Press release issued on 18 December 2003 for immediate publication.
RECREATIONAL MOTORING FACES ITS BIGGEST THREAT EVER
After 100 years, during which time the highways and byways of England and Wales have been explored and enjoyed by generations of drivers and motorcyclists, a proposal just put out to consultation by the Department of Environment, Farming & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) looks set to change the face of recreational motoring for ever.
The proposed legislation could affect any type of motor sport which uses minor public roads, and it severely threatens some of the UK's oldest automobile competitions, including famous classic trials organised by bodies like the Motor Cycling Club (whose Edinburgh Trial, for example, celebrates its centenary in June 2004).
The change is part of the fallout from the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which introduced the right to roam for hikers across thousands of square miles of private land - and is largely driven by a vocal and influential minority which wants motor vehicles out of their countryside - full stop.
Illegal motoring is a very real problem in places - but in seeking to combat it effectively, the countryside minister Alun Michael appears to be proposing changes which will hit the law-abiding, while probably doing little to deter the cowboys.
Bill Troughear, chairman of the Land Access & Recreation Association (LARA) says: There is a very real danger that motorcyclists and drivers will lose access to minor tarmac and stone-surfaced roads, thus closing down access to large areas of the countryside.
The motoring organisations do not condone irresponsible and aggressive behaviour in the countryside. Our ancient highways are not scrambles practice tracks, nor a battleground to be conquered. If people want to go fast, or to drive into situations where a winch is a necessity, they should enter competitions held on appropriate terrain. Unfortunately, our planning rules are biased against the provision of such sites, so this does not help in diverting inappropriate highway use to more appropriate activity sites.
It is grossly unfair to propose an ill-thought change in legislation that damages our centuries-old highway law, takes away the rights of ordinary people enjoying an arcane, but historic, pastime, does little to tackle the root causes of the problems, and gives yet more exclusive territory to ramblers, who already enjoy more access than they can ever possibly want.
In England and Wales, there are around 120,000 miles of footpaths and bridleways where motorists cannot go. There are around 6,000 miles of minor, unsealed vehicular roads, much of which is also enjoyed by walkers, cyclists and riders. Walkers now have or will soon have thousands of square miles of open access countryside as well, plus they can wander at will on urban commons and through Forestry Commission plantations.
Ramblers already have exclusive rights to most of the British countryside: now they want the rest, too.
LARA will be co-ordinating a response to the proposals, and advising club members how to approach their MPs. The closing date for responses is 19 March 2004. Copies of the consultation paper are available on both the LARA and DEFRA websites. For more details, please contact the LARA Motor Recreation Development Officer at snipped-for-privacy@laragb.org or visit
For more information or for media interviews, please contact: Tim Stevens, Motor Recreation Development Officer LARA HQ PO Box 20 Market Drayton TF9 1WR Tel: 01630 657627 Email: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com
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Martyn