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www.langdalequest.co.uk
Our activities are operated within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park & due to this we are required to have planning permission covering the change of use of the land.
In the past 8 years we have submitted 3 planning applications for our Langdale Quest 4x4 activity which is run in Langdale Forest, part of the Forestry Commission's estate. On each occassion the applications were passed at their first committee hearing. Unfortunately we have, to date, only been given what is known as a 'Temporary' Permission, usually for a 2 year period.
On the last application, which was passed in November 2003, committee members agreed on two of the main issues concerning our applications:
A dedicated managed 4x4 site is the best way to help reduce both the Legal use of Green Lanes & un-authorised use of other land by 4x4 vehicles.
Langdale Forest is the best location within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park for such a managed site to exist.
The Forestry Commission too play a role in helping the Langdale Quest to continue to be such a success. Over a decade ago, Government issued the Forestry Commission with radical new directives to diversify the use of their land away from that of traditional timber production as future predictions showed that timber prices were due to take a major slump in the UK.
The new directives where to steer the use of the land towards the more profitable areas of Toursim, Recreation & Motor Sport - in recent years we have seen many changes to Forestry Commission land, some examples are as follows:
Many new, dedicated, mountain bike riding sites have been opened up - usually a collaboration between the Forestry Commission & private companies.
New information centres & cafes have been built & new Forest Drives have been opened.
The Forestry Commission now market these new facilities to the Public, especially tourist, producing 1000's of leaflets covering many activities on their land, from Bird Watching to Star Gazing!
Future plans for the forests are to re-plant many different types of trees after an area has been harvested & fire breaks will not be straight lines any more!!
All these changes are to help make our forests a more attractive & profitable place for recreation. Its all about bringing people into areas of land which they traditionally would not normally visit. Millions of acres of forest in the UK are managed by the Foresry Commission, each area of forest has its own unique properties, including location, soil type & accessability.
Now many areas of this land are becoming developed, remember, the Langdale Quest was set up some 10 years ago!! Probably one of the first projects to follow the new directives.
Some Government departments are slower to adopt new policies than others & our situation is by no means unique. Although the Langdale Quest helps the Forestry Commission to meed their directives, our activities are not so attractive to the National Park Authority - for example, it is currently not National Park policy to attract visitors to the area - yet this is a main aim of the Forestry Commission!!
In preparation for our next (and hopefully final) planning application, which will be submitted within a month, we are asking our customers to spend a few minutes to give their thoughts on the activities we operate. Important factors to consider are the effects our business has on the local economy & local environment.
YOUR SUPPORT REQUESTED:
THE FINAL LANGDALE QUEST PLANNING APPLICATION HEARING THURSDAY JUNE 9TH 10.30AM
It is now the time for the National Parks to decide wether our Langdale Quest activity is an overall benefit to the area or not. If you can spare a few hours on Thursday your support would be greatly appreciated.
The meeting is to be held at:National Park Offices, Bondgate, Helmsley, North Yorkshire - bring your 4x4!!
National Parks tel number for directions is 01439 770657
If you can't make it then please send an e-mail of support to:
H.Saunders <H.Saunders@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk> - please request that your letter is to be read out at the hearing on 9th June, otherwise the committee members won't get it!!
It is important to understand that the Langdale Quest is quite simply a unique operation - nowhere else in the UK has such a project been developed. To date we have provided over 1 million off-road driving hours with 100,000's of customers visiting the site over the past 10 years! The National Parks already accept that the site helps to reduce the number of vehicles using legal & illegal tracks elsewhere in the Park & that, for a number of reasons, Langdale Forest is the best place for a site to be run. What else is there to decide??
From all of the Langdale Quest team - Thank you for your time.
Please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can - we only get 6 days notice from the National Parks as to when the hearing is to take place.
Our activities are operated within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park & due to this we are required to have planning permission covering the change of use of the land.
In the past 8 years we have submitted 3 planning applications for our Langdale Quest 4x4 activity which is run in Langdale Forest, part of the Forestry Commission's estate. On each occassion the applications were passed at their first committee hearing. Unfortunately we have, to date, only been given what is known as a 'Temporary' Permission, usually for a 2 year period.
On the last application, which was passed in November 2003, committee members agreed on two of the main issues concerning our applications:
A dedicated managed 4x4 site is the best way to help reduce both the Legal use of Green Lanes & un-authorised use of other land by 4x4 vehicles.
Langdale Forest is the best location within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park for such a managed site to exist.
The Forestry Commission too play a role in helping the Langdale Quest to continue to be such a success. Over a decade ago, Government issued the Forestry Commission with radical new directives to diversify the use of their land away from that of traditional timber production as future predictions showed that timber prices were due to take a major slump in the UK.
The new directives where to steer the use of the land towards the more profitable areas of Toursim, Recreation & Motor Sport - in recent years we have seen many changes to Forestry Commission land, some examples are as follows:
Many new, dedicated, mountain bike riding sites have been opened up - usually a collaboration between the Forestry Commission & private companies.
New information centres & cafes have been built & new Forest Drives have been opened.
The Forestry Commission now market these new facilities to the Public, especially tourist, producing 1000's of leaflets covering many activities on their land, from Bird Watching to Star Gazing!
Future plans for the forests are to re-plant many different types of trees after an area has been harvested & fire breaks will not be straight lines any more!!
All these changes are to help make our forests a more attractive & profitable place for recreation. Its all about bringing people into areas of land which they traditionally would not normally visit. Millions of acres of forest in the UK are managed by the Foresry Commission, each area of forest has its own unique properties, including location, soil type & accessability.
Now many areas of this land are becoming developed, remember, the Langdale Quest was set up some 10 years ago!! Probably one of the first projects to follow the new directives.
Some Government departments are slower to adopt new policies than others & our situation is by no means unique. Although the Langdale Quest helps the Forestry Commission to meed their directives, our activities are not so attractive to the National Park Authority - for example, it is currently not National Park policy to attract visitors to the area - yet this is a main aim of the Forestry Commission!!
In preparation for our next (and hopefully final) planning application, which will be submitted within a month, we are asking our customers to spend a few minutes to give their thoughts on the activities we operate. Important factors to consider are the effects our business has on the local economy & local environment.
YOUR SUPPORT REQUESTED:
THE FINAL LANGDALE QUEST PLANNING APPLICATION HEARING THURSDAY JUNE 9TH 10.30AM
It is now the time for the National Parks to decide wether our Langdale Quest activity is an overall benefit to the area or not. If you can spare a few hours on Thursday your support would be greatly appreciated.
The meeting is to be held at:National Park Offices, Bondgate, Helmsley, North Yorkshire - bring your 4x4!!
National Parks tel number for directions is 01439 770657
If you can't make it then please send an e-mail of support to:
H.Saunders <H.Saunders@northyorkmoors-npa.gov.uk> - please request that your letter is to be read out at the hearing on 9th June, otherwise the committee members won't get it!!
It is important to understand that the Langdale Quest is quite simply a unique operation - nowhere else in the UK has such a project been developed. To date we have provided over 1 million off-road driving hours with 100,000's of customers visiting the site over the past 10 years! The National Parks already accept that the site helps to reduce the number of vehicles using legal & illegal tracks elsewhere in the Park & that, for a number of reasons, Langdale Forest is the best place for a site to be run. What else is there to decide??
From all of the Langdale Quest team - Thank you for your time.
Please forward this e-mail to as many people as you can - we only get 6 days notice from the National Parks as to when the hearing is to take place.
Nil Illigitimi Carborundum
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