new tarmac on old lanes

I'm a sometime fell runner (and also horse rider and mountain-biking widow) in the Peak District and thought this might interest some of you. Somebody has taken it upon themselves to lay tarmac on part of what now gets called the Black Harry Trails, in between Calver and Stoney Middleton - the track in question forms part of the Calver fell race. On finding out about this random stretch of tarmac - about 1km of the stuff - I emailed the PD authority - assuming they were at least in part responsible. I got a reply saying they neither did it nor authorised it - and neither did the Highways Authority. They 'suspect' they know who did, but aren't sure. Someone in the planning dept is going to get back to me - though what they're going to say I don't know. You're probably aware of the ongoing issues around green lanes, boats, trial bikes and 4-wheel drives etc etc. and also difficulties faced by farmers. It's all very complex - and I have no idea who laid this tarmac nor why. But I do feel strongly that people can't just go round doing stuff like this - there's a reason we have national park authorities and planning rules etc. I guess I'm posting to make people aware that this has happened - changes you see might not have been authorised or made by those entitled to make them - and to encourage people to keep an eye out, to report, to complain, and to play a role in protecting this beautiful place we love. cheers.

Your not the only one who's unhappy about this. Watch out for a route change for the Calver race this year, nothing major but appreciate people don't want to run on the nasty black stuff, not definite but being discussed. Details on www.calverpeak.co.uk as soon as we know.

Personally I don't hold out much hope of the PDA doing much, they stopped the quarrying (or the economy did) but they failed to protect the environment or get the landscape restored to how it was before the illegal operations.

I looked at the fell race site to see if they were changing it. glad that they're aware. any theory on by who/why it's been done? I haven't actually seen it - was my other half - and he can see no logical reason for anyone to have done it. it starts and ends in 4wd-only territory - so it hasn't particularly improved access for anyone. very strange. the first email I got was pretty uniformative - we didn't do it so we can't answer your questions. I pushed for more with a follow up email and got a bit more - will wait and see if anyone gets back to me.

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Originally Posted by hat

I looked at the fell race site to see if they were changing it. glad that they're aware. any theory on by who/why it's been done? I haven't actually seen it - was my other half - and he can see no logical reason for anyone to have done it. it starts and ends in 4wd-only territory - so it hasn't particularly improved access for anyone. very strange. the first email I got was pretty uniformative - we didn't do it so we can't answer your questions. I pushed for more with a follow up email and got a bit more - will wait and see if anyone gets back to me.

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I thought the point was to make it boring for 4x4ers... to stop them going there...

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Originally Posted by IainR

I thought the point was to make it boring for 4x4ers... to stop them going there...

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That will be exactly it. An anti 4x4er will have taken the law into their own hands maybe?

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Originally Posted by Stolly

That will be exactly it. An anti 4x4er will have taken the law into their own hands maybe?

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Well laying tarmac costs quite a bit and even if the thickness is only 100mm then for a kilometre it's going to be in the several tens of thousands. Quite a statement to make if you just want to stop 4x4ers.

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Originally Posted by Stolly

That will be exactly it. An anti 4x4er will have taken the law into their own hands maybe?

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The PDA have done similar approaches else where.. well I presume it was them, not with tarmac but rubble to make 4x4ing boring.. Totley moss..

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Originally Posted by Bob

Well laying tarmac costs quite a bit and even if the thickness is only 100mm then for a kilometre it's going to be in the several tens of thousands. Quite a statement to make if you just want to stop 4x4ers.

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Yeh you're ptrobably right but a stated aim of the Friends of the Peak District seems to be to "improve the condition of legally used routes" and tarmacking does that for sure I guess. I'm betting that some of these action groups have some money to spend.

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Originally Posted by Bob

thickness is only 100mm then for a kilometre.

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that will be 3 15/16" per mile around here, thank you very much.

thanks for the replies - food for thought.