LANING LIFE

by Lauren Eaton

Hubble, bubble, toil, and....well, bias!

The Lake District is well known for being an area where lovers of the countryside often come head to head over the way they choose to enjoy this stunning post-industrial landscape. Unless you have been living under a rock over the last few years, the constant pressure to ban 4x4s from the park cannot have escaped you.

Thankfully the Park Authority is a little more open-minded, and less biased, than some user groups, and after a two year assessment of the impact of 4x4s and motorcycles using the tiny proportion of vehicular RoWs (Right of Way) in the park (a mere 120kms), decided that vehicular use could continue. This was backed up by the result of a very costly judicial review, the judge ruling in favour of the Park Authority’s findings and conclusions.

Unfortunately, this incredibly in-depth process is still being picked apart by some, but for now it is walkers who are in the public eye. Scafell Pike is imminently due for significant repair work, damage caused by astronomical numbers of feet is going to cost the Park vast sums of money to repair, far more than any green lane ever has anywhere in the UK let alone in the Park itself, and yet the tone of the media coverage is still welcoming of these visitors, but not of 4x4s.

An article appeared in the Evening Standard on 22nd April - Work gets under way to protect paths on England’s highest mountain

Let’s take a look at the details, and more importantly how these details are reported in the national media, and received by the public at large.

The stats

Thanks to the Park Authority’s (LNDPA) report we know exact facts and figures.

Ok, so that’s a lot of graphs, but there is no clearer way to show the access rights each user group has, the extent of use the park gets, or the relative size of the user group blamed for “ruining the [entire] Lake District” for non-vehicular users.

I could add more figures, and argue that each walker costs the park a pound each a year, compared to a penny per vehicular user, or that the judicial review cost more to each side than 4x4s have cost the park in maintenance in well over a decade, but I’m not even going to argue costs, they speak for themselves.

I’ve included the graphs to show how tiny our user group and accessible network is, so that I can compare it to the social and environmental allegations laid at our feet. It is this very strange and obviously biased narrative that is fuelling the media fire - a minority user group should be banned for causing the minority of maintenance issues, yet the majority user group causing the majority of damage is welcomed with open arms irrespective of impact or cost.

Then there’s the obvious question: do the 15.8 million visitors not use vehicles themselves to access the park in far greater numbers than laners ever have, or ever will?

Scafell Pike

On 22nd April 2021, Fix The Fells programme manager Joanne Backshall was quoted by the Evening Standard as saying:

“It is wonderful that so many people are enjoying Scafell Pike and the surrounding peaks each year. Now more than ever, we’re seeing more people reaping the benefits that spending time in nature can bring.”

But she also said:

“With so many people using this route up Scafell Pike, human-related erosion is spiralling out of control and having a devastating effect on wildlife and habitats.

The work we are doing to maintain and repair eroded footpaths on Scafell Pike is critically necessary to protect this iconic mountain, its environmentally sensitive habitats and this world-renowned scenic landscape, so that people can continue to enjoy this classic ascent and the natural beauty of the Lakes for years to come.”

Great work! No one would ever dispute that access to the countryside is very beneficial to our physical and mental health, or that our sensitive environment does indeed need to be protected and preserved, but if we compare this to High Tilberthwaite and High Oxen Fell, the two lanes at the forefront of the recent judicial review, and the LNDPA assessment report that preceded it, there were no maintenance issues identified, yet media allegations included:

'4x4s risk UNESCO World Heritage Status' - Guardian, Nov 2019

'This is the Lake District National Park, not the Lake District Theme Park!' - Guardian, Oct 2019

'This is a crucial case for anyone who cares about the beauty and tranquillity of the Lake District. The LDNPA is refusing to protect one of the most beautiful places in England from intrusion and damage by motor vehicles.' - GLEAM Chairman, The Times, Dec 2019

Let’s get this straight: Damage done by feet is worthy of a several million pound investment to allow it to continue, yet 4x4s driving two lanes that are in excellent condition and require no work incite calls to ban vehicles completely?

This call to ban all vehicles does not seem to work with the “Now more than ever, we’re seeing more people reaping the benefits that spending time in nature can bring.” narrative. In fact it would appear to be calling for a ban on a legal minority of users, just as has already been done with watersports enthusiasts on some lakes in the park. Where will it end?

Not only that, but this minority group contains some of the most vulnerable users of the National Park. Not everyone is capable of climbing Scafell Pike, or even walking at all!

In the 21st century, an age where inclusion is key and discrimination is illegal, we are still seeing evidence of discrimination on a massive public scale that fully physically able people and the media want to ban those who cannot safely access our nation’s stunning countryside on foot.

While business owners and authorities must ensure that disabled access is available in all sorts of locations, buildings, and indoor and outdoor public spaces, it appears that the most obvious and easy solution to allow those who face challenges to access some of the most beautiful areas of our countryside is being pressurised, reduced, and attacked.

Does everyone not deserve the same right to “reap[ing] the benefits that spending time in nature can bring?”

The Evening Standard goes onto explain what the work on Scafell Pike will involve:

'Most of the work will be carried out by hand by a team of rangers using materials found on the mountain where possible, while 230 bags of stone are also being lifted on to the site by helicopters.

For repairs to one stretch of path, a 360-degree excavator is needed, which will be flown on to the mountain in pieces and reassembled by specialist contractors, the trust said.

The six-month project will concentrate on five sections of path totalling 1km (0.6 miles), with work on areas from the valley bottom to the summit.'

To summarise, Scafell Pike requires maintenance beyond that ever seen on a green lane in the area. This work will require 6 months of helicopter flights and the associated noise, in excess of 230 tons of stone, and the dismantling of a 360 excavator to be flown in to assist.

While there are no objections to this work - NO closures on the route, NO argument that the damage has not occurred, NO calls to ban walkers, NO allegations of disturbing the tranquil environment, or NO permit schemes proposed to curb numbers of users, the continuation of calls to ban vehicles on 2 well maintained, hard surfaced, sustainable lanes never ends?

In fact those lanes will now be under close scrutiny for a long time to come. Will the same happen at Scafell after many millions (compared to £50k on High Tilberthwaite) are spent on protecting the rights of the many, while the few are left to worry if they’ll still be able to visit the places they love in the future?

I was going to continue, but I think the bias in the media, and in some user groups, despite the overwhelming inclusivity and good work by the Park Authority and Fix the Fells, is quite clear. It is such a shame that these selfpurported lovers of the Lakes cannot see how much they are unnecessarily costing the park and those who manage it, and all for the sake of a personal dislike of the motor vehicle.

If you wish to do your own research on this neverending saga, the following links will be of use:

Evening Standard report quoted in this article: https:// www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/work-lake-districtnational-trust-scafell-pike-england-b931126.html

LDNPA assessment report: https://www.lakedistrict. gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/green_roads/futuremanagement-of-tilberthwaite-and-oxen-fell-roads

‘4x4s in the Media’ article in the January '21 issue of The Mud Life : https://issuu.com/themudlife/docs/tmlissue-22/19

Meanwhile, on the lanes…

While all this anti 4x4 rhetoric continues our guys on the ground are busy as ever doing some great work! We’ll go to Cumbria first as we’re already in the area.

Litter picking

Our rep team in Cumbria have been busy driving and walking the National Park helping to keep the area litter free for the benefit of all users. This effort has been very well received by the Park Authority, and will be rolled out as a national GLASS scheme soon.

Huge thanks to James Dixon, Peter Apps, Gary Miller, and Phil Griffiths for the sterling work they continue to do in the area. Top job folks!

GLASS Succeeds with High Court Action

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council recently made a TRO on Byway Open to All Traffic Cyfarthfa 64; this was publicised in an online newspaper by a notice dated 11th March 2021. Neither LARA nor the Green Lane Association had been consulted by the council prior to making the order, despite previous requests by both organisations to be added to the council’s list of consultees.

GLASS challenged the TRO in the High Court on 6th April 2021 under the Judicial Review procedure. At the time of writing we understand that the council has agreed to revoke the TRO, and the BOAT will be reopened. More details will be given in future. - Chris Mitchell, Executive Officer.

Lincolnshire Lessons

The notoriously wet and damaged Byway, just north of Market Rasen, going over the Wolds from Walesby to Claxby (or visa versa) has been completely rebuilt by the Lincolnshire County Council Rights of Way Department. It is indeed a Byway Open to All Traffic.

This Byway cuts through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Many other rights of way crisscross over it. Part of it is a stretch of the iconic Lincolnshire Viking Way. Over the past 20 years it became a quagmire of mud and bomb holes which became an inevitable attraction to the growing population of cheap 4x4, ‘go out anywhere and have fun brigade’.

Many moans and groans from various stakeholders over the years have fallen on local authority’s deaf ears. Until a year or so ago, when the local parish Council threatened to take the local authority to court over their obligation to maintain the Byway. Somehow this was the final boulder that got through. The result is a fine example of a Byway allowing access to all.

I, as a relatively new and inexperienced rep, have learned a lot about working with the stakeholders involved to improve the access to areas. We now need to work toward ensuring this beautiful byway, and the surrounding area, doesn’t get damaged and use the lessons learned to work on other lanes to improve them also. - David Salkeld, Lincolnshire Rep

Surrey

As you may know Surrey CC have moved to impose a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) shutting Wolvens Lane to motorised traffic. The documentation for this is here: Byway Open to All Traffic 526 (Capel/Wotton) Closure Order 2020

The paperwork explains the reasoning for the TRO and offers four options:

• Shut to all motorised vehicles

• Motorbikes only

• Permit access for motorised vehicles

• Leave as is.

Other options that might be considered sensible would be to leave the lane open, stake, fence and shut off the areas where damage occurs, and to increase Police presence.

These are things that could have been done multiple times over the decade (actually decades) and were entirely successful the one time they were done properly, in consultation with GLASS. A Public Space Protection Order is another option that could be used to immediately criminalise trespass and damage, and give the police greater powers to act as a result. - Stuart Boreham, Surrey Rep.

That’s all from me this month folks!

I really hope you’re enjoying our new found freedom to get back out and enjoy our nation’s countryside! It’s been a long time coming! If you have any questions or would like me to cover any topics in future issues please get in touch on lauren.eaton@glass-uk.org

Stay safe and happy laning! Lauren x