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Fears new cycleway will lead to drunkenness, drug taking and 'naked selfies in the woods' (no, really)

Residents say family cycleway in Forest of Dean will attract "thrill seekers"...

A number of residents have lodged objections to a planned cycleway in the Forest of Dean. Among the concerns raised about the 5.8km Dean Forest Greenway Project are that it will result in drug-taking, nudity and “incursions into woodland by thrill seekers”.

The President of Royal Dean Forest Cycling Club said he believes the planned route, which would run along an old railway track between Parkend and Lydney, would save lives by taking cyclists and pedestrians off the busy Forest Road.

Others, however, are less positive. Gloucestershire Live reports that some are concerned the cycleway will draw large numbers with one resident pointing to a surge in visitors over the summer after an image was posted to social media as evidence of what could happen.

"Visitors came from as far afield a Tewkesbury and Cirencester, following a posting on Facebook of a photo of the small 'waterfall' through the old workings known as The Bayhead,” wrote one complainant.

"This caused severe noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour on a daily basis. The anti-social behaviour consisted of extreme noise levels of screaming kids and adults, drug taking, drunken and drugged teenage parties, semi-naked sunbathers, and even naked photography.

"Littering became a serious problem with dirty nappies, clothing and picnic remnants, a lot of which found their way into the river, dog fouling of the footpath and deposited poo bags also became a serious problem."

Another person asked: "How are incursions into woodland by thrill seekers to be controlled bearing in mind their current low key usage mainly by walkers and forestry workers and their role as animal habitats?"

Around twice as many letters have been submitted in favour of the project.

Greenways and West Dean Parish Council is yet to decide on the plans.

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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Derk Davies replied to TheBillder | 3 years ago
5 likes

TheBillder wrote:

You need to get off the paths and into the forest proper. There are covens, shamens, banjo classes and people who eat Mr Kipling Fondant Fancies by evisceration of the icing in nearly every clearing.

Pearls bakewells from the dairy at Berry hill are better than anything Mr Kipling makes. 

The operators of the dean forest railway have been the main objectors to this idea for years. Who themselves are the noisiest thing in the area by far. And in normal times hundreds of peple a day can be visiting the forest to ride and being able to access from Lydney up through my old hometown of Whitecroft is great as it's not realy possible off road unless you know it well. It should have been done years ago. There are some right vuckwits in the Forest muind.

As for all the problems mentioned, just sounds like normal forest life. Just take your rubbish home and don't hang your dog s**t in trees.

 

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Derk Davies replied to eburtthebike | 3 years ago
6 likes

eburtthebike wrote:

As a resident of the Forest of Dean, and a regular user of the paths both on foot and bike, I've yet to come across any naked people, drugged teenage parties, drug-taking or thrill seeking; but I live in hope.

I'm surprised. I always thought it was just part of normal forest life.  1

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mattsccm replied to Derk Davies | 3 years ago
3 likes

Funnily enough , as a local , I have come across all of these. Sadly not enough. 

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