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• Who uses byways and RUPPs?

'Typical' byway users:-

• Agricultural access to farm and fields, feeding stock.
• Park warden's landrovers, Forester's Unimogs, householder's cars, quarry lorries
• Utilities (BT, Electric, Gas, Water, Sewage) accessing plant, above or below the highway
• Access to Radio Televison and Mobile Phone Base Station Transmitters.
• Vets visiting stock
• Contractors, hedging, ditching, harvesting
• Milk Tankers, and Seed merchants
• Game Keepers replenishing feed to feed stations situated along or adjacent to byways
• Householders requiring vehicular access[1]
• Walkers, cyclists, equestrians, harness driving. (Park and Walk / Ride)
• Motorised users exploring highways of the last century.
• Anglers
• Canoeists, kayakers
• Balloonist’s recovery vehicles[2]
• Amateur Radio operators, RAEN (Radio Amateur's Emergency Network), RAIBC (Radio Amateur Invalid and Bedfast Club) CB radio
• Access to remote Amateur Radio Repeater sites.
• Hang gliders
• Equestrian event organisers
• Sporting event organisers
• Marshals on events.
• Hunt and game sports persons requiring access over a third parties land.
• Motoring clubs organising treasure hunts, club or National rallies.
• Classic Car Trials, Vintage Car and Historic Vehicle Clubs.
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme events supervision i.e. Ten Tors, Exmoor, Salisbury, Wales etc
• Disabled drivers in conventional vehicles, or in class 4 vehicles requiring easy unobstructed access, afforded by byways.
• Families with young or elderly members unable to walk reasonable distances.
• Environment Agency, Local Authorities, Police Ambulance, Fire, Army all require access - all with vast numbers of 4wds, without needing to gain keys to barriers or gates.
• Mountaineers.
• Cavers.
• Pigeon Fanciers
• Bird Spotters
• Ecologists, Geologists, Naturalists
• School parties on field visits.
• Golf clubs, Businesses (farm shops/B&B/mechanics etc) relying on passing trade.
• Model aircraft enthusiasts and kite flying from high remote locations, or private sites accessed from byways & RUPPs.
• Sporting events of all descriptions, and hobbyists (as above) accessing permissive land for activities, only accessed by RBs. [3]
• Anyone organising a village fete or Gymkhana will need to get permission from every owner that the RB crosses.[4]
• Access to Ponies in fields, feeding, farriers, friends visiting.
• Also hooligans, usually in nicked or illegal vehicles or under age! To get rid of this user DOES NOT mean banning all the other reasonable users of byways!

 

All of these are commonly accessed over Byways - BOATs, RUPPs, Parish or Council Roads, Unadopted ('White') roads, Non-maintained (HA80 s47) Roads, RT roads. Unless an easement has been specifically granted (for ALL purposes undertaken), expensive easements may have to be negotiated with numerous landholders, to replace existing PUBLIC VEHICULAR rights Government propose removing after nearly 1,000 years of 'Once a Highway Always a Highway'!

An unknown number of tarmac roads are also RUPPs Footpaths or Bridleways. It will be a criminal offence to drive on these, but impossible to know which!

A young man with Muscular Dystrophy enjoying a ride over the Brecon 'Gap' road.

Is the CLA / RA intention to deprive the less able of access to this remote location high above Winchcombe? This IS the effect.

Not a byway, but rugged Tramper electric buggies are remarkably agile, and robust. All byways should be suitable for these vehicles.

Why should an Octagenarian be left at home, or in a car park when other family members go out?

RDA - Riding for the Disabled, a byway user, but dependent on others to remove fallen trees or obstructions.

As Suzki negotiating a tricky washed out section with assistance at hand, and wheelchair in the back!

Life support systems at hand, have van, will travel.

Classic Car Hill Climbs will also be seriously affected by DEFRAs MPV proposals.

See http://www.leete.free-online.co.uk/Gas04031.htm

A family pastime - is this what DEFRA really wants to ban at the CLAs request?

With the kids in the back, mum slowy but surely pulls out of Summersgill brook.

A day out for all ages.

So really is there a problem that is caused by the farmer's workhorse for 50 years?

Walking is easier on byways with less obstructions than on footpaths. Most walkers PREFER vehicular ways, but some will not tolerate meeting a vehicle. Which is vey strange. Is this why the RA show such intolerance of other users? They have neglected all the non-promoted paths, so now want exclusive use of bridleways and byways as well!

FOOTPATHS have OVER 4 times as many obstacles, per kilometer, as BOATs! CCW report May 2003

[1] Access to any land off an RB is often over several different ownership of land, often no known owner.