This week sees the Government launch a consultation on post-Brexit agricultural subsidies with an accent on recreational access.  Several groups see this as a chance to increase their access to "the countryside", no doubt at our expense.  

There must be officials from both ACU and AMCA on here - can they tell us if these organisations have been invited to take part and, if not, what steps are to be taken to ensure our voice is heard?

 

 

Behind the scenes the ACU spends a lot of time trying to ensure that land access remains available for our sport. However, it varies dramatically between areas, for example the Lake District is quite receptive to trials with the clubs who organise events being issued with planning permission, and private landowners often frequently encouraging to clubs to come onto their land.

Equally in other areas it is not so easy and there is certainly no, one solution answer to all areas of the UK. However, because the governing bodies don't make a lot of noise about what they are doing, don't think nothing is being done - it is, but accept the fact that it is very difficult to persuade some of the benefits of allowing bike sport against the alternative of refusing permissions.

Certainly one of the biggest problems is trail riders who are happy to cruise the countryside on pseudo motocross machines (I know they are road legal enduro/trail bikes) but the public don't see them like that. In addition, whereas a trial may only take place once or twice a year over any particular stretch of land, trail riding can be a 365 days of the year experience for others.

And there are times when we don't help ourselves. When the Pre 65 Scottish takes place in 9 weeks, there will be pleas in the programme and elsewhere not to ride trail/trials bikes off road unless you are a competitor or official, yet there will be many bikes parked at the bottom of Pipeline and at the top of the Mamore Road which shouldn't be there.

Edited March 2, 20188 yr by hillary

I am not an ACU basher and appreciate, and agree with, all that you say but has there been an invitation to take part in this consultation which does cover all areas of the UK?  If our voice is not included in this debate on national policy (including funding for landowners) and an undesirable principle on access is established then local issues may well cease to be a concern, for the wrong reasons.

Snowing yesterday, so I went out for a walk, into town, then walked a mile, along roads to another village.

I saw one Gasgas trials bike, a very loud pit bike and two noisy scramblers.  None of these were road registered, yet were being ridden along what would usually be busy roads.  There were members of the public out walking, along with a few cars.  These were in 4 different locations and were not connected as far as I could tell.

The next thing will be complaints in our local paper and yet more anti-bike publicity.

Yes, not surprising and most of us know of continuing activities which do us no favours.

The question is whether the ACU/AMCA have been invited to participate in the government consultation, and what specific points will be submitted on behalf of the sport.

I was once a member of a 'Rights of Way' council committee, who used to meet quarterly in county council premises.   As far as I could see we did not achieve anything, apart from drinking tea and eating biscuits.   I brought up the problems of an overgrown bridleway on the top of a local hill, but nothing was done.   The local cycle lanes were also a shambles, some of which were only 30 yards long.   It seems as if the local council were only doing enough to satisfy the governments request to 'hold meetings with interested parties' and just that, nothing else.

So although you might attend such meetings, the chances of achieving anything substantial, is really slim.