Bridleways help

[True North]

Hi

We have a few footpaths kicking around on our farm, but we also have a bridleway within our farm.

We've recently had a local neighborhood party complain about offroad bikes/quads being on the bridleways illegally.
We haven't seen them, but obviously the implication is that they may injure someone or tear up the lane so that it's unwalkable or unrideable for riders.

I've a few questions really. I think the local group has fitted a bench seat on the path, i'm not sure if they are allowed to do this, the land is definitely on our deeds and would not have been agreed to previously. It is now attractinga lot of litter and now sadly fires. We want rid, presumably we can do this, our land, bridleway etc? No detriment to the path or land?

Secondly, how much notice and engagement do we have to give to these self appointed local planning/bridleway officers? We are taking the approach of live and let live privately, but we aren't sure what our position is really. We've been polite and listened but not engaged with them. They liase with the local council but aren't able to enforce anything. I am not sure on what they think we can do - gates?

Is it illegal for quads?

 

[steveR]

If you own the land, then you can allow, or not, a bench.

Users have the right to pass and re-pass on the RoW. Not stop and have a BBQ!

If the RoW is a Bridleway and you have confirmed that it is, then road legal vehicles do not have the right to use the Bridleway. Non road legal are a complete no no.

Secondly, how much notice and engagement do we have to give to these self appointed local planning/bridleway officers?

None whatsoever, unless they are doing something that will benefit you, such as clearing a FP, that you have responsiblity for

Speak with the local Councils RoW Officer, or Highways. Get the status confirmed, then go to the Police if you have illegal vehicular useage.

 

[True North]

If you own the land, then you can allow, or not, a bench.

Users have the right to pass and re-pass on the RoW. Not stop and have a BBQ!

If the RoW is a Bridleway and you have confirmed that it is, then road legal vehicles do not have the right to use the Bridleway. Non road legal are a complete no no.



None whatsoever, unless they are doing something that will benefit you, such as clearing a FP, that you have responsiblity for

Speak with the local Councils RoW Officer, or Highways. Get the status confirmed, then go to the Police if you have illegal vehicular useage.

Thanks, that's pretty much what we thought.

We are clearing footpaths and tidying it up as we go now it's Spring.

It's really old, was cobbled back in the day but they are long gone, it's a track now. It's definitely a Bridleway as the local yokel has obviously been told to speak to landowners off the back of aa conversation with the Council and it's been in the family for yonks so we are happy with status. They've probably reported it to the Police too.

I suppose we are taking the view that there is not much the Police can do, from our PoV they are at least sticking to the track if and when they do ride and aren't riding through fields, but equally we don't want them running into anyone or an injured horse stranded.

 

[yellow belly]

The only solution is horse friendly gates but need the row officer to give the go ahead

keep reporting road users on bridleway getting vrn

bikes on non road rights of way are a right pain

 

[steveR]

Thanks, that's pretty much what we thought.

We are clearing footpaths and tidying it up as we go now it's Spring.

It's really old, was cobbled back in the day but they are long gone, it's a track now. It's definitely a Bridleway as the local yokel has obviously been told to speak to landowners off the back of aa conversation with the Council and it's been in the family for yonks so we are happy with status. They've probably reported it to the Police too.

I suppose we are taking the view that there is not much the Police can do, from our PoV they are at least sticking to the track if and when they do ride and aren't riding through fields, but equally we don't want them running into anyone or an injured horse stranded.

Be careful that you are not giving tacit consent to vehicle usage. maybe a few signs off eBay would be good starting point. Users cannot then say "we didn't know...."

Police won't want to be involved, but reporting of incidents is a good start to get them on-side, just in case the matter needs escalating. It is not legal trail riders that are the issue I suspect you will find.... but non road legal bikes (and quads).

 

[steveR]

The only solution is horse friendly gates but need the row officer to give the go ahead

keep reporting road users on bridleway getting vrn

bikes on non road rights of way are a right pain

Correct, an "obstruction" on a RoW needs approval, even a new stile!

Reporting incidents of vehicle use to Police, will help to add pressure on teh Council too

 

[Princess Pooper]

As suggested above, talk to your council's Public Rights of Way Officer. Most are very good and they can tell you what is/isn't allowed and can help deal with things that aren't allowed. (It will be the council that you pay your Council Tax to).

 

[Brisel]

Who is your local "group" who put the bench up? I'd be talking to them and the council ROW officer first. Better to discuss it, even if you don't make any progress with them.

Signage is good - it may well get vandalised quickly but take photos of it when it's up to provide a trail of evidence against change of designation in the future.

Gates like these don't stop motorbikes, as the more adept two wheeled riders can hop over them but it will stop the odd muppet or at least damage their bike sump!

 

[Gadget]

Same round here...

You've got the "Dig it team" "Fix it team" and the ""Reinstate Team"

Takes an age.

Who is your local "group" who put the bench up? I'd be talking to them and the council ROW officer first. Better to discuss it, even if you don't make any progress with them.

Signage is good - it may well get vandalised quickly but take photos of it when it's up to provide a trail of evidence against change of designation in the future.

Gates like these don't stop motorbikes, as the more adept two wheeled riders can hop over them but it will stop the odd muppet or at least damage their bike sump!

Our trouble is that we now have to leave footpaths etc. so that mobility scooters can get through.
In one village the way that we have got around it is to put a coded lock on a gate and the mobility scooter riders have the code. The footpath officer is happy with this (at the moment!).

 

[Brisel]

Our trouble is that we now have to leave footpaths etc. so that mobility scooters can get through.
In one village the way that we have got around it is to put a coded lock on a gate and the mobility scooter riders have the code. The footpath officer is happy with this (at the moment!).

Interesting about the code. We had that on a contested pathway that the council ROW team started trying to make a public ROW in the 1970s, paused then restarted this recently. We were in an awkward position as most of the local farmers/tenant witnesses who could refute the claims are no longer alive! They wanted electric buggy access even though it's a heavily rutted farm track that would tip a mobility vehicle over. The kind of gate that allows such a vehicle will also allow a motorbike, horse & bicycle through too.

Has the legislation changed to allow mobility scooter access?

 

[Gadget]

Has the legislation changed to allow mobility scooter access?

I don’t know but we farm land under BIrmingham and North Warwickshire and they both have wanted mobility scooter access. Like you, once they are in, the surfaces are rough!
The coded lock is in Warks. and we have trouble with motorbikes there, so the footpath officer has been understanding.

 

[True North]

Be careful that you are not giving tacit consent to vehicle usage. maybe a few signs off eBay would be good starting point. Users cannot then say "we didn't know...."

Police won't want to be involved, but reporting of incidents is a good start to get them on-side, just in case the matter needs escalating. It is not legal trail riders that are the issue I suspect you will find.... but non road legal bikes (and quads).

Yeah that's true. I had one conversation with a woman who thought everyone had a right to roam the countryside! I was like erm, no that's trespassing! Anyway, yes we are discussing gates as part of this.

 

[True North]

I don’t know but we farm land under BIrmingham and North Warwickshire and they both have wanted mobility scooter access. Like you, once they are in, the surfaces are rough!
The coded lock is in Warks. and we have trouble with motorbikes there, so the footpath officer has been understanding.

Mobility scooter access when there is plenty more accessible countryside than that surely. It would mean pedestrianising it everywhere surely?

 

[Courier]

We put a contact number on a sign in places where we have installed coded padlocks (Keep a dated photo of the sign) and will give a caller the code when they ring - Code gets changed occasionally.

 

[True North]

Who is your local "group" who put the bench up? I'd be talking to them and the council ROW officer first. Better to discuss it, even if you don't make any progress with them.

Signage is good - it may well get vandalised quickly but take photos of it when it's up to provide a trail of evidence against change of designation in the future.

Gates like these don't stop motorbikes, as the more adept two wheeled riders can hop over them but it will stop the odd muppet or at least damage their bike sump!

I aren't going to name them on here I don't know that they had permission for the bench, they might have, they might not. It's rotting away now and been damaged by youths, who are littering and setting fires. I don't really want to get into them thinking I am asking for permission to do things on our own land though, so I might ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

Yeah we've looked at those, we might go for the horse ones that open yet, dunno.

 

[True North]

We put a contact number on a sign in places where we have installed coded padlocks (Keep a dated photo of the sign) and will give a caller the code when they ring - Code gets changed occasionally.

Way too many people use it for us to do that. Good idea though.

 

[True North]

Our trouble is that we now have to leave footpaths etc. so that mobility scooters can get through.
In one village the way that we have got around it is to put a coded lock on a gate and the mobility scooter riders have the code. The footpath officer is happy with this (at the moment!).

We honestly couldn't do this much in Yorkshire for footpaths/pennine way or whatever it's called. It's steep fields in valleys that are on inclines that make your eyes water some days.

 

[renewablejohn]

I doubt it is actually a bridalway even though it is listed as a bridalway. With it being cobbled in the past it is more likely to be a historic B.O.A.T probably as part of an enclosure act or turnpike road. Farmers round here have got around the problem by just installing gates with locks on whilst putting no entry signs at both ends. All totally illegal but council has taken no enforcement action for the last 20 years.

 

[betweenthelines]

So who/what defines what a mobility scooter is?

Could someone on a trials bike claim it's a mobility scooter as he has a bad leg?

And as not all "mobility scooters" are legal on public highway, does this not rule them out anyway?

 

[steveR]

So who/what defines what a mobility scooter is?

Could someone on a trials bike claim it's a mobility scooter as he has a bad leg?

And as not all "mobility scooters" are legal on public highway, does this not rule them out anyway?

Real grey area I would suggest... I would expect to see a Reg Plate. They are not wheelchairs AFAIK.. But again, a grey area.