Useful Links
HBLRO is participating in the HCC 'Hampshire Paths Partnership' which is aimed at developing co-operation with voluntary organisations to assist in the mammoth task of maintaining access to our historic rights of way.
Article about the clearance on Hantsweb
See Also..
Shipton Bellinger Clearance #1
HBLRO members got involved in clearing Ashmansworth 18 in the North West of Berkshire as part of National Green Lane clearance day.
As from Tuesday
2 May 2006 all Roads Used as public paths (RUPPS) have been redesignated
as Restricted Byways (RBs). The intention to do
this was first identified in the countryside and rights of way (crow)
Act 2000 and has now been enabled under the Natural Environment
and Rural
Communities (NERC) Act 2006.
It is now illegal to drive a motor vehicle on a restricted
Byway without lawful authority and doing so is a prosecutable offence.
This effectively means that it is no longer legal to drive any of
the lanes that were previously RUPPs in the UK. It is still legal
to drive Byways Open to all traffic (BOATS) and unclassified County
Roads (UCRs) (White' roads generally shown as other routes with
Public Access (ORPA) on Ordnance Survey Maps).
Some areas of Hampshire & Berkshire are more badly affected
than others.Overall there were approximately 220 RUPPs and 360 BOATS
in Hampshire (not sure about Berks) The RUPPs tended to be longer
than the BOATS. Lanes that include sections of RB will become dead
ends or orphans. We
would of lost a lot more if the few select people had not put there
time and effect in to upgrading RUPPs to BOATS we need to hang on
to what we have left so please take care out on the lanes and stick
to the green la code not to give the antis more ammunition to throw
at us.
I am currently updating the maps with the definitive maps as some
RUPPs are now BOATS safe green laning.
Richard Salter
R.O.W
The Spring 2008 National Green Lane Day (NGLD) is scheduled for Sunday 24 February. The lane that we will be targeting is Bosenhill Lane, a UCR that runs to the north of Warnford on the A32 (OS references SU 617253 to SU 626237). The lane is not that overgrown but it is long and gloomy; in fact positively gothic in the summer when the trees are in leaf and the vegetation has grown up. The plan is to cut back the saplings and small trees that border the lane in order to restore some of it's original width and let a bit of light in.
We will meet initially
at the North end of the lane at 10:00 for the work day instructions
and Health & Safety brief. This may not appear to be the logical
place to meet but there is very limited parking near the South end
of the lane at Warnford. Following the briefing session we may (numbers
depending) split into two groups and attack the lane from both ends.
Work will continue until we run out of trees or enthusiasm (that's
normally by about 15:00).
For those coming up from the Portsmouth area we will meet in time honoured fashion at the Morrisons car park at Horndean at 09:00 for a 09:20 departure.
Just to remind you; we have a limited numbers of hand tools for use but loads of PPE (gloves, goggles, helmets etc). Feel free to bring along your own tools but remember that however fond you are of that old chainsaw that you always carry with you, on this occasion it will have to stay in the car. The Council's insurance does not cover us for anything that is fun to use!
As always, everyone is welcome, even if they can't stay for the duration. Family participation is particularly encouraged.
Thanks in advance,
Patrick
Motorised Users Representative on the HCAF Hampshire Area Rep for GLASS
HBLRO ROW contact: Julian Mallard
In the South East UK there are some 34,000km of recorded Public Rights of Way : less than 5% of this is available for motorised users. Most of those routes are several centuries old - cattle drove roads, abandoned turnpikes, winter routes for when the road in the valley was impassably muddy (but has since been tarmaced), and so on. These are marked as BOATs (byway open to all traffic) or RUPPs (road used as a public path) on Ordnance Survey maps.
