More anti 4x4 on the telly

[plumb bob]

Just seen a news item on BBC SE news, re; Bredhurst woods, nr Maidstone Kent.

The "Byway" ( their words) has been chuned up by 4x4's being " used Illegally" and the entrance to a bridleway and a footpath have been made very muddy and churned up.

The army have helped to lay many tonnes of type 1 to make the byway a solid surface.

I have no idea of the current classification of this "byway" but I'm sure that if the government hadn't closed off all the places where the 4x4's could go legally, then the problem would not have arisen.

There will always be those ( like billy) who will go wherever they want with total disregard for the law and everybody else, but all it does is give us allabd name, and infuriate the general populus and give them more ammunition to close the rest of the legally usable routes.

Maybe someone local can shed some light on the classification of the "byway" in bredhurst wood, nr maidstone.

Here (hopefully) is a link.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/new...t=true&bbcws=2

[nero279]

Copied Straight From Kent Offroad Club

Topic: Bredhurst lanes on the local news (Read 61 times)
alane
« Thread Started on Today at 8:42am »
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Anyone else see this?
The "Action Group" has recruited the army to re-surface the lanes up in Breadhurst woods. Apparently it's being destroyed by illegal offroaders.

Not surprisingly there were no 4x4 byway users there to stick up for the legal users. I would imagine no one like GLAss was even consulted.

No discrimination then!!

Ade
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motorman
« Reply #1 on Today at 9:25am »

The silly thing is that the byway is not in need of resurfacing. as it stands you could almost drive it in a standard road car apart From one of two deeper puddles. all the action group are going to achieve is to open the lane up to fly tippers and joy riders to burn on stolen cars.

It will act as an open door to allow easy access to the rest of the woods to be used illegally

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alane
« Reply #2 on Today at 9:30am »

And those couple of muddy puddles are the only places that were shown on the news.

Might have to watch the evening news later or email them.
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motorman
« Reply #3 on Today at 9:46am »

was it on this mornings news and what side we can all look out for it tonite
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alane
« Reply #4 on Today at 10:28am »

BBC South east today

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alane
« Reply #5 on Today at 11:31am »

Also found this on KCC website: http://www.kent.gov.uk/publications/...regulation.htm

Probably best to fill it out sooner than later

Ade
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nero279
« Reply #6 on Today at 4:01pm »

it's now on the bbc south east website, don't think it's the full report though.

edit: ->I know this misses the point ever so slightly, but they talk about illegal use and bridleways, yet on the map there's not a single bridleway through bredhurst woods. On that basis it's not just biased reporting, but inaccurate reporting.<-I CROSSED THIS BIT OUT COZ I WAS WRONG BUT THIS FORUM WON'T LET YOU CROSS IT OUT

AND CORRECTED IT WITH
My bad, just had a look on the explore kent website and it does show a bridleway running north to south through the woods.

I will save any further comments til i've seen the full report, or is this it? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/default.stm Right hand side of the page - 'Ancient Forest Restored'
« Last Edit: Today at 4:29pm by nero279 » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged
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alane
« Reply #7 on Today at 4:39pm »

Yeah, thats the one.

Getting the army in as a publicity stunt when we've been turned down on several occasions.
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nero279
« Reply #8 on Today at 4:48pm »

Is that is the full report then?
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alane
« Reply #9 on Today at 4:52pm »

Thats the one thats been on twice today, don't know if it's going to get any more indepth on the evening news.

Ade
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nero279
« Reply #10 on Today at 5:03pm »

If i ever walk the dog in the woods in the winter or after rain i expect it to be muddy. I wear boots, so if there's puddles it doesn't matter. FFS the puddle they showed him standin in was 3" deep max, and although i've never been there i'm guessin that it was probably one of the deepest for greatest effect. Do these people wanna walk through the woods in pink fluffy slippers or something??? Assuming it was on the byway what is the problem?
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madonvaux
« Reply #11 on Today at 5:04pm »

yep, dont get it.. is it restricted byway?
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alane
« Reply #12 on Today at 5:05pm »

Nope, the locals just have a great hatred of anything 4x4!

[nero279]

I don't know the woods, but there is a BOAT right through the middle, which is open and legal to drive. There are also several footpaths and a bridleway which are not.

As from the 3rd of December there is a trial scheme in place on the byway whereby you will need to apply for a permit to drive it. Details of this are in the link in reply #5 above. I am gonna apply and see what happens, i don't get how they can enforce this trial scheme when there has been very little, if any publicity about it?

[da SLUG man]

the ramblers will soon go from moaning about muddy feet to complaining that the byways are overgrown!!

[plumb bob]

Refresh my mammory, what's a BOAT? ( no silly jokes please )

[BUSHWHACKER]

Refresh my mammory, what's a BOAT? ( no silly jokes please )

By-ways open all-day tomorrow..

[nero279]

Byway Open to All Traffic

Oh the irony - you're now going to have to apply for a permit to drive it

[da SLUG man]

BOAT - byway open to all traffic
RUPP - Road used as public path

erm... that's the only 2 i remember!!.. d'oh!

[plumb bob]

Ok, so a phonecall to BBC, and question the facts on the article, and make them aware that it is a BOAT, and ask for a follow up piece.

[TonyN]

BOAT - byway open to all traffic
RUPP - Road used as public path

erm... that's the only 2 i remember!!.. d'oh!

RUPP's are obsolete now, the NERC law makes them all restrictive byways, means you can't drive down them.

[da SLUG man]

RUPP's are obsolete now, the NERC law makes them all restrictive byways, means you can't drive down them.

we got stopped down your way a few monts back by police in a nissan pickup...

he was ok, but it's a pain in the ass!... how do we rob farmers if we can't get in the back way to the farm??

[gwh200]

Ok, so a phonecall to BBC, and question the facts on the article, and make them aware that it is a BOAT, and ask for a follow up piece.

done.

have sent an email,which goes along the lines of ,

this is a boat (byway open to all traffic) therefore 4x4 use here is not illrgal.this news piece is completely,factually incorrect and i expect a full retraction,apology and presentation of the true facts....


se what happens.

i mentioned that if i was not happy with ther response,i would be more than prepared to complain to the ombudsman,the director general and anyone else prepared to listen to me !!

[plumb bob]

Just made that phonecall to the BBC and put my point across, told him that it was a BOAT, and that £20,000 wort of type 1 will only encourage fly tipping etc, and that most 4x4ers are responsible and also said that they should perhaps ak for a local 4x4 group to attend when making future biased reports, so that they have another perspective.

Also told them to contact GLASS for further info.

[KERRSURF]

I wouldn't hold yer breath for a reasonable BBC response.

this one is typical toward 4x4 drivers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs...00/5324718.stm

[Apache]

Look folks...

The 'popular press' of which the BBC has now sadly become part, have ALWAYS since time began looked for minority groups to attack in response to any perceived problem.

We as 4x4 owners are a minority group. We are easy to blame, and in the eyes of the easily led, undereducated, it's easy to make a good case for us being responsible for wholesale destruction of the countryside, global warming, pedestrian deaths etc etc etc.

Until we are able to PROVE ourselves as sensible, caring human beings (not easy when you have the odd idiot ripping green lanes to shreds) then we will have to put up with this kind of cr@p.

Every opportunity you get, give way to other motorists, slow for horses, cyclists and walkers, help out other motorists, wave across pedestrians waiting to cross the road. In other words, be a saint on and off the road. Hopefully, eventually, ordinary people will see that we are in fact MUCH nicer people than Beemer / Merc drivers etc.