Peak District MTB has submitted a call for reform to the UK Government’s inquiry on outdoor access.
Peak District MTB are calling for:
- A legal right to ride suitable footpaths already in informal use.
- A national target for all National Parks and Local Authorities to open a minimum 22% of rights of way to cyclists.
- A legal duty on the National Trust, water companies, and other landowners to publish Rights of Way Improvement Plans.
- A review of HMRC tax relief schemes to ensure access agreements with landowners are legally enforceable, include cyclists, are developed with local user input, and are transparently monitored to guarantee the public benefit promised in exchange for taxpayer subsidy.
- Recognition of mountain biking’s value to health, rural economies, conservation, and land stewardship.
- Support for MTB volunteers who maintain and repair trails.
Peak District MTB statement:
As proud supporters of theBritish Mountaineering Council’scampaign to the APPG Inquiry on Access to Nature, Peak District MTB is demanding urgent action to address the unfair and outdated restrictions on cycling access to the countryside.“
From defending Rushup Edge to building partnerships around the Hope Valley, the Roaches, and beyond, the group has shown how responsible cycling access can benefitwalkers, riders, landowners, and nature alike.
“The Peak District is a national park in name—but not in access. Just 11% of trails here are legally open to cyclists, compared to 22% across England. We need legislation that reflects how people actually enjoy the outdoors today. That’s why we launched our #22PercentCampaign: to challenge outdated rights of way law and give responsible mountain bikers the access they deserve.” – Greville Kelly, Chair of Peak District MTB.
Singletrackworld’s story The Duke, the bike ban and the taxman story formed part of Peak Ditrict MTB’s submission.
I should perhaps clarify this a bit, although I’d assumed it was implied.
I shall keep riding where I’ve always ridden, regardless of how that path is categorised, Â at all times adhering to Rule 1, and have polite conversations with anyone who may object (which is incredibly rare). If they fail to have a polite conversation back then that’s their day ruined, not mine.
The utterly ridiculous part of it is that we have been through the whole stupid cycle already in Scotland. When we lived in Glasgow 25 years ago the acces laws were similar to England now. We religiously followed the rules and rode bridleways only and it was shit.
Then after we moved south they suddenly agreed the whole Bridleway/footpath thing was bollocks and dropped it.
And I regretted the wasted time.
But for some reason she is happy to go through the whole nonsense again in England.
I’ve had more ‘interactions’ on bridleways in the Peak District with walkers (mostly in the summer/tourist season)’ than I ever had riding ‘suitable’, hardly used footpaths. Trying to explain to someone who is intent that we don’t ride our mtbs anywhere, that we are on a BW (even being shown the OS map) is slightly frustrating.
I had a similar interaction with a group of hardy ramblers who were shouting at me “that I should ride on the road"
They went very quiet when I pointed out they were walking on an unsurfaced road.
I have also had massive tantrums from some walkers when riding legitimately.
You can’t win with some people can you?
unfortunately the current anti-bike ‘culture wars’ promulgated by r/w media is finding its way now to some in the ‘rambling community’, it’s tedious, the roads are no fun for cycling and now it seems even off-road is getting fraught for bikes… I am seriously considering getting a kayak and heading out on rivers and loughs to get away from these nutters.
MartynS of this parish has a great story of being harangued by a walker by a gate on the top of Mam Tor.
Walker – “You shouldn’t be riding here, it’s not a bridleway"
Martyn – “Yes it is"
Walker – “No it isn’t"
Martyn – “Do you have the local OS map to hand?"
{Walker gets out map}
Martyn – “See that picture on the front, the one of two mountain bikers standing by a gate?"
Walker – “What about it?"
Martyn – “That’s this gate"
It isn’t though. We’ve all had occasional grief from (mainly) walkers, because some people are just dicks, but 99.9% of my interactions with others when out on my bike have been entirely pleasant.
Peak District is by far the worse place I’ve ridden for angry busybodies itching to tell someone off.
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it depends where and when, true, normally the busier places are worse, at least around where I am.
I ride in the Peak District. I’ll do a cheeky footpath where I’m not being a complete dick in doing so. Never had any issues with someone telling me I couldn’t cycle there
Although that’s not 100% true. Not the peak district but near me so about 8 miles from the edge of the Peak. Was cycling down a gravel road that I’ve cycled loads. When some numpty driving up it in a car stops and tells me I shouldn’t be riding there as it’s a footpath.
I mean technically it is but it’s also access for a bunch of houses so if you can drive your car down here I sure as hell can cycle here.
Similar situation near Castle Combe. There’s a track running from Castle Combe to Long Dean, that’s marked on maps as a bridleway, running as it does along and up the side of the valley, then down into Long Dean, the only route that avoids the river. Trouble is, at the parish boundary it changes to a footpath, from around the time rights of way became registered by councils in the 60’s.
You can see it on this section of map…
You can see where it changes between Lower Colham and Colham Mill. I haven’t ridden it for quite a few years, and it does involve hoiking your bike over a gate! Ok if it’s my singlespeed, not so much my hooligan hardtail.
There’s very little in the Peak District that’s both properly remote and suitable for riding to get away from folk like that.
Lake District is much easier – away from the tourist hotspots is generally fine. That said, there were certain bridleways in the Lakes that I wouldn’t ride during a summer weekend. Even though we had every right to be there it was just exhausting and slow and frustrating dealing with hordes of walkers.Â
I reckon the answer is either crack of dawn or mid-evening rides. Then you can go more or less where you want.
i’m guessing you haven’t looked in to river access…
Question 1: Is it wrong to quite enjoy it when someone gets all upity at me?
(Aside from.being on a footpath – completely unprovoked, riding considerately etc)
I love being all cheerful and polite while I explain exactly how much I care what they think while they get even more upset.
I’ve no idea what is wrong with someone who thinks it’s alright to start screaming at a stranger for an incredibly minor transgression in the grand scheme.od things.
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Question 2:Â if someone is riding a surron somewhere they shouldn’t, but is doing so considerately, do you think about challenging them?Â
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My own answer to question 2 is that it does pop into my head….wish it didn’t…but then I remember it would be throwing stones in glass houses so live and let live innit
I was walking in the park earlier, a couple of lads cruising round but very steady and it was quiet. I’m alright with that.
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There’s plenty of options for loughs and rivers where I am 👍
I think it depends on where abouts in the Peak District
My own experience is that the closer you get to the Hayfield/Edale centre of Right to Roam, the more the concept of ‘Right to Roam’ for the masses is lost and the more it becomes about ‘My Right to Roam’ …. the exact attitude that was challenged a hundred years ago.
The fact that this area is also the closest to the largest conurbations near the Peak District (Manchester and Sheffield) is not a coincidence when it comes to the amount of older, seemingly ‘hardcore’ middle class walkers with time on their hands and a rucksack full of self-centred attitudes to be shared.
This is my whole point though, you ARE allowed to ride on footpaths, you just don’t have a legal right.Â
Reframing no legal right as being illegal has now stuck in the minds of the general public and we need to undo that.Â
I know most of the vocal opponents to cycling probably won’t listen but we shouldn’t be self limiting ourselves or others.Â
Whilst I find PDMTB’s tenacity compelling, it’s not something I can get particularly excited about.
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20-25 years and I think the roll call of success is:
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Elmin Pit climb.
Allowed to dig some drains along Derwent Edge.
Some consideration given to MTB on Whinstone Lee Tor to Cutthroat Bridge.
Moving some mud and stones around at The Roaches.
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In that time we’ve seen Lockerbrook flattened, Rushup Edge half flattened, Chapel Gate sanitised, Screaming Mile flattened. Etc.
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Whilst I do admire these groups, they are investing a hell of a lot of their time and effort for a few crumbs from the table. That’s great if lobbying and campaigning is what gets you excited. But, ultimately, they have zero clout and a particularly militant landowner will always do what they want and get away with it 99% of the time.
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🤷♂️
Not enjoying the £74,000 raised for helicopters lifting slabs on to cut gate then? Not relieved Cavedale didn’t follow Pindale? Not ridden the conduit at the west of ladybower, which avoids the A57?
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Benny Goodman was at the end of around a century of campaigning and lobbying. And even then it took many more years for a change to happen.Â
Don’t forget we’ve had – in your 25 year estimate – 14 years of a government truly uninterested. Â
And its nearer 15 years anyway – Rushup is what galvanised it. And it’s not just the same people.Â
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This is becoming a massive problem as landowners and developers work out the loopholes. Trees and historic buildings especially, public rights of way is the next easy target.
Landowner / developer asks to chop down some trees or demolish a listed but derelict building. Permission denied. Developer does it anyway then claims some incredible coincidence in miscommunication. It’s astonishing how many buildings spontaneously combust only a week or so after permission has been denied.
Oh well, now that the trees have all gone, we may as well pay the £50,000 fine, then develop the site anyway – the development that’ll make millions in profit and a £50,000 fine is basically just collateral.
Same applies in trail access / maintenance. By the time the council gets around to inspecting something the landowner has done, it becomes so expensive to resolve it that the landowner is holding all the cards. Gosh, did I accidentally block a public right of way? Oh well, it’s been like it for a year now and I’ve built a lovely extension right over it so best just leave it as is.
^^+1
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See also “gosh did we accidentally put 20 tonnes of industrial aggregate on a SSSI? Thanks for letting us know before we did it to another"
Cavedale was, literally, a couple of days from being done until we got involved.Â
And they only responded due to the (apparent lack of) clout we were able to pull on to get the media involved and rally troops very quickly.
You guys are awesome.
I know.
Great to see the debate above, just to expand on the first point that has been picked up in a few comments ‘A legal right to ride suitable footpaths already in informal use.’
At PDMTB we recognise the challenges and complications that exist with this objective, its an ambitious call and would need work to define the specifics. We have been informed that the Scottish system is off the table, however Labour have committed to improve access to Nature, and the call for evidence is seeking opinion on how new legislation and policy could enable more people to make use of existing access opportunities and public rights of way. We await the all party parliamentary group’s deliberations, in the mean time we are continuing to push for increased access in the Peak District where we can.
We also encourage anyone reading this to contact your local MP to raise the issue.