graham Taylor of the South Yorkshire and Derbyshire branch is asking TMX readers who ride, or have ridden, in the Peak District – particularly on Washgate – to log an official objection to show the strength of feeling against this closure.
It is actually very easy to let them know your objections in this consultation process simply by logging on to http://consult.peakdistrict.gov.uk and scrolling to the bottom of the page where there is a ‘live' button. There is a very simple process to follow and you can log your objection in just a couple of minutes. You can even include photographic evidence or documents.
Obviously the more people that make their views known the more weight the objection carries.
The consultation period extends to April 22 but don't wait until the last minute, get online and get involved – or Washgate will be gone.
