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Post by thistle on Jan 5, 2012 22:36:29 GMT
Has anyone ridden down this track?  I rode up it on Wednesday only to find a load of signs half way up saying that the council have passed an order to downgrade it from a byway to a footpath  Unless they get any objections before 27th Jan with some sort of evidence it is something more than a footpath (e.g. a map showing it as a road or track, anecdotes it being used by bikes/horses/motorbikes). You can ride a MTB along the whole route apart from about 100m that is planted with (dead) corn and one fence you have to climb over |
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Post by seismic on Jan 6, 2012 22:18:06 GMT
Why do they want to change it?
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Post by thistle on Jan 6, 2012 22:23:36 GMT
I don't know the reasons, or who made the application. Anyone can apply to have a path changed if they think they've got evidence to back up their claim.
I heard that a few years ago someone tried to get it closed because they thought it was dangerous and unsuitable, but that got dropped.
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Post by seismic on Jan 6, 2012 22:29:39 GMT
How old does the anecdote need to be? Apparently some guy rode it Wednesday ;D
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Post by thistle on Jan 6, 2012 22:33:12 GMT
Apparently some guy rode it Wednesday ;D ;D |
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Post by jon_2_flats on Jan 7, 2012 5:57:04 GMT
If it is used by you on a bike then that is evidence enough, contact the council and state you regularly "practice your right to pass and repass" on this route by means of bike, also if you know anyone else who can back this up or that uses it also! You can also contact the rights of way officer for the council (let me know which council as I may have the contact details for you) and ask them to check the definitive map to confirm the status of the route, you can also do this yourself but need to make an appointment At the council offices to view it! If the route is currently a bridle way or byway open to all traffic ect then they cannot downgrade it without very good reason usually! But Unfortunatly if no objections are made there is noone to challenge what they are doing, it could be that they just wish to move the right of way slightly rather that completely close it, although if it says downgrade it would be a good idea to get an objection in ASAP. If you can state you have used the route for a number of years to demonstrate your right to pass and repass this will all help.
Good luck
Jon
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Post by jon_2_flats on Jan 7, 2012 8:03:51 GMT
Just looked at your memorymap pic, so it's Wrexham council you need to speak to, I'm not sure of the right of way officers details off hand, but could get them if u need me to.
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Post by oldgit on Jan 7, 2012 9:42:14 GMT
Used it loads of times when I lived at the foot of it. Climbs by the edge of the quarry into a small wooded area; the path goes straight on and joins the Ochre lane; but at the first stile go up the bank to another stile follow the fence until you find the gateway into the ajacent field; drop down left following fence; then right into a gulley to track onto the road.
OR
In the top field go down the hill bear right to a stream; follow until road from Fron is reached.
I notice everything else is marked as a FP that's probably why this has come about. Are you getting an objection organised?
Only tried it once on the bike; it was mostly my local fellrunning training area
By the way if you go straight on to the Ochre, at the bend there is a FP that leads across the field to the by-way down into Llangollen. Ive ridden that even though it's a FP no one walks up there!!!
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Post by thistle on Jan 7, 2012 15:10:55 GMT
I notice everything else is marked as a FP that's probably why this has come about. Are you getting an objection organised? Trying to, but I've been trying to contact trail rider groups as I think they have been campaigning against it already. They are much more organised and I don't want to cock up anything they have been working on. Various old maps show it as different types of path/track (some not at all). When they made the definitive map in the 1950s, they decided it was a byway. The argument seems to be that they made the definitive map incorrectly in the first place. |
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Post by jon_2_flats on Jan 7, 2012 17:23:09 GMT
Entries on the definitive map cannot be changed easily, if it was entered as a byway then that unarguably IS what it is and if you object to the downgrading based on the fact that you have used the byway over the previous few years and state that you intend to continue to demonstrate your right to pass and repass then they should not be able to downgrade it purely on the basis of "it was entered wrong" on the definitive map! The map is definitive and what it says goes, if you have used the track once or twice a year that is grounds for it to remain byway.
Contact the department on the notice telling them that you are a regular user of the track by bike and have been for a number of years, you may find them very helpfull ;-)
Keep is posted
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Post by jon_2_flats on Jan 7, 2012 17:27:06 GMT
Also worth noting, I assume from what has been said that it is likely to be the landowner or local resident that has entered the dispute, I would guess as to them not wanting bikes ect there, you may find the council have agreed to changed it expecting no Objections, I think the more objections raised about this path the less grounds/less likely the council will be to downgrade it. Get your voice heard!!!
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Post by speedydaz on Jan 10, 2012 17:31:05 GMT
Sounds like the council should be doing something about the fence blocking a right of way rather than down grading it
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