Viewing 40 posts - 161 through 200 (of 313 total)
  • Groups riding CRANHAM WOODS
  • Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Did the couple have anything to say about riders in the woods – where they for or against?

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    They said they thought it was a shame it had come to this and pointed out that they thought horses were more of an issue in the woods with the churning up of the tracks that they share with walkers.

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Sounds like they were on our side 🙂

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    v666ern
    Free Member

    just nipped into slipstream cycles in glos, their still telling people to stay away from cranham after talking to a nice chap from over cheltenham way… 😆

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    Yeah, I popped in there last week and gave them a heads up. Rider Meeting announcement coming soon…….

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    MEETING INVITATION

    THURSDAY 8TH MARCH, 19:30
    THE ROYAL WILLIAM, CRANHAM, GL6 6TT

    Cheltenham & County CC and Bigfoot MBC would like to invite riders to a meeting discussing the future of mountain bike riding within the woodland in the Cranham area.

    Since signs were erected in late 2011 by Natural England specifically instructing riders to cease using the long established network of tracks in the woods, CC-CC and Bigfoot MBC have been working together with the aim of reversing this “ban”.

    We have proactively engaged with Natural England in an attempt to find an amicable and workable solution for all interested parties and we would like to consult directly with riders to discuss the way forward from now on. We thank all riders who have supported our call for the area not to be ridden in (unless using any public rights of way) and we hope this effort you have put in will help our cause.

    Natural England have invited CC-CC and Bigfoot MBC to a meeting on March 5th where they will announce their proposals on future mountain bike use of the area. We are unable to give riders any indication of what these proposals might be but we understand that riders will want to know the situation going forward into the Spring of this year.

    We will announce at the meeting what Natural England’s proposals are and then discuss how we are to conduct ourselves as users of this area in the future. You will then have the opportunity to have your say.

    If you require further information, please contact:
    Roger Smith

    dobiejessmo
    Free Member

    Hi Roger is the meeting starting dead on 7.30?cheers

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    We would like the meeting to commence at 19:30.
    Thanks.

    Rickos
    Free Member

    Says 8th March at the top and then 5th March in the text. Which one just to be sure?

    mikep
    Free Member

    Hi,
    Representatives from CC-CC and Bigfoot are meeting NE on the afternoon of Monday 5 March. This is when we’ll hear what they’re offering, and we’ll either reach a reasonable agreement (number and type of trails), or we’ll part company.

    The meeting on Thursday 8 March at 7.30pm at the Royal William is for us to let you all know how the meeting went, and to discuss with the wider rider community what we do next.

    Hope that’s OK.

    Thanks.

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Slight hijack… 😉

    Locals may find this interesting and I hope some of you can come along

    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cheltenham-bmx-track-public-support-meeting-27th-feb-7pm?replies=1#post-3525627

    shaunthesheep
    Free Member

    Date noted – see you there

    v666ern
    Free Member

    will be there, assuming no baby related problems! 🙂

    good work all – and good luck for the 5th

    is it to early to suggest a group ride so everyone knows the tracks…or are we trying to move away from the large groups 🙄

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    V666ern – you fancy joining us onour dig day on the 4th? 😉

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    While out riding my bike today, I met Mrs Tyson. Which was nice.

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    It’s sure getting hard not to be tempted out for a quick rip around the shrine, or teachers or the wall. Didn’t come across a soul there yesterday while taking one of my kids for a walk. Just a few walkers. Fresh tyre marks though.

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    With weather like today are you really surprised. 😉

    The ban has come at a good time, 6 months later and I doubt it would havebeen the same.

    shaunthesheep
    Free Member

    I agree with Bushwacked

    The Bluebell clock is ticking !!

    v666ern
    Free Member

    Bushwacked – Sorry chap im off to newton abbott for family baby time on the 4th…oh how priorites change! ill check with dan, he may be up again

    While out riding my bike today, I met Mrs Tyson. Which was nice.

    a, hope that was your road bike!
    b, how nice really was it…did she know it was you that she’s fighting against?!

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    No worries. Got kids so know whats what.

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    a. We were on a CC-CC club ride and had just stopped to regroup by the side of the road, but were admittedly standing a couple of metres into their land. Road bike? Behave.
    b. She knows me now, but all was amicable…

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    Can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before but in the last few weeks a very important group of individuals have been lending their support to our campaign, and I have to put my hands up and admit I never really considered them….LOCAL RESIDENTS.
    To be honest I didn’t really think that many would be cyclists or support what we do but they are there for sure. They are well aware of where we have come from on this issue and have been busy contacting Natural England opposing the recent restrictions. The issues of digging and jump constructions is obviously opposed and we as a campaign we support this approach anyway.
    We are indeed garteful at this time for their very valuable support. So this is not a case of “not in my back yard” but rather of “hey, actually, I’d like to ride in my back yard thank you very much!!!”

    v666ern
    Free Member

    bump

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    OK, after what now seems an age we are going to find out what Natural England are going to allow us to ride in Cranham and under what conditions. We meet on Monday afternoon. It has been quite sometime since our last meting in November 2011, but this was out of our hands. We also understand that Natural England will have had to consult various other parties in this process and still carry out their other day to day duties in the county.

    All riders can be assured that we will come to agreement with Natural England only if we believe it is a solution that we believe riders will accept and we feel they will adhere to. If we agree to only a very few tracks being made available for us to use then realistically we could not expect riders not to “stray” onto the other ones. We have been very encouraged by the level of local interest in this issue and the support for riding to be allowed. The last thing local residents need is conflict in the woodland they live near to and enjoy as much as we do.

    We will be in a position to announce the outcome of our negotiations at the Royal William in Cranham on the evening of Thursday 8th (starts at 19:30). If you cannot attend then of course we will send out emails giving details and update the forum thread on Singletrack. Whatever the outcome, good or bad I believe we have engaged with all the right parties and in only a positive manner. Natural England should be looking at more important issues as far as I am concerned, not restricting what is generally a very responsible group of users enjoying the woods along with those on foot and on horse.

    Cheers, Roger.

    dobiejessmo
    Free Member

    Good as the natives are getting restless.Passed along Buckholt road Saturday afternoon on road bike saw a few riders in there.

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    Gotta watch those natives… they’ll be firing blow darts if we don’t get a satisfactory resolution!!! Battle plans drawn up, just waiting for the C130 to parachute us in now…..

    v666ern
    Free Member

    would at the end of the day have restricted riding in a beautiful place rather than no riding in a beautiful place – well done all involved, good luck for monday

    DarrenH
    Full Member

    I’ll second that, good luck for tomorrow.
    Whatever the outcome, see you thursday!

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Good luck Rog!

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    I can confirm that we did have our meeting with Robert Wolstenholme (NE) and Bill Ayers (Land Agent).
    Bill was in effect representing the majority landowner of Buckholt Wood, a Mrs H. I. Birchall. At no stage was the land belonging to Mr and Mrs Tyson mentioned although having spoken to her only a week ago it was suggested that discussions with her had been taking place. Strange.
    I can confirm an offer was made for us to continue cycling in the area(and a formal “Access Licence” agreement was placed in front of us to sign).
    We had several questions about their proposal and said that we would respond to them after presenting this at our rider consultation meeting this Thursday 8th.

    v666ern
    Free Member

    googley googley

    In those early years of Scouting permission had been given by Major Sir John Birchall, who was County Commisisioner and the owner of the Buckholt Wood which overlooks the pottery, for Scouts to camp there. This opportunity was undertaken by many boys and their leaders until, in 1945, Mr Edwards gave not only the old pottery to Gloucestershire Scouts but also other land in the village including a field above the pottery, Daniel’s Grove, and two pieces of land on Cranham Common. Access was also given to a lake for swimming.

    http://www.scoutcentre.org.uk/1/history.html

    DONT KNOW WHAT RELEVANCE THIS HAS – BUT I WAS BORED!

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    Try this more accurate identification.
    Duntisbourne Abbots, GL7 7JS…..

    v666ern
    Free Member

    That all sounds positive then, that they at least see us still riding there, concerning about the tyson’s not being mentioned though…i hope that getting something in place for the rest wont hamper getting the shrine, ie people riding it whilst negotiations with tysons are ongoing and they get annoyed

    will just wait and see – good work though rog, see you thurs

    mrmo
    Free Member

    My feeling, and having spoken to a few others i am not alone on this, is whatever the outcome of these discussions the routes that exist will get ridden. Harsh though it may seem but the Tysons will have to accept that the shrine is going to be used and they will have precious little control over that.

    correctiveroger
    Free Member

    An offer has been made. I have not said whether we believe it is good or bad though. It all kicks off from Thurday evening though.

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    I look forward to hearing how generous they have been 😉

    Bushwacked
    Free Member

    Remember there’s the meeting tonight!!!

    v666ern
    Free Member

    oh… 😕

    peanutz
    Free Member

    Totally not happy about being confined to just one piece of singletrack and some cruddy shared-use bridleway – that will just get trashed by too much ‘mixed use’ traffic. The nature (gradient, width, surface, etc.) of the proposed trail won’t keep the “sport riders” or the “family riders” happy. It is a farce.
    Credit to Roger and Mike for their hard work, but this local Natural England guy+Landowners+Cranham reps, don’t seem to have a clue about xc singletrack riding.
    I’ll see you guys on the trails, before they all grow over and are lost.

    IHN
    Full Member

    local Natural England guy+Landowners+Cranham reps, don’t seem to have a clue about xc singletrack riding

    Why would they or should they? And I thought that the chap from Cranham seemed eminently sensible, he seemed to want to, in the nicest possible way, bang the heads of the two sides together and get then to agree something.

    Whoever the fella was (stood by the wall at the front) that explained the position of NE and the landowner made it pretty plain – historic use or not and barring in-depth legal arguments, we have no real right to be there. NE have a job to do to protect sensitive areas, if they see us as a threat to those area they are doing their statutory duty to prevent access. What we have to do is persuade them that we are not a threat, and the best way to do that is by calm negotiation and not by throwing any toys out of any prams.

    And yes, credit to Roger et all for all their work.

Viewing 40 posts - 161 through 200 (of 313 total)

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