Urgent action needed

[floyd fan]

From the TRF website...

Dear All, URGENT ACTION NEEDED PLEASE Attached is a response to the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA Managing Change Together response V2.doc) in respect to their draft consultation papers which are also attached. If the park authority manage to get their Draft approved unaltered all the current routes in the NPA will eventually be closed, Sarn Helen, The Gap, and as you are aware many other popular routes.

If you look at the map on page 4 of the NPMP_draft_v2_final.pdf you will se the extent of the BBNP.

This is an important issue for everyone who enjoys motorised recreation in the area so:-

Please can you circulate the attached response letter to as many people as possible for them to email/post to Bradley Welch obviously including their own name and address in their responses.

http://www.trf.org.uk/BreconBeaconsN...gementPlan.zip

These need to be sent in by the 31st August.

Dear Sir or Madam:

Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan 2009-2014 Consultation Draft

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is preparing a new management plan for the next 5 years, entitled Managing Change Together. The plan lays out strategies for conserving and enhancing the Park’s natural and cultural resources, promoting understanding and enjoyment of the Park and fostering economic and social well-being of local communities.

Managing Change Together is the result of consultation which officially began in October 2006, involving a wide variety of partners. We continue to engage interested stakeholders to improve the quality of the Management Plan and, ultimately, improve the management of the Brecon Beacons National Park. This consultation draft is an important step in this process.

A draft of the new plan is now being distributed for public consultation which continues through 31 August 2008. It is also available at http://www.breconbeacons.org/content...nd-policy/npmp.

During the consultation period, the Authority will organise a series of discussions to formulate management priorities for the next five years, including those of the Authority and other key stakeholders. Priorities will include a series of outcomes and related actions that will be accomplished during this period that ultimately keep the Park on track with the twenty-year aims and the vision. The Priorities for Action document will also be sent out for public consultation.

Please share your comments with us so that we can continue to successfully manage this ever-changing landscape TOGETHER! In order to make the most efficient use of your time, please refer to the Reviewer’s Guide (attached).

If you have any comments or questions regarding this consultation draft, please do not hesitate to contact me in writing, on my direct line at 01874 620411, or via email at bradley.welch@breconbeacons.org.

Regards,

Brad Welch

National Park Management Plan Officer/Swyddog Cynllun Rheoli'r Parc Cenedlaethol

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority/Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog

Plas y Ffynnon

Cambrian Way/Ffordd Cambrian

Brecon/Aberhonddu

LD3 7HP

Telephone/Ffôn - 01874 620 411

Fax/Ffacs - 01874 622 574

[V8 Freak]

Both links bad for me.

First suggests I have to register to see the zip file and second say s the page doesn't exist.

Can you post the zip directly to the message so we don't all have to register in order to help ?

Neil

[floyd fan]

The part that needs your objection is on page 98 of the pdf.

The NPA cannot exclude activities from the Park as a matter of principle, but there are a limited number, listed in Table 7.2.2, that it considers to have unacceptable impact on the Park's special qualities and to be rarely appropriate within the National Park. Where these activities are legal, the NPA will seek to reduce their harmful effects by negotiation and through good management.

Table 7.2.2. Examples of recreational activities considered inappropriate within BBNP.

Category Activities

Land based activities | Recreational use of motor vehicles off surfaced roads Motor rallies on roads

If everyone could write just a brief email saying that you object to the expressions used within Table 7.2.2 that would be useful. You could just say 'Please remove the first item from Table 7.2.2".

Here is what I have sent to bradley.welch@breconbeacons.org;

Dear Dr Welch,

I am writing to you to strongly object to some of the points made in your draft document “Managing Change Together: Brecon Beacons National Park Draft Management Plan 2009 – 2014”. Specifically I would like to object to wording in Table 7.2.2 on page 98 and the sentiments expressed within it. I object strongly to the implicit aim of forbidding legal activities within the BBNP boundaries, in particular, the recreational use of motorised vehicles off surfaced roads. I drive a 4x4 and ride a trailbike and I am a regular user of such roads in pursuit of my “Greenlaning” hobby. I find the inclusion of MPV use and vehicular rallies as inappropriate as it is a legitimate and legal recreational activity and I would ask that it be removed them from future drafts.

From your own document you say

“The NPA cannot exclude activities from the Park as a matter of principle”

“ … enable as many people as possible to enjoy them in appropriate and sustainable ways…” “… should promote the widest range of opportunities for recreation… ” So why exclude me and my family?

“Circular I 3/99 agrees that it is not appropriate for all forms of recreation to take place in all parts of the National Park and that some activities can cause unacceptable damage or disturbance …”

“ …The impacts of recreational activity vary greatly. Activities often seen as harmful can be benign if properly managed, whilst apparently harmless pursuits can be damaging if practiced on too large a scale or in the wrong setting.”

You hit the nail on the head there, a lot more damage is done to ROW by walkers than by MPV’s surely by this criteria you should be banning them.

[DrRob]

Done! Email sent to Dr Welch and cc'd to enquiries@breconbeacons.org as instructed on page 5 of the document.

Direct link to the document BBNP Managment Plan

Floyd fan...I assume TRF, GLASS and LARA are on the case too....?

Come on guys get emailing

Dr Rob

[Guest otchie1]

Done! Email sent to Dr Welch and cc'd to enquiries@breconbeacons.org as instructed on page 5 of the document.

Direct link to the document BBNP Managment Plan

Floyd fan...I assume TRF, GLASS and LARA are on the case too....?

Come on guys get emailing

Dr Rob

Mine below,

Dr Welch,

It is with all to frequent regularity that I am these days moved to object to what should be perfectly ordinary plans and proposals concerning the public use and enjoyment of our beautiful countryside. Sadly your draft plan is no exception and I must object to the explicit aim of banning the perfectly legal use of motorised off-road vehicles with the boundaries of the Park.

The particular wording in table 7.2.2 of page 98 clearly shows a desire to ban anything with an engine for what are frankly spurious reasons.

It is an even poorer reflection on the Park Management that in the current era of near instantaneous media broadcasting this plan that has national implications crosses my desk barely 2 days before the consultation period ends.

Yours,

[ozzie1989]

Done

[GBMUD]

Done.

Chris

Dr Welch

I write to make my objection to some of the proposals contained in the document "Managing Change Together: Brecon Beacons National Park Draft Management Plan 2009 – 2014."

I draw your attention specifically to the paragraph:

"The NPA cannot exclude activities from the Park as a matter of principle, but there are a limited number, listed in Table 7.2.2, that it considers to have unacceptable impact on the Park's special qualities and to be rarely appropriate within the National Park. Where these activities are legal, the NPA will seek to reduce their harmful effects by negotiation and through good management."

and to table 7.2.2, begining:

"Table 7.2.2. Examples of recreational activities considered inappropriate within BBNP.

Land based activities | Recreational use of motor vehicles off surfaced roads Motor rallies on roads"

It is already the case that recreational motor vehicles are allowed to drive only on a very small percentage of the unsurfaced rights of way within the National Park, there are vast areas of the National Park where one can roam on foot, horseback or on a cycle without seeing or hearing evidence of motorised vehicles used for legal recreation - indeed, I would suggest that the phrase "rarely appropriate within the National Park" sums up the existing opportunities for "Recreational use of motor vehicles off surfaced roads" rather well given the current ratio of legal unsurfaced rights of way for motorised traffic to other rights of way.

I often enjoy getting out into the counryside both in the UK and in other countries in Europe as a part of my hobby of 'Greenlaneing', legally driving on unsurfaced rights of way. I strongly object to any attempt to prevent me or anyone from enjoying this or any other legal passtime within the Brecon Beacons National Park and I ask that the item "Land based activities | Recreational use of motor vehicles off surfaced roads Motor rallies on roads" be removed from table 7.2.2 on page 98 of the document.

Thanks for taking the time to hear my objection.

Chris Watts

[GBMUD]

A reply today:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Consultation Draft-Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan 2009-2014

Thank you very much for your comments on the initial consultation draft of the Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan, entitled Managing Change Together. Your comments have been logged and will be considered along with other comments we have received during this consultation period.

We will be using these comments to inform a second draft of the Management Plan which will be available for consultation early in 2009. Comments will be compared with legislation, plans and policies guiding the management of the National Park, including the Park’s purposes and duty. A draft Environmental Report will accompany the second draft. This is a statutory document evaluating the sustainability and environmental soundness of the Plan’s proposed policies.

A consultation document will be produced alongside the Final Management Plan, summarising consultation comments and how they were addressed.

Chris

[Guest otchie1]

mine,

Dear Sir or Madam,

Consultation Draft-Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan 2009-2014

Thank you very much for your comments on the initial consultation draft of the Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan, entitled Managing Change Together. Your comments have been logged and will be considered along with other comments we have received during this consultation period.

We will be using these comments to inform a second draft of the Management Plan which will be available for consultation early in 2009. Comments will be compared with legislation, plans and policies guiding the management of the National Park, including the Park’s purposes and duty. A draft Environmental Report will accompany the second draft. This is a statutory document evaluating the sustainability and environmental soundness of the Plan’s proposed policies.

A consultation document will be produced alongside the Final Management Plan, summarising consultation comments and how they were addressed.

Regards,

Bradley A. Welch, PhD

[sheeppimp]

I got the same one too

[DrRob]

I got the same one too

Ditto.....same reply received today