Following
this article we did manage to make contact with Alan Tiffen from Cumbria County Council Legal services. In a letter to BIKEmagic he has clarified the position of the council and explained that the order to downgrading of the bridleway that straddles, or should that be straddled, the Aikton and Woodside parishes in Allerdale was the only such example and that it was subject to two downgrading orders.

While this isn’t the normal practice Mr Tiffen wrote: “The first Order was made in October 2000 and following the usual statutory consultation procedures (which included Cumbrian Bridleway Society, the British Horse Society, and the CTC all of whom registered no objection to the downgrading). The Order was due to be confirmed as an opposed Order when significant drafting error was discovered which prevented confirmation of the Order taking place.” The process then restarted and “after taking advice from the DETR the Council decided to make a fresh Order on 15th June 2001.” He went on: “The Order was eventually confirmed on 15th August 2001.”

Cumbria CC acted well inside the existing legal procedure for such downgrading. So what does this mean for us bikers? The law requires Councils to publicise such actions and to consult anyone they think might be relevant. It is up to us, the public who want public land, to support organisations, like the CTC and the forthcoming UK IMBA, so that they can take a national view, represent our views and co-ordinate action where appropriate. At a grass-roots level you should keep an eye on your local paper where Councils are obliged to publish relevant information, and read all notices that are posted on paths and bridleways.

If you find something that you are not happy about your first step should be the Council concerned, then any organisation that you are a member of, then the BIKEmagic forum to let other people in your area know what’s going on.