Tweet
Salisbury Plain
I am new to this forum and wanted to introduce myself.
I have been working with Wiltshire & Swindon Access Forum & especially Tread Lightly to improve access to Salisbury Plain over the past 4 - 5 years. There are about 450 km of rights of way (a large proportion are Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT)) and many of these run over stone or earth tracks that MOD maintains.,
Tread Lightly volunteers have helped to install some 380 rights of way signs and recent diversions mean that Larkhill Ranges have a series of linked byways
What many people do not realise is that the Plain is an environmentally sensitive area with some 30,000 acres of herb rich chalk grassland and over 2,000 archaeological features.
MOD uses a wet weather programme to limit damage to the SSSI from military training and with Wiltshire Council and Tread Lightly have produced a Green Lane Best Practice Guide to educate civilian users on the issues involved in using the network.
The definition of a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) is "a route mainly used by walkers and riders but over which a right of way for vehicles exists". Unfortunately "mud plugging" by large convoys in wet weather means that the other users can be denied the use of some routes by deep ruts and a sea of mud.
I noticed than an earlier post suggested that MOD was trying to close BOATs on the Plain. Far from it ... There have been 3 x free dedications to save requests for Definitive Map Modification Order claims from having to go through the full process.
It is not easy to close BOAT and most of you will know that Natural England and Wiltshire Council failed to close BOAT running through Stonehenge.
Another development was that MOD suggested 4 x DMMO claims be dealt with simultaneously and did not oppose them. They are all now BOAT.
This summer MOD spent about 300 man hours (100 tractor hours) restoring earth tracks on the Plain and many of them were BOAT or Permissive BOAT. By Christmas many of those routes were already rutted and some were impassable to other users ...
MOD is working with Tread Lightly to identify sustainable routes for wet weather use and tracks in less environmentally sensitive areas that can be used without causing damage.
I will get back to you with more information in a couple of weeks.
Happy New Year & enjoy your recreational motoring.
Wexland
I have been working with Wiltshire & Swindon Access Forum & especially Tread Lightly to improve access to Salisbury Plain over the past 4 - 5 years. There are about 450 km of rights of way (a large proportion are Byways Open to All Traffic (BOAT)) and many of these run over stone or earth tracks that MOD maintains.,
Tread Lightly volunteers have helped to install some 380 rights of way signs and recent diversions mean that Larkhill Ranges have a series of linked byways
What many people do not realise is that the Plain is an environmentally sensitive area with some 30,000 acres of herb rich chalk grassland and over 2,000 archaeological features.
MOD uses a wet weather programme to limit damage to the SSSI from military training and with Wiltshire Council and Tread Lightly have produced a Green Lane Best Practice Guide to educate civilian users on the issues involved in using the network.
The definition of a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) is "a route mainly used by walkers and riders but over which a right of way for vehicles exists". Unfortunately "mud plugging" by large convoys in wet weather means that the other users can be denied the use of some routes by deep ruts and a sea of mud.
I noticed than an earlier post suggested that MOD was trying to close BOATs on the Plain. Far from it ... There have been 3 x free dedications to save requests for Definitive Map Modification Order claims from having to go through the full process.
It is not easy to close BOAT and most of you will know that Natural England and Wiltshire Council failed to close BOAT running through Stonehenge.
Another development was that MOD suggested 4 x DMMO claims be dealt with simultaneously and did not oppose them. They are all now BOAT.
This summer MOD spent about 300 man hours (100 tractor hours) restoring earth tracks on the Plain and many of them were BOAT or Permissive BOAT. By Christmas many of those routes were already rutted and some were impassable to other users ...
MOD is working with Tread Lightly to identify sustainable routes for wet weather use and tracks in less environmentally sensitive areas that can be used without causing damage.
I will get back to you with more information in a couple of weeks.
Happy New Year & enjoy your recreational motoring.
Wexland