LANING LIFE

by Lauren Eaton

Read about green laning as seen through Lauren ‘Sunshine’ Eaton's windscreen at The Green Lane Association, and find out what’s hot, or not, in the laning world each month. Enjoy!

Starting the year off as we mean to go on!

It has been a busy start to the year for the laning world. GLASS have welcomed a huge number of new members, we’re chin deep in legal action, and are busy addressing physical works on the lanes.

Here is a rundown of the top 10 news in brief stories from the first month of the year

1. Spring Lane, Leicestershire

I wrote about this only last month. For those of you who have not come across the case - Spring Lane has been largely neglected over recent years and this had caused one badly draining section to fall into disrepair. At the other end of the byway the section that leads to residences had deteriorated to the point that essential services could not access the properties.

Everyone wanted the lane closed, but we all know that closure is not management! It took from October 2020 to the end of 2021, and GLASS serving legal notice on the council, to ensure the lane would remain open, and to get to the stage where the work could begin.

By now, the plan was to have the lane brought up to the standard required by law to allow all users to pass without hindrance, but unfortunately, we have hit another delay.

Work was due to start one dry January Monday morning and on Friday the contractor and I were all ready to go after the weekend, but at 3.30pm on Friday afternoon I was called by the council and told to hold off.

Do not worry, the work will get done, but for now, we are back to playing email and phone ping-pong with the highways and rights of way departments. This is of course no fun at all but is also not out of the ordinary when dealing with the civil service!

2. Dead Man’s Hill, Upper Nidderdale

Thanks to a combined TRF / GLASS work party consisting of twenty volunteers, maintenance and repair work was carried on both Dead Man’s Hill, UUR U936, and In Moor Lane, BOAT 15.126/15/1

The volunteers replaced a wooden gate and repaired three others. Many drainage grips were cleared of silt and rubble, this is essential to preventing water erosion on the surface of the lane. Water erosion and drainage management is the most frequent issue we address, the power of falling and flowing water should never be underestimated! It is amazing how much damage can be done over time. Waterlogged potholes were drained where possible by reinstating drainage channels.

Thanks to all who attended and helped out with the project!

3. A grand day out in Cumbria (and Northumberland)

by Peter Apps (Cumbria Rep Team)

On Sunday 2nd January we managed four separate laning trips, each with four or five vehicles, and in different parts of Cumbria - albeit that my eastern route covered quite a bit of Northumberland too!

Gary Miller lead a group of five vehicles in South Lakes on a trip that included several of the better known popular routes. A good crew that included old and modern together.

David Andrew stepped up to lead a group of four starting near Penrith, aided most ably by navigator James. They headed west over Coach Road, and still further west to include lanes toward Loweswater, then turning north and heading toward Bassenthwaite, before looping around north of the Skiddaw range to end up back near Penrith.

Patrick Lacey also lead a group of four again starting near Penrith, but this time heading east along the A66 before turning up country to encompass routes further north including Hartside (downhill of course, as per voluntary agreement) and then up further north as far as Wreay; to the Ford at Petterill Bank, and then back down toward Penrith again.

I lead a group of four that was originally going to start at Hartside and head east, but as half of the group live further north, we missed out an early lane and started at Alston. Heading northeast up into Northumberland getting as far up as Heydon Bridge area before again heading south and west, via Allendale, to end up back in Alston. Still with some light left in the day, we trundled down Hartside to do a few cheeky lanes around Gamblesby before darkness fell.

Four great teams who all pulled together when needed. Neil and Graham Fowler helped Tony change his fan belt on the Series in pouring rain, Tom helped with a bit of tree maintenance and likewise Andrew did similar on a lane up north.

Pleased that the west, north and east routes worked out OK, but more so that there were four teams out enjoying legal laning in the lakes and beyond, taking time to do maintenance and have a good craic. Fantastic team spirit with a group - or groups of people I would take with me almost anywhere. Cheers people!

4. A foray in Flintshire

Griff James-Evans (Flintshire's rep) and I visited local residents in the county to take a look at a byway open to all traffic (BOAT), after reports of off-piste activity and a few confrontations.

As always there are always several sides to a story and while the lane is undeniably in need of some tlc, the confrontations were often completely unnecessary, and more a matter of believing us all to be like the minority who misuse the byway.

Because the land the lane runs through is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and also under protection orders, this case needs careful handling.

Flintshire local , Bruce, showing the depth of the rut

The BOAT is open and legal for all users, but the surrounding land is both sensitive and precious.

Sadly, due to a minority users not respecting the countryside there is now a lot of anti-vehicle rhetoric and pressure to close the route.

Flintshire rep, Griff, discovering strewn car parts

This as we know will not stop any law breakers and will only serve to prohibit legal use, so Griff and myself will be in contact with the relevant authorities to negotiate a plan of action.

In the meantime, please avoid SJ1574-03 just outside of Brynford, the legal line is difficult to decipher due to the state of the terrain at the moment and further use will only compound any current problems we are trying to remedy to keep the lane open for all.

5. Wrexham, Whitestones, and width issues

There is a fair bit of news from my home county this month. Whitestones is always the biggie! As many of you will know the devastation inflicted upon the route by 'persons unknown' has reached fever pitch. Even walking it to complete a survey for court was like doing the Krypton Factor assault course! It is simply inaccessible to pretty much anyone except the most intrepid motorcyclists and walkers, horses and 4x4s do not stand a chance.

We should have news in the near future though, all the legal paperwork has been completed and submitted (she says with a sigh of relief!). Legal action is no fun at all, there is a huge amount of work to do that never gets seen by the laners who ultimately benefit from it, but it is all worth it if it means we can address some of the most pressing issues our community finds itself up against.

There are two lanes that have recently come to my attention as suitable for motorcycles only. Whilst wherever possible GLASS will fight to ensure rights for as many users as possible, sometimes the terrain simply does not allow for those of us who drive 4x4s to use them. It is what it is. Signage will be installed on SJ2640-11 and SJ2237-03 to save 4x4 drivers the hassle of driving so far before having to turn around.

This isn’t a change, things have always been this way, it’s just a matter of making it clear to users when they attempt to use an unsuitable route and end up reversing.

In the case of SJ2237-03 it was believed that the landowner has illegally obstructed the lane with a locked gate. He hadn’t, George is a lovely chap who is a laner himself, it was just a case of poor signage from Wrexham Council! He is more than happy for motorcycles to use the (very narrow) legal route, which does not include his private drive (which is what is behind the locked gate). Celyn helped by showing us the correct route!

6. Laning in the media

BBC Radio Humberside contacted me to speak about a lane just outside Bainton. Anti-4x4 ramblings have been raging on for some time in the area and maintenance work had been promised by the council for some time, yet has been delayed over and over again.

It is the usual story of users being blamed for local authorities failing to do their legal duty to maintain public roads, even when they promise to do so!

Thankfully in this case the broadcast was live, 7am may not be the ideal time of day to go head-to-head with angry antis, but in this case, I was given all the time I needed to answer questions fully and uninterrupted. So, thanks BBC for giving our community that valuable opportunity – that is not something I can say often!

7. Chew Magna lane clearance

Volunteers, all members of the Green Lane Association, spent a day clearing the overgrown section of Chilly Hill Lane at Chew Magna which was very tight and scratchy.

The efforts of our volunteers were much appreciated by all users, several walkers stopped to show their appreciation.

As can be seen in the photographs, the lane is now accessible to everyone, and the farmer was helpful in assisting the work.

Projects like this are great for improving relationships between landowners and user groups. Well done all!

Before

After

Before

After

8. We need you!

We have several vacancies for reps in the following counties:

- Bedfordshire - Cambridgeshire - Cheshire - Herefordshire - Warwickshire - West Midlands - Pembrokeshire - Wrexham

If you have some spare time and would like to help out in your area, please contact the local Regional Coordinator, all contact details can be found here - https://glass-uk.org/other-info/contact-us.html

9. The Volunteer Lengthsman Scheme is booming!

If you don’t have time or inclination to take on a rep role, why not become a lengthsman?

We relaunched the scheme at the end of last year, and have seen a massive influx of people who have adopted their favourite lane(s). The role is a simple one, drive the lane at least 4 times a year during each season, report any significant issues, or rectify any minor ones while you’re there.

Sign up is easy - go to https://membermojo.co.uk/glass-uk/yourmembership/details and tick the VLS box under your details. You’ll then be asked to input the TWUID of the lane you wish to adopt, if you want to adopt more than one separate each number with a colon ( : ). While you wait for your VLS sticker to arrive in the post, introduce yourself to the local rep and make a note on Trailwise2 to let other members know that you are active in the area.

10. Help us to preserve public access rights! We've only got 29 days to raise £15k!

When legislation is misused to reduce public access to the ordinary road network we need to act, fast!

Imagine having regularly used the minor road network in your town or village only to have that right extinguished by legislation that was not intended to be used for that purpose. This is exactly the situation residents in St Mawgan have found themselves in when Rectory Lane was reclassified as a restricted byway. The legislation used to downgrade the lane to the lowest class of public road with no motorised rights was never intended to bite on ordinary roads, but now it has it must be challenged.

This local case, supported by local residents and the Parish Council, will have national repercussions for public access, and is soon to be fought in the High Court by GLASS and the TRF. If we are successful, Cornwall Council will have to reconsider their decision, and we hope that vehicular use by the public will be confirmed. If this happens the law will be clarified to make it less likely that the public will lose access to their roads nationwide in future.

We need you to be a part of this important case, help us to give you a voice when our rights are at risk! https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-our-village-road/

Thanks to everyone who has helped to start 2022 off on a positive note!

That’s all from me this month folks!

Stay safe and happy laning!

Lauren & Celyn (who seems to be enjoying her best spa life with her own personal mud bath)

Celyn enjoying her best spa life with her own personal mud bath