GLASS / Green Lane Discussion

[Scorpion]

Anyone here a member of GLASS? I assume quite a few are. Perhaps I'm not fully aware of all the advantages of becoming a member but isn't £33.00 per year a little steep?

Now don't all come rushing in to slag me off, it's just a question. As I say I'm not fully aware of all the benefits, I do know that they organize local outings and you have access to the Wayfinder pages which show green lane routes.

Whilst on the subject of green laning, when we were out yesterday, we were talking to the park ranger at Derwent Reservoir and as you can imagine he had an opinion on what we were doing. A lot of the green lanes we used yesterday cut across the moors where grouse shooting takes place. His view was who should pay for the upkeep of these tracks?

He agreed that most 4 x 4 users were sensible and that when there was a group like ours there was no real damage and that we closed gates behind us and generally followed the rules. Then again he said some damage, such as deep ruts, was invariably caused by 4 x 4's and who should pay for repairs to the tracks?

I think that's the main difference between green laning and hard core off roading, green lanes should be drivable but fun with some ruts / large puddles etc, you expect dedicated off road centres to have difficult sections in them (like that pipe thing at Drumclog).

Comments gentlemen please?

[4 Runner]

We do pay in theory through road tax as greenlanes a covered by normal traffic regulations, but the money is never gets used on greenlanes

[TonyN]

They are your only 'official' voice when it comes to official discussions about closing lanes, work hard to repair and clear byways and try to remind people to drive them sensibly.

Green lanes are public highways, your road tax/council tax pays for the upkeep, which is one of the main reason they like closing them, to save money grading them when they get to rutted and to bady cut up.

Without members it won't be taken seriously enough by councils when consulting all parties regarding lanes.

How much do you pay to go to an offroad site for one day? think of your £33 as a fee for unlimited use of all the byways, when ever you want, its a bargain.

[RodLeach]

I think that's the main difference between green laning and hard core off roading, green lanes should be drivable but fun with some ruts / large puddles etc, you expect dedicated off road centres to have difficult sections in them (like that pipe thing at Drumclog).

Comments gentlemen please?

I think that is what i would prefer, Taking in some awesome views along some fairly decent tracks would be good.

Obviously offroad, no point if i dunno... say an astra could do it!


But, when the ground is really torn up an just mangled then its just bad!! Apache has made the point recently that if your ripping up the ground as you go then maybe you shouldn't be there.
Obviously certain things should be in a greenlaning trip (the steps in sarn helen?)
Looked absolutly awesome fun.
Just when it becomes a 'pay an play' site but just on a narrow track that lasts for a few miles.... hmmmn!

[Scorpion]

They are your only 'official' voice when it comes to official discussions about closing lanes, work hard to repair and clear byways and try to remind people to drive them sensibly.

Green lanes are public highways, your road tax/council tax pays for the upkeep, which is one of the main reason they like closing them, to save money grading them when they get to rutted and to bady cut up.

Without members it won't be taken seriously enough by councils when consulting all parties regarding lanes.

How much do you pay to go to an offroad site for one day? think of your £33 as a fee for unlimited use of all the byways, when ever you want, its a bargain.

Thanks Tony, that was the sort of info I was looking for. I agree now that £33 a year membership for green laning is a small price to pay compared to £50 a day for serious off roading, which is what I'm told Weardale Offroad Centre is now charging since it reopened.

Still I wouldn't mind a bash at Weardale again, I had a great day out there last time.

[dieselboy]

How much do you pay to go to an offroad site for one day? think of your £33 as a fee for unlimited use of all the byways, when ever you want, its a bargain.

£33 for them telling you where free lanes are?

an off road site day is a fee because its someone elses land. if my garden was big enough, i would have you all over

but just as no one plays football certain times of the year on a pitch so that the ground can recover, i think that may be a similar rule could apply to green lanes. eg have a few lanes closed that are bad for some time so that it can recover.

anyhow, i have my own 4x4 club that the membership is £20, and for that we organise trips to green lanes monthly, and you even get a sticker

[tintin]

The whole point of joining GLASS is to show how many of us are still interested in using green lanes!
Otherwise there would be no group to put our case forward both to local councils , trying to close byways to save costly maintenance and repairs, and to central government, who just like to sh*t on everyone!
As some of you may know i joined very recently, and i'm pleased to say i am not dissapointed with what else i got for my money!
Benefits include a handbook detailing loads of stuff i'd never have bothered finding out otherwise, access to members only areas of the website,free access to a mapping site, and a copy of the green lanes magazine!

I,m looking forward to sitting down with a nice glass of merlot later and ploughing through the handbook!

Hope many of you join as, in my own opinion, its our only way of being represented as a group!
Alan

[Apache]

just as no one plays football certain times of the year on a pitch so that the ground can recover, i think that may be a similar rule could apply to green lanes. eg have a few lanes closed that are bad for some time so that it can recover.

That is precisely what GLASS recommend! Its voluntary restriction which makes loads of sense if you still want to have a chance of driving these lanes five years down the line.

[24Seven]

Why not have Club Affiliation? £30 for upto 30 members?

Just a thought

[dieselboy]

All sounds good to me!! Now where do I pick up the merlot?
30 quid for an affiliation? There is enough of us here we could have started our own club! But for £3 you may as well join GLASS??

[Apache]

Why not have Club Affiliation? £30 for upto 30 members?

Just a thought

Good plan. Are you volunteering to organise it?

[24Seven]

Good plan. Are you volunteering to organise it?

Yes can do if you like? All we need is a few quid going into a Paypal account and fill in the forms and we should be able to get this place affiliation.

The only problem I can see, is if "Glass" thought we had more than 30 members.

[MattF]

Green lanes are public highways, your road tax/council tax pays for the upkeep

Is road tax still road tax though?

[MattF]

The only problem I can see, is if "Glass" thought we had more than 30 members.

And the problem there would be?

[da SLUG man]

Is road tax still road tax though?

no, silly, they changed the name to "Vehicle Excise Duty"... was a tax for using the road, now a tax for owning a car!!... whatever next?... WINDOW TAX??.... d'oh!