Off-Road Vehicles: Damage to Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs)
and Countryside in Colton Parish

 

 

Off-Road Vehicles: Information and Reporting of Incidents

Responsibility for the management of trail routes and off-road traffic has now changed: the 'Cumbria Access Partnership' oversees all recreational needs, and off-road traffic now comes under the 'Motor-propelled Vehicle Sub-group'. (The LDNPA's 'Hierarchy of Trail Routes' (HoTR) scheme has been dropped.) The LDNPA have a representative on this sub-group. Park rangers are now responsible only for the day-to-day monitoring of traffic and effects. This means recording incidents reported in from local people, and advising them to contact the police if an offence has been witnessed.

Trail routes in Colton on Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs) include:

  • The Strands, Rusland Pool - (summer only - a Traffic Regulation Order operates between Oct and May)

  • Force Mills to Thwaite Moss

  • High Ickenthwaite to Nibthwaite Grange (Bletherbarrow Lane)

  • High Ickenthwaite to Oxen Park (Peg Lane)

  • Hulleter to Low Hay Bridge

  • Colton Church to Moss Wood and Bouth

  • High Nibthwaite to Low Parkamoor (now no access into Grizedale Forest)

How to report incidents and offences

  • Report any road traffic offences to the police on 01768-891999.
     

  • Also please also report offences, plus any notable incidents and behaviour (good and bad please) to Tony Hill (LDNPA Ranger, Southern Area) for him to log on the Trails Register.  Contact Tony (or his team) on: 01539-724555 or email tony.hill@lake-district.gov.uk (copy the email to: HQ@lake-district.gov.uk)

Letter to Cumbria Highways Authority, June 17th 2008

The condition of Colton's Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs) has deteriorated markedly over the past year and is beginning to affect the ability of farmers to visit their stock. After discussion at a Parish Council meeting on 12th May 2008, the Council agreed to write to the Highways Authority; the following letter was sent to the Chairman of the Cumbria Highways Authority on 17th June 2008:

Text Box: Tel:        01229 861408 e-mail:  coltonpc@btinternet.com web:      coltonparishcouncil.org.uk Text Box: Colton Parish Council Text Box: Clerk: Ms Mandy Lane Lilac Cottage Oxen Park Ulverston  LA12 8HG  

 

 

 

 

 

               

 

The Chairman
Cumbria Highways Authority
c/o Cumbria County Council
The Courts
Carlisle
Cumbria
CA3 8NA 

Dear Sir or Madam

Condition of Unclassified Country Roads in Colton Parish, South Lakes

I am writing to you on behalf of Colton Parish Council.  I understand that the Highways Authority is responsible for the maintenance of Unclassified Country Roads (UCRs) in Cumbria (if I am incorrect, then please forward this letter to the appropriate person).  We have eight such roads in our parish, most of which are in serious need of attention.  The condition of one of these is so bad that local farmers cannot use it to access their stock and, instead, have to take long and expensive detours.  Farmers are being severely hampered in their ability to grind out a living from this marginal hill land and this is one more unwelcome pressure that they face in these most difficult of times. The condition of two more UCRs is deteriorating and we would confidently predict that if nothing is done, these too will become impassable within months, rather than years.  The others are not far behind.

In our opinion, the indisputable cause of the deterioration is the use of these roads by recreational motorised vehicles, and especially trail-bikes.  It has been said that farmers themselves are responsible for some of the damage; we would categorically dispute this as (a) residents observe farmers driving with care and consideration, (b) comparable tracks which are not UCRs, but which only farmers use, are not damaged, and c) off-road drivers, particularly trail-bike riders, are frequently reported as behaving in an unsociable and dangerous manner: driving too fast, skidding to a halt at gates, roaring off at high speed, wheels spinning, carving open the top surface of the road, eroding it down to base-rock in places with crags of two-ft high or more (pictures attached).

In addition, the terrible condition of the UCRs is encouraging vehicles off the track, where they are doing lasting damage to moorland and farmland. Once off-track, they seem to be tempted to use the surrounding area for 'playing' and there are now significant areas of severely damaged habitat in places, for example on Bethecar Moor above High Nibthwaite (pictures attached).

The situation is now so bad that something has to be done. If the Highways Authority does not have funds to effect lasting repairs to UCRs, sufficient to allow responsible, non-damaging use of these tracks, then the cause of their deterioration has to be removed.  We suggest that this means imposing Traffic Restriction Orders so that recreational vehicles no longer have access, until such time as money is found to carry out proper repairs.

In the attached Annex are a number of photographs which have been taken over the last few months and years.  They show examples of the appalling state of repair of some roads, the damage being done to adjacent land, flooding due to the erosion and subsequent loss of road materials, and some destruction of road-side notices and infrastructure.  We would be grateful if you would look at them carefully; they contain important information.

I am happy to show you, or your colleagues, instances of the situations described above.  However, you should come prepared to walk.  It will not be possible to visit some of these places by motorised vehicle.

Meanwhile, we look forward to a response to this letter at the earliest opportunity.

Yours faithfully,

Colin Barr

(Chair, Colton Parish Council)

cc       Mr Tim Farron, MP

          Cumbria County Council Countryside Access team

Lake District Local Access Forum

Lake District National Park Authority

National Farmers Union, Ulverston Office

Natural England, Kendal

Cumbria Constabulary, Ulverston

Mr Tony Hill, Local LDNPA Warden

Mr Bobbie Dobson, Chair Bethecar Moor ESA Association

Mr John Atkinson, Nibthwaite Grange Farm

Mr Brian Jackson, Oxen Park Farm

Mr John Milburn, Stock Farm

 

ANNEX TO LETTER TO HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY

UNCLASSIFIED COUNTRY ROADS IN COLTON PARISH -  EXAMPLES OF DAMAGE

There are eight routes within the Colton Parish Council boundary, only one of which has vehicular rights extinguished on part of its length. They are (according to the LDNPA website):

1.            Bridleway/ UCR U5051 Grizedale to High Parkamoor (grid reference SO 336943 to SO 319926). This is a dual status route and after commencement only bridleway rights remain. The vehicular rights are extinguished from the Parish boundary to High Parkamoor. The section from High Parkamoor to High Nibthwaite (grid references SO 319926 to SO 294897) is a UCR only and the presumed vehicular rights will remain.

2.            BOAT/ UCR U5203 Moss Wood (grid reference SO 316861 to SO 327862). This is a Byway Open to All Traffic with proven vehicular rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

3.            UCR U5062 Thwaite Moss (grid reference SO 341905 to SO 340897). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

4.            UCR U5204 Old Hall Lane, Bouth (grid reference SO 326856 to SO 320861). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

5.            UCR U5216 Hulleter (grid reference SO 331879 to SO 337876). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

6.            UCR U5064 Ickenthwaite (grid reference SO 315888 to SO 323895). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

7.            UCR U5213 Oxen Park to Ickenthwaite (grid reference SO 319874 to SO 323894). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles.

8.            UCR U5566 Rusland Pool (grid reference SO 332894 to SO 338891). This is just a UCR with presumed rights and it will remain open to recreational vehicles. The seasonal Traffic Regulation Order for the purposes of fisheries conservation will continue.
 

The location of these routes is shown on the following maps (blue lines are UCRs, red line us Colton Parish boundary):

Photographs

The photographs show examples of the situations described in the letter.  Each one is accompanied by a caption which includes the number of the UCR (1-8), the date taken, and a brief description of the point being illustrated.

UCR 1 - 10/06/08:
This road is now virtually impassable to 4-wheeled vehicles

UCR 6 - 10/06/08:
Well on the way to becoming impassable. Note the widening of the track by vehicles driving round damaged areas.

 

UCR 7 - 06/04/06:
Typical winter flooding (due to removal of road material) making route almost impassable for walkers

UCR 6 - 24/10/05:
Drivers create road widening to avoid rough track

UCR 7 - 28/12/05:
4 x 4 drivers have fun trying to get up steep slope (short-cutting hair-pin)

UCR 6 - 24/10/05
4 x 4 drivers have created a short-cut past the hairpin (to create a challange?)

UCR 6 - 10/06/08:
....which, over the years, has become the main route.


UCR 1 10/06/08:
Trail bike riders going off-route over sensitive peatland and important habitats

UCR 6 06/02/08:
4 x 4 drivers 'having fun' - scarring fields which would penalise farmers in agri-environment schemes.

UCR 6 10/06/08:

Broken flag culvert

 

Vandalised Sign

 

Damaged drainage