Alun Michael, the Minister for Rural Affairs, has unveiled details of a seasonal ban on all recreational motor vehicles using The Ridgeway National Trail from winter 2004, a move fully supported by The Ramblers' Association.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of The Friends of The Ridgeway on Sunday 21st March 2004, Mr. Michael announced steps to introduce Seasonal Traffic Regulation Orders on The Ridgeway from October 2004, banning motor vehicles from using vulnerable sections of the path for six months every winter.
All six local councils along the route have agreed to implement the ban, in order to prevent any further damage by off-road motor bikes, quad bikes and 4x4s. The Ridgeway needs £750,000 spending on it to bring it back to an acceptable standard, but the Countryside Agency and the local authorities argued that this could only happen if the trail was protected from further damage from recreational off-roading.
The move follows the recent consultation paper on the use of motor vehicles on countryside rights of way, in which the government recommended better enforcement of current legislation to curb irresponsible and illegal use of motor bikes and 4x4s on green lanes. This paper also seeks to close the argument that historic use of such routes by horse drawn vehicles gives rise to a current and future right of use by motor vehicles.
Alun Michael commented: "I am delighted that the Ridgeway Management Group, representing the highway authority along the trail, has now agreed to apply seasonal Traffic Regulation Orders on many sections of the Ridgeway, starting in October this year. This means that for all the winter months, when the surface of the trail is vulnerable in places to damage from motorised vehicles, there will be a complete ban on use by non-essential vehicles. I am sure that this will help to make the difference we all want to see in order to protect the Ridgeway for all users."
Ian Ritchie, Chairman of the Friends of the Ridgeway said, "A voluntary code of respect has been in operation on The Ridgeway for ten years but has plainly not been working. This ban is excellent news for all walkers, horse riders and cyclists who wish to enjoy The Ridgeway in peace, free from the ruts and mud that make the trail extremely hazardous and unpleasant. Although a seasonal ban falls short of the total ban that we have been advocating, it is a very big step in the right direction."
Janet Davies, Head of Footpaths Policy at the Ramblers' Association, said, "This is excellent news for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. We look forward to seeing DEFRA's response to the consultation exercise, which we know has provoked a huge amount of interest."
The Ridgeway National Trail stretches 85 miles from Overton Hill in Wiltshire to Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire. The trail is over 6000 years old and links numerous ancient sites such as iron age hill forts, the great stone circles at Avebury and the oldest white horse in the country at Uffington.
