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news
New Forest rider and pony (CC licensed by iNew Forest:Flickr)Threat to axe New Forest’s off-road cycle network as court criticises “out of control” cyclists
More than 100 miles of off-road cycle routes in the New Forest could be axed unless Forestry England acts upon a court’s warning to “toughen up” on what it claims are “out of control” cyclists in the national park.
Forestry England, which manages the New Forest, had been seeking a three-year extension of access to the network of waymarked tracks – including bridleways, gravel tracks and fire roads – from 2021-23, reports the Advertiser & Times.
However, the Verderers Court – a body dating back to the 13th century which carries out similar functions to a magistrates’ court in relation to certain matters related to the New Forest – has only provided a 12-month extension.
The court has told Forestry England that no further extensions will be granted unless it takes steps to stop riders from deviating from the marked paths – with one verderer recently fulminating against “gangs of hardcore bikers determined to ride where they please.”
Forestry England deputy surveyor Bruce Rothnie outlined to a meeting of the Verderers Court last month steps it planned to take to ensure cyclists keep to permitted routes, in response to claims that those who did not were disturbing wildlife and causing environmental damage.
Measures proposed include using its website and social media channels, as well as those of the New Forest National Park Authority, to highlight the need to cycle responsibly, and getting rangers, both on foot and bicycles, to speak to cyclists to make them aware of the issues.
It said it would seek to establish cyclists’ understanding of where they are allowed to ride through getting some riders to fill in questionnaires, as well as engaging with local bike hire shops and cycling organisations.
Mapping will be updated, and there are also plans to improve signage for cyclists in the area.
Those measures do not go far enough for the Verderers Court, which in granting the one-year extension to access warned Forestry England that it needed to “toughen up” the proposals for any future extension to be granted.
The Verderers Court consists of 10 members, five of whom are elected by the 700 or so New Forest commoners – those who occupy land or property that has rights over the Forest.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Forestry Commission, the National Park Authority, and Natural England appoint one member each, while the chair of the court, who carries the title Official Verderer, is appointed by the Queen.
Anthony Pasmore, elected a verderer in 1973 and a commoner for more than 60 years, wrote in a column in the Advertiser & Post earlier this month: “We are not dealing with family parties or small urban children, innocently straying off the permitted routes through a lack of understanding, but with gangs of hardcore bikers determined to ride where they please, disturbing the peace and cutting up the Forest.”
The New Forest’s popularity for recreation and leisure, plus its status as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and the common pasturing rights enjoyed by commoners frequently cause tensions, also due to the often conflicting priorities of the various bodies involved.
Cycling is a regular issue of contention, with sportives targeted in the past by saboteurs spreading tacks or removing or changing the direction of signs, and the charity Cycling UK has described local opposition to cycling as “entirely irrational.”
> New Forest defends its record on cycling following unflattering comparison to other national parks
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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52 comments
It does have a look of a UKIP conference about it
Who's really damaging the forest https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.uk/commoners-payments
I expect there are also worries of
"extreme noise levels of screaming kids and adults, drug taking, drunken and drugged teenage parties, semi-naked sunbathers, and even naked photography."
from these hardcore bike gangs. (How do I join these gangs?)
Someone's certainly having a lot of fun there.
Anyone from that part of the world will tell you that Verderers are, and always have been, cunts.
Plain irrelevant, not fit for purpose in the C21st. But then I worry about the Forestry Commission who allow so called Targa rallies across their land.
I don't know the detail on this, but isn't "court" a mis-nomer - the court doesn't own the wooded areas where most of the existing trails run?
More such trails are clearly needed, not less. If it really is a rogue element of MTB-ers, they're not going to stop, are they?
I ride in the forest and on the tracks at least 3 times a week. I have cycled every single one of those 100 miles several times over. There has never been hardcore gangs of bikers out of control. This is complete and utter bollocks. Even if cyclists were to venture off the beaten track they do far less damage to the off road area than a 500kg horse. These verderers don't seem to have instructed Forestry England to do something about the gangs of Chelsea tractors racing around the roads and killing their livestock in large numbers, perhaps because as long as the driver is insured they will get money for the dead animal.
'I saw some cyclists off designated paths once', becomes "gangs of hardcore bikers determined to ride where they please". Of course, cyclists should behave responsibly, but here's hoping that the likely usual anti anecdotes suffering from exaggeration, don't spoil it for everyone.
I rode a route with my wife in the New Forest some years ago and the main problem we had was initially finding the trail as it was poorly signed. A local couple directed us and we were able to find it and have an enjoyable time. Hope the signage has improved since then...
Are these the hardcore cyclists who can't get to the Forest of Dean?
The sheer scale, anger and bitterness of the anti-cycling lobby is hard to credit, and, as we all know, if they see a single cyclist do something wrong, we're all wrong. I wonder if Anthony Pasmore rides a bike, or owns a vehicle like a Range Rover perhaps, with which he intimidates any cyclists he passes. Sorry, I know I shouldn't generalise, but I'm getting tired of being everyone and his wife's whipping boy.
They must come from even further afield than Tewkesbury and Cirencester.
I don't understand the logic. If the problem is cyclists deviating from the prescribed routes, then surely removing those routes will only increase the problem.
Sounds fair - even if we look at 'whataboutery' with regards to road cyclists attacked by Range Rovers etc.
If they have a network of great cycle routes then we cyclists should adhere to what's in place - if the rules are clear then surely it'll make for a better experience for all. If there's groups of twhats then I'm all for them being taken out of the mix!
Yes to making a clear statement about staying on official routes, and condemning any problems caused by off-route cycling
No to rather hysterical rhetoric about "gangs of hardcore bikers".
"gangs of hardcore bikers".
I've got a mental image of the Sons of Anarchy on mountain bikes.
I prefer this
hawkins, excuse me I'm just having a moment...
Well Nicole Kidman's perm was out of control 😂
Not to mention nudity and fornication beside the tracks. Oh, sorry that's the Forest of Dean of course. The Sons of Anarchy would never be involved in that kind of thing.
Does that mean that horses and peds will also be banned from entering as well?
If there's groups of twhats then I'm all for them being taken out of the mix!
[/quote]
But how? There are twats everywhere. How would they be prevented from entering the forest in the first place - or do they live there?
There's absolutely no way they can prevent some cyclists from doing what they perceive as the wrong thing. Forestry England have made some reasonable suggestions.
This is borne out of narrow-minded bitterness on the part of the Verderers who have always hated the cyclists. 20 years or more ago they similarly threatened to ban off-road cycling but it never came to pass. They could never enforce it for one thing, and secondly, all the New Forest businesses need the income. The tracks were packed with families on bikes last summer as they couldn't holiday abroad, it was extremely popular and a bonus for the cafes etc which needed the income.
The verderers need to be targetting the motorists, who in the past couple of months, in two separate incidents, killed firstly 3 donkeys then 4 ponies. It was heart-breaking. Who is causing the most destruction here?
I get that - I suppose we cyclists sometimes get somewhat territorial about the behaviours of others (and rightly so) but get defensive when something is aimed at us. We want the dickheads on bikes removed as well. But i get the fact that there's idiotic NIMBYs and people spouting crap rather than providing evidence!
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