bad press

[Daan]

This story is the usual media hype, but was it seized because it was modified or because the driver was being anti social?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1437169/Land-Rover-modified-car-rural-lanes-council-powers-Holmfirth-Kirklees?fbclid=IwAR2xIvlrxVfb_UNSbBVrjMfrctUsrZkfcvOVrF2oXbZI6Ei19p62msGhmeg 

[landroversforever]

It will be the usual 'waaa waaa waaaa they've seized my car' completely forgetting they're driving somewhere they shouldn't be and/or in an illegal vehicle.

[David Sparkes]

In this specific instance the vehicle was 'targetted' due to Anti-social behaviour of its driver. There was some Police publicity about it at the time, but I cannot find it 'now', which also means I cannot with certainty say which Police force was involved.
It's my understanding that anti social behavoir does not, on its own, result in immediate seizure of the vehicle. However, if the vehicle is found to have 'failings' such as uninsured, or the driver does not have a current licence, then the vehicle can be seized. Whether the owner then considers it financially viable to retrieve it is another matter.

The area involved is called Ramsden Road, although there are other roads in the vicinity that have similar characteristics.
In recent years they have 'suffered' from the attentions of people who like to make them as difficult to drive along as possible. This is made easier when the road has zero maintenance from the Highway Authority, and is also subject to free running water (as the drainage is neglected).

A few years ago the Highway Authority was manipulated into arbitarily closing the road to motorised users. The HA was rapidly made to understand, through the legal system, that they had been led into illegal activity.
Part of the neccessary management improvement led to the creation of an organisation called 'The Friends of Ramsden Road' on which most or all responsible interested parties are represented. There will of course be 'interested parties' who are irresponsible and who didn't get involved.

I knew I had seen some publicity about the situation; it took some time to find it but I hadn't realised this summary was posted as long ago as  April 29th 2021.

Green Lane Association

Ramsden Road

The case of Ramsden Road and others in the area has and continues to be a long and complex one.

Many people will remember an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order that the Green Lane Association argued against and won in the High Court. This win did not relieve pressure to close the lane though, in fact it also potentially left the door open to a permanent TRO in future without the requirement of a full consultation.

But, thankfully due to the ongoing work of the Green Lane Association and its affiliation to the Friends of Ramsden Road group, and despite being the only organisation that has represented 4x4 users in this matter against strong calls for closure to all motorised users, the local authority took this on board and chose to use a Public Space Protection Order rather than a TRO.

This order could have prohibited vehicular use in its entirety, but despite continued pressure to close the lane the authority chose to continue to allow vehicular use through the offer of a temporary (up to 3 years) permit scheme. While not an ideal offer for vehicular users it is, considering the context of the case, a far better option for the laning community than the potential alternative.

A PSPO is not a permanent order, the duration cannot exceed 3 years and the order must be reviewed at 6 monthly intervals.

This matter must be viewed as part of the bigger picture. Motorcycle and carriage access will not be restricted, 4x4 use will be limited to those who are members of GLASS, and on the request of GLASS will include members of other organisations who were not present during the preceding years of discussions but purport to be responsible users and operate under a code of responsible usage. This was a bare minimum requirement by the managing authority.

During the term of the order the situation will be reviewed biannually, the lane will be repaired, and it is therefore possible for things to change for the better should problems that have plagued the area reduce.

The future of vehicular access rights to this lane now rests on those who choose to use it and how they behave whilst on the lane and in discussions about the lane in the public domain.

Unfortunately despite having represented and secured rights for other representative organisations who did not make themselves present during negotiations, communicate with GLASS during the process, or request to participate in the work of the Friends of Ramsden Road, there has been considerable public conjecture over the processes and actions of GLASS, not to mention the order itself.

In future, in order to avoid this inaccurate perception based on opinions from outside of the process, GLASS cannot continue to represent other representative organisations who offer no support to GLASS and are unable to secure themselves a position to represent their own members, although in this case under the term “affiliates” the permit scheme will cover these organisations as was agreed, of course along with all affiliate clubs and commercial members of GLASS.

GLASS will continue to work with the Friends of Ramsden Road group and Kirklees Council throughout the period of the order, any pertinent updates will be made available via our social media channels.

 

Regards.

 

[Nonimouse]

Sadly Glass dug themselves a huge stinking pit of poo with this one - that's the final copy of the press release, but previous released copies  were still publicised...

One bit they missed out and had to add to hide possible legal issues was "and on the request of GLASS will include members of other organisations who were not present during the preceding years of discussions but purport to be responsible users and operate under a code of responsible usage" Such a shame that a once great organisation has fallen so far. But that's politics and only really for the pub.

The whole thing isn't actually confirmed yet as the situation is under appeal from other vehicular user groups 

The Discovery in the article was being driven without insurance and the owner already had one Section 59 against him. There was concern as to the road worthiness of the vehicle as there is no way it would have passed an MOT emmisions test

[FridgeFreezer]

One look at the vehicle and I already knew what the circumstances were going to be - charging about like an idiot, driving where you shouldn't be, and emitting huge clouds of black smoke.

[SPendrey]

Yet again, though, everyone is tarred with the same brush.  There was another story published about this particular issue, and how "green laners" drive on footpaths and bridleways etc. etc.  Not a fair representation at all.

[Nonimouse]

40 minutes ago, SPendrey said:

Yet again, though, everyone is tarred with the same brush.  There was another story published about this particular issue, and how "green laners" drive on footpaths and bridleways etc. etc.  Not a fair representation at all.

Green laning is, sadly a lost cause. With Glass suffering from in house politics and losing the way, all that's left is the smaller clubs and groups; a fair portion of which are numpties with special tracks, who give not two hoots if a route is legal or not. Council budgest are less, the most powerful antis - Ramblers and the Horsey folk are crucifying the few area reps left, willing to stand up for the rights of the few. Clubs can't band together and follwo one path. LARA have lost their way and rely on the TRF and Glass to do the steering - no always successful... And finally the De-Reg bill coming in soon (maybe 2026, may not), which will give Councils the chance to save pennies by either closing all the lanes, or opening them all up.

Oh well

[Daan]

2 hours ago, Nonimouse said:

 

The Discovery in the article was being driven without insurance and the owner already had one Section 59 against him. There was concern as to the road worthiness of the vehicle as there is no way it would have passed an MOT emmisions test

This bit makes it a completely different story, shows how misleading these stories in the papers are.

[steve b]

It does make complete sense with the facts present , however the growing (rapidly) trend for irresponsible laning  - large groups / off the legal tracks / laning in the middle of the night / overfuelling with very noisy exhausts all plays right into the often vocal non-vehicle based users arguments to ban all vehicles everywhere. 

There are hardly any legal unsurfaced roads now in Suffolk so the few that are left are more and more overused . Then there is the blatant use of off road only quads and scramble bikes . Take a drive around Thetford or North Stow Forest or any of the others at the weekend and there will be numerous cars with empty bike trailers parked up at random places . 

It has changed a lot . For me laning is always very slow and as quiet as possible to not disturb the wildlife . To be able to stop and watch deer or foxes about there lives is always a highlight . 

By approaching it this way , any walkers or horse riders are always happy to pause and compare wildife stories and don't feel threatened or disturbed and often want to talk about the Land Rover or R80gs .

Unfortunately this type of laning doesn't make good social media content......

Steve   

[sean f]

The Discovery in the article was being driven without insurance and the owner already had one Section 59 against him. There was concern as to the road worthiness of the vehicle as there is no way it would have passed an MOT emmisions test

This bit makes it a completely different story, shows how misleading these stories in the papers are.

I agree with above, I saw the initial story and wasn't to sure what was going on, now I have read through this thread I have a better idea, even without any form of anti social driving (what constitutes anti-social depend on who you ask, for some it is purely the fact someone is there) the vehicle was going to be impounded for the lack of insurance, a "green lane" is a legal road so all road regulations apply.

It always annoys me when an article has comments about passing laws to stop people driving on footpaths and bridleways, they don't need a new law, it is already illegal and the people doing it are ignoring the existing laws so what makes any one think they will follow any new ones. Driving recklessly and endangering walkers or causing excess noise is also already illegal, the problem isn't the lack of laws its the fact no one enforces the ones they already have, to be fair to the police lack of numbers generally means other crimes understandably take higher priorities.

[elbekko]

1 hour ago, steve b said:

By approaching it this way , any walkers or horse riders are always happy to pause and compare wildife stories and don't feel threatened or disturbed and often want to talk about the Land Rover or R80gs .

Eh, even when taking it slow there's plenty of walkers and horse folk and cyclists that will complain. If you're not enjoying nature the way *they* are enjoying nature, then you must be wrong, you see.

[RedLineMike]

15 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said:

One look at the vehicle and I already knew what the circumstances were going to be - charging about like an idiot, driving where you shouldn't be, and emitting huge clouds of black smoke.

i can bet that they were the owners of hi vis, camo jacket, rigger boots & a popcorn & smoke map

[Mo Murphy]

2 hours ago, RedLineMike said:

i can bet that they were the owners of hi vis, camo jacket, rigger boots & a popcorn & smoke map

And some orange beacons on the roof too surely

Mo

[Nonimouse]

I resigned all my positions in Glass at the start of this year - at the same time as a number of other reps also left. I joined a small national group of non political social laners and have been very happy to have left the strees behind - it was ruining my  hobby. I no longer organise trips or pester/assist the local authorities; although I am still chair of the county Land Access Forum, a role I enjoy and am looking forward to having another motorised user on the forum - that will make 2, out of 16, including me!

My last year with Glass was spent primarily assisting the County WIldlife Officers to catch culprits who were missuing the RoW network, which was actually part of the reason I resigned.

[Ozzy50]

Close to me but hadn’t heard about it , there is a lot of “off lane” activity that goes on round here , a lot of the vehicles come into the area to use the local lanes but unfortunately the majority of them are very irresponsible and do nothing other than make a mess and upset people , it’s because of these types that all lane users are tarred with the same brush. 
The lane behind my house is shown on maps and whilst it used to be passable in a 4x4 there’s no chance now , bikes and (just about) quads can manage it but a full blown challenge motor would struggle yet at least half a dozen times a year a group of nitwits in jacked up big tyres motors will try it , if I see them I always tell them they won’t make it but I’m usually told to mind my own ! Once they’ve all gone and turned round half way down it’s a proper mess 😩. I have no problem with people laning but totally understand why the general public don’t like it . 

[Snagger]

On 5/18/2021 at 10:19 AM, RedLineMike said:

i can bet that they were the owners of hi vis, camo jacket, rigger boots & a popcorn & smoke map

You missed out the “no smoke, no poke” chromed ring around the exhaust exit in the wing panel...

[BogMonster]

On 5/18/2021 at 3:19 AM, RedLineMike said:

i can bet that they were the owners of hi vis, camo jacket, rigger boots & a popcorn & smoke map

I'm confused ... do they want to be seen, or not?

[Bowie69]

6 minutes ago, BogMonster said:

I'm confused ... do they want to be seen, or not?

In the modern way, they want the option to be either.

[BogMonster]

10 minutes ago, Bowie69 said:

In the modern way, they want the option to be either.

Coffee/keyboard

[Anderzander]

It’s oxymoronic clothing 

[Snagger]

12 hours ago, Anderzander said:

It’s oxymoronic clothing 

Oxy? 🤔😉