Sheepcote Lane, Wheathampstead

[MadcapMagician]

Just sent this to Herts Direct:

Sheepcote Lane is a Byway Open to All Traffic - it's official designation is WHEATHAMPSTEAD 004. Someone has permanently blocked the entrance to this road with a locked gate, behind which is a steel girder that has been concreted in place. This prevents drivers from accessing this byway. Furthermore, there are signs put up claiming that Sheepcote Lane is private property and that "trespassers will be prosecuted", despite the fact that there is an official road sign in place that clearly states "Public Byway". Please can you remedy this ASAP as I for one wish to access this BOAT, as do many other legitimate users.

You can't see the girder on Google Maps - it's clearly been put in since the Googlevan drove past.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&so...13.38,,1,12.19

[Nick V]

Don't know much about this, but how do councils normally respond to this? Do they normally re-open as a by way or do they fall on the side of those who want to take away these 'public rights of way'?

Cheers, Nick

[MadcapMagician]

Well, there's two guys from Herts that I've spoken to previously, one of whom's a bigwig in GLASS if I remember correctly.

From the conversations I've had with them in the past, if a BOAT is unlawfully blocked, it has to be cleared. At the end of the day, they are public highways.

In some cases, they can be permanently blocked. There's a lovely one off the A507 that has been closed but that's because it's an old Roman road and has historical value, so that's fair enough.

Sheepcote Lane, however, would appear to've been blocked off illegally by the landowner, so we'll see what happens.

[Nick V]

The only time I would agree with closures is after irresponsible off roaders wreck the place!

Cheers, Nick

[MadcapMagician]

This morning, I drove down Sheepcote Lane; Herts County Council have been on the case, and the gates have been removed.

There's still some triangular "tank-trap" concrete blocks almsot blocking the way, but I threaded through them just fine. I may take a rope or chain with me next time, and see if I can drag a couple out of the way.