Carlisle and District Rambling and Fellwalking Club

I am getting in touch on behalf of the Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (GLEAM) to let Carlisle and District Rambling and Fellwalking know that the government is including questions about off-roading on green lanes in its public consultation on the Glover landscapes review. Green lanes are either Byways Open to All Traffic or the unsealed, unclassified roads (UURs) shown on the OS map as Other Routes with Public Access.

We know from our work with Parish Councils and local communities that off-roading on both BOATs and UURs is a serious issue countrywide, damaging precious landscapes, even in the National Parks and AONBs. And it is causing nuisance, sometimes danger, for walkers and other non-motorised users, residents, farmers and landowners. It is also clear that the current legislation which is supposed to control the use of recreational 4x4s and motor bikes on unsealed tracks in the countryside is failing.

The government consultation asks whether there should be new legislation to stop off-roading on the UURs. We hope that your club will take part in the consultation and will want to call for an end to offroading everywhere, but particularly in the National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The government’s response to the Glover review and the online consultation are at Government response to the Landscapes Review - Defra - Citizen Space . The ‘off-roading’ questions are questions 13 to 17. Respondents do not need to answer all the other questions in the consultation – just click through to questions 13 to 17 about motor vehicle use of unsealed tracks.

The key questions is number 16. It asks:
Should we legislate to restrict the use of motor vehicles on unsealed unclassified roads for recreational use, subject to appropriate exemptions?
· Yes – everywhere
· Yes – in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty only
· Yes – in National Parks only
· No
· Unsure

The consultation closes on 9 April.

If you think that your members would be interested in taking part in this consultation as individuals, please feel free to forward this email to them.

Best wishes

Patricia Stubbs
For Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement
Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (gleam-uk.org)

Waterton Hall