4x4 Green Lane

[The Son]

Our farm drive is a mile from the main A road in the village, it passes through our farmyard and then continues on a rough track through fields for another mile and half where it meets a rural lane, it is a public footpath and bridleway, and we have access out to the lane, but we only occasionally use it in the summer, may be four or five times a year at most, its too wet in the winter, and I am too lazy to open all the gates.

In the past we have had the odd 4x4 try and get through, we stop them, inform them there is no access, they give us a mouthful of abuse then turn round and roar off.

This week we have had two lots come through, the first I didn't manage to catch, the second lot consisting of two landrovers I did catch up with, they were polite, apologetic, claiming they were lost, but there landrovers were bristling with GPS and maps.

I am concerned that this is the start of a concerted effort by the green laners to open up the bridleway for 4x4 access, they are doing it a lot locally, is there any way I can find out what they are doing? I assume they have to apply somewhere.

 

[grumpy]

just dump a big boulder in the middle of lane

 

[Northdowns Martin]

What is the classification of the right of way? If byway they have a legal right, if restricted byway then no motorised traffic only cart and carriage, if bride way horses etc. speak to right of way officer and get official title of use.

 

[roscoe erf]

What is the classification of the right of way? If byway they have a legal right, if restricted byway then no motorised traffic only cart and carriage, if bride way horses etc. speak to right of way officer and get official title of use.

you need to find out its classification is it a boat byway open to all traffic or a rupp road used as public path or just a straightforward bridle way or footpath your rights of way officer at your local council should have a answer if it is a footpath or bridleway you can ristrict vehicle access with gates etc locked but you must be able to get acess for riders walkers etc so a kissing gate sty or horse gate

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Or when the pikeys or cowboy builders tip a load if rubbish in it, leave it there. Customer of mine had both problems with a green lane. He found the latter cured the former a treat. The council soon got fed up with complaints from walkers about the rubbish so they put two granite lumps in the entrance to stop vehicles but not horses or people.

He only has trouble with motorbikes now. Result.

 

[Brisel]

The local authority here has been trying to turn some bridleways into byways, with much opposition from the landowners. Never quite sure why as the official explanation was little more than "opening up rural access." Hardly a great use of taxpayer's money in austere times - we would rather that they fix the pot holes.

If ROW users have been using a route for a while then they can claim it as a footpath/bridleway/etc. Their case is helped by any old maps showing paths but most of these have already been tried & tested. Bets way to prevent that is to stop whatever is not currently allowed to use the ROW, putting obstacles & signage to prevent unauthorised use.

 

[Shetlandsheep]

My understand for England is that only non motorised rights can be established by continuous unchallenged route. So the motorists shouldn't be able to get rights established by the back door, altho they may try to argue their use of it proves it should be formally upgraded (which of course can be done).

I would go the large boulder route, or if you want to be kind to horse and carriage peeps, there's a thing called a Kentish Gap which you can google, it allows carriages through but stops most trucks and 4x4s

All this is supposing that it def doesn't have any vehicle rights in its current status.

 

[Nearly]

Make sure there are some old gates there which you've always closed when not using it yourself.

 

[Thick Farmer]

Leave an old chain harrow in the lane.

 

[roscoe erf]

Leave an old chain harrow in the lane.

a whole different can of worms

 

[Y Fan Wen]

Leave an old chain harrow in the lane.

"Now then, where did I leave the harrow after I used it on the 4 acre?"
"Oh yes, I remember now !@#$#%^&!!!"

 

[DrWazzock]

The council round here opened up a bridle way near us and turned it into by way open to all traffic, all on the say so of some old codger from the ramblers association who claimed a bakers van had driven down it in 1925 on its way to an out lying farm that no longer exists and had a few stooges to back him up. Public inquiry, where we opposed it, must have cost thousands. Council don't maintain surface so now it's almost impassable due to scramblers and off roaders. A few vehicles have bust their sumps on it so it would appear. Very handy dumping ground for cowboy builders and the like.

Who would have thought it? Well done Ramblers Association. Turned a nice bridle way which was enjoyed by walkers, horse riders etc, into a muddy rutted litter strewn track, frequented by all sorts of shady characters.

 

[llamedos]

The council round here opened up a bridle way near us and turned it into by way open to all traffic, all on the say so of some old codger from the ramblers association who claimed a bakers van had driven down it in 1925 on its way to an out lying farm that no longer exists and had a few stooges to back him up. Public inquiry, where we opposed it, must have cost thousands. Council don't maintain surface so now it's almost impassable due to scramblers and off roaders. A few vehicles have bust their sumps on it so it would appear. Very handy dumping ground for cowboy builders and the like.

Who would have thought it? Well done Ramblers Association. Turned a nice bridle way which was enjoyed by walkers, horse riders etc, into a muddy rutted litter strewn track, frequented by all sorts of shady characters.

ramblers association are normally dead against continued use of rights of way with vehicular use, and try their best to get them downgraded, before the cut off date of 2006, prior to 2000 they were classified as RUPP roads used as public paths, when the countryside rights of way act came in in 2000 they had until 2006 to have them classified as BOATS Byway open to all traffic, ie still having the same status they had prior to the act, or restrict them to Restricted Byway having no vehicular rights. The Green lane association(GLASS)& the Trail riders association, fought the cause on many lanes which were to be downgraded, many lanes awaiting decision lost their status in 2006 and were successfully downgraded.
You can not now claim higher rights on any of these lanes, and chances are it was a RUPP and not a bridleway, I doubt very much a bridleway would ever be up graded, it just dosnt happen.
On BOATS there can be TRO traffic restriction orders applied for by councils or national parks, if the BOAT becomes badly worn due to vehicular access, this happens a lot in our national parks, the peak district and the dales in particular, they may be suitable to drive in summer but not in winter and they can and do restrict vehicles when this happens. As others have said, the only way to find the classification is to ask local authority, if it is not signed, stopping up a hiighway with vehicular access is just the same as stopping up a footpath or bridleway, and the obstruction can be cleared by reasonable means for those who wish to legally use it.

 

[DrWazzock]

ramblers association are normally dead against continued use of rights of way with vehicular use, and try their best to get them downgraded, before the cut off date of 2006, prior to 2000 they were classified as RUPP roads used as public paths, when the countryside rights of way act came in in 2000 they had until 2006 to have them classified as BOATS Byway open to all traffic, ie still having the same status they had prior to the act, or restrict them to Restricted Byway having no vehicular rights. The Green lane association(GLASS)& the Trail riders association, fought the cause on many lanes which were to be downgraded, many lanes awaiting decision lost their status in 2006 and were successfully downgraded.
You can not now claim higher rights on any of these lanes, and chances are it was a RUPP and not a bridleway, I doubt very much a bridleway would ever be up graded, it just dosnt happen.
On BOATS there can be TRO traffic restriction orders applied for by councils or national parks, if the BOAT becomes badly worn due to vehicular access, this happens a lot in our national parks, the peak district and the dales in particular, they may be suitable to drive in summer but not in winter and they can and do restrict vehicles when this happens. As others have said, the only way to find the classification is to ask local authority, if it is not signed, stopping up a hiighway with vehicular access is just the same as stopping up a footpath or bridleway, and the obstruction can be cleared by reasonable means for those who wish to legally use it.

It was definitely changed from a Bridle way to a BOAT in 1990 ish by a member of the ramblers association. I could not understand why they wanted this either, as it spoiled the enjoyment for ramblers.

Is there any hope of getting it put back. Forestry commission who use this track for access to plantations also opposed change as we did but were overruled. forestry commission have tried to maintain track but scramblers and 4 x 4 wreck it.

 

[llamedos]

It was definitely changed from a Bridle way to a BOAT in 1990 ish by a member of the ramblers association. I could not understand why they wanted this either, as it spoiled the enjoyment for ramblers.

Is there any hope of getting it put back. Forestry commission who use this track for access to plantations also opposed change as we did but were overruled. forestry commission have tried to maintain track but scramblers and 4 x 4 wreck it.

It must have held that higher status at sometime, which had been forgotten, it wasnt a requirement before 2000 for them to be correctly recorded. Yes there is every chance of a TRO being placed on it, but the GLASS will fight it. If it is as bad as you state, get the local bridleways groups to complain, and keep complaining, but it must be done by letter or email, phone is no use.
GLASS and trail bike riders association are usually pretty good at maintaing their rights of way, it is in their interests for them to not be TROd like everything it is the few idiots driving them in unsuitable conditions and at silly speeds that ruin it for the responsible, there are speed limits on the too, the vehicles have to be road worthy, just the same as using the A1 police in some areas can be gotten onside, and start seizing vehicles under section 59. It is no good arguing, you have to get the right people on side.

 

[Cooper3075]

Rember if it is a legal lane and it gets shut you could also lose the right to use it I know of a farm that ended up with no access because of it.

 

[Gadget]

We had a problem with someone trying to claim a vehicular right of way through our farm. They used a very old OS map showing footpaths as double dotted lines and claimed it had been a track and that they had used it since 1958.
I put together a comprehensive rebuttal including aerial photos from various decades to show that there had never been a track. I also included letters from many locals who had walked or been involved with the land over many years.
The reason the council chose to go with to turn down the claim, was, that they were too late submitting it by the terms of the NERC Act 2006, Part 6. As the the claim came after 2nd May 2006 it was automatically rejected!

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/rural/countryside/prow/nerc06.htm