re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

Well I'm not here to offend anybody in any way but the rubbish I hear about 4wheel drive vehicles churning up the country side is utter rubbish.

I have been out on lanes where we have got stuck due to deeply rutted tracks left by tractors. That is not a 4wd leisure vehicle. My 4x4 i use every day and quite happy to do so.

My last 4x4 was written off and my family would have all been killed if it wasnt for the fact I had a modified 4x4. I also have a few disabilitys which mean i couldnt enjoy the countryside with out it and do no damage wot so ever as I air my tyres down to spread out the weight evenly to cause less digging in to the land.

I also am a voluntery member of a 4x4 response group who assist people like your selves in times of danger like floods and people trapped in snow etc.

How many of you people can say you put back into your community wot you take out. We can also help people who get injured or lost on the moors etc with our go anywhere capability. Would you like to close the lanes off to us and take the chance that you may not ever need our help.

NO IM SURE YOU WOULDNT. So please do think again that some of us do care about our surroundings and the people in them.

Subject: Craven District and Council Tax

I recently had a letter from our beneficiaries at Craven District Council, always good to hear from our dependents. The letter demanded that I prove that I was still entitled to a "Council Tax discount/exemption". Not being the recipient of any governmental monetary handouts, though I am due to receive a Winter Fuel Tax Rebate this year but it has yet to arrive, so I can honestly discount that at this time of writing, I read on with interest, had I been missing something? It soon became apparent that the "Council Tax discount/exemption" they were demanding to know about was, in fact, the single person supplement which all single occupancy households have to pay. How dare they dress this up as a "Council Tax discount/exemption".

I immediately sent an e-mail to Craven District Council pointing out the discrepancy i.e. single occupier dwellings pay far more for our diminishing services than multiple occupancy dwellings. I gave examples of this logical reasoning using simple mathematical division and percentage routines, two occupiers pay fifty per cent of Council Tax each, three occupiers pay thirty-three per cent each, four occupiers pay twenty-five per cent each etc. whilst a single occupier must pay seventy-five per cent, proving my earlier stated point.

A few days later an eagerly awaited reply arrived and, to my surprise, I was right, I do pay less.

The stated explanation was rather complex involving levels of quantum mathematics far beyond the reasoning of this simple soul who has not had the benefit of a modern education, but basically, and I think I may be correct although probably guilty of over-simplification, the answer is that I do pay less Council Tax, it may appear to be more, in fact, when looking at the figures, although they appear to be much greater they are in fact much less, 75 < 50 < 33 < 25 etc. just looking at the figures alters their value. I suspect that this modern mathematics is in widespread use throughout government organizations - inflation, unemployment, immigration, crime figures...What a relief.

The Americans have an apt although, for the gentle ears of the reader, rather vulgar expression, for this sort of thing, something about backs and raining.

Subject: Last chance to comment on planning white paper

Dear Sir,

Time is running out for people across England to defend their right to have a full say on new development in their area.

The Government is now consulting on its Planning White Paper, with a closing date for responses of 17 August. This may sound like a dry subject - in fact it is anything but! If Ministers get their way, the planning system will change, and local people will have much less say about major development in their areas, including motorways, power stations, airports and incinerators.

The Government says the planning system needs to change so that economic development can happen more quickly. Of course, the planning system can be improved, but we need a system that allows all issues - including the beauty and quality of the natural environment - to be properly taken into account when decisions are made. And we need a system that gives local people an effective say in what gets built in their area.

CPRE is part of a wide coalition calling on the Government to think again, and stand up for a planning system that looks after the environment and gives people a real say. Your readers can support us by taking action through our shared website, www.planningdisaster.co.uk.

But we need to act fast! It really is time to use your voice, or lose your choice.

Yours faithfully,

Shaun Spiers
Chief Executive, Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
www.cpre.org.uk

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

Those who use these vehicles for recreation are missing the point. The only viable surface for regular use by motor vehicles is tarmac. If these lanes were tarmaced then they wouldn't use them.

The people who use these lanes are walkers, farmers and off-roaders. The first don't want the surface churning up. The second use the lanes when they need to and don't appreciate heavy rutting. And the third group would be better spending their time improving their literacy, if previous contributions are anything to go by.

Subject: Call for 30mph speed limit on narrow lanes

I am currently the chairman of a Parish Council in Norfolk, we are one of the smallest villages in the area and only accessed by single vehicle width narrow lanes.. In a personal capacity I have started a petition on the No 10 website calling for speed restrictions on very narrow country lanes like ours. I expand my arguments a little below and am seeking support from groups that enjoy the use of this sort of lane both as motorist and recreationally.

Country Lanes were not built for speed rather they were constructed originally for horse and cart. This was the mode of transport when the vast network of narrow country lanes developed in the rural parts of this country; people say that they are a single car width but the reality is that they are cart width and were designed and constructed with that in mind.

It didn't matter that there were high hedges, blind corners and hill summits as speed was simply not an issue. Today however these self same lanes are host to the motor vehicle which is capable of infinitely faster speeds and human nature being what it is they will be driven inappropriately if there is no restriction or sanction.

Such law as there is applies the national speed limit of 60mph for non-dual carriageways to such roads except for short streches through some villages if they are lucky. Some take this as a green light to drive at a higher than safe speed. The only sanction is the option that the Police have to charge people with careless or dangerous driving if their speed is excessive to the prevailing conditions. However this usually only happens after an accident when it may be too late to save innocent people or animals from injury or death. In some cases traffic flow, as in our village, is so low that authorities are very reluctant to introduce any kind of limit - a need proven by loss of ife and property seems to be the trigger for action.

To make matters worse where a narrow lane joins a bigger road that does have a speed restriction the change to the national speed limit has to be signed by law. This can be seen as a green light for bad behaviour and possibly a defence in law if the Police were to take action. This green light to bad behaviour adds insult to injury when we have been asking for a lower limit on the lanes. I accept that 50 mph is appropriate for the larger road. There are photographs to illustrate this on the news page of www.bramptonnorfolk.org.uk

The petition at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/countrylanes/ calls for a mandatory 30 mph limit on such roads unless local conditions dictate a lower one. In rare cases I also accept that there may be a case for a higher limit which could be allowed for. An example would be some of the Scottish wilderness A roads that are narrow with passing places but mostly have a good surface and clear visibility.

This petition is clearly aimed at any user group including motorists but of particular concern are cyclists, walkers and horse riders. The petition must be signed by the beginning of September and if there are sufficient numbers then the government will be forced to take notice. At the very least a well supported petition has to go before the appropriate minister for consideration and reply which gives an opportunity to engage with the decision makers who have one eye on the rural vote.

The mechanics of defining a narrow lane and where lower speed limits would be appropriate can be left at this stage although on the former it is clear to me that if the road width is insufficient to allow two average cars to pass comfortably then it must be defined as narrow.

I envisage that the way this would work is the introduction of a third tier of national speed limit. We are already used to two tiers. This would also have the advantage of reducing cost and signage as existing signs could remain. It would not prevent lower limits if the local situation demanded it. Such a method would mean that anyone driving at an inappropriate speed would no longer have the defence that what they were doing was legal.

If you agree please support the petition, it takes but a few moments of your time. Tell others who are like minded and contribute to telling the government that road safety is not just an urban issue. If anybody wants to get in touch through www.bramptonnorfolk.org.uk I will respond. In any case thank you for taking the time to read this.

Subject: Raptor on Barden Moor

On Barden Moor yesterday nr. Halton Heights my daughter and I saw a raptor that we could not identify. Like a small buzzard but not soaring. Dark on top, paler underneath, pronounced fingers at wingtips and a fan tail. Not a merlin (too big), not a harrier etc. Has anything unusual been reported?

Subject: Yorkshire's Architectural Heritage

As a part of the design principles that guide architectsS to construct buildings, there is a principle known as Placement or place. This princple works on the premiss that a building design should fit into its environment well, so that it does not look out of place.

Even though the mills of Yorkshire where built in the last 300 years, in some cases, what is your opinion either for good or bad, on whether or not the designers did or did not take this principle into consideration, when choosing locations in yorkshire for their sites? Are the mills of yorkshire eyesores and should they be pulled down? or are they beautiful pieces of architecture from our past that should be lovingly restored?

I would like to know what your readers think. Were the designers of the yorkshire mills being environmentally friendly - were they designed to fit into the environment.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

Why do all the bobblehat brigade think the countryside belongs to only them, what can I say except for you lot are selfish and 4x4's were built to go off road and so thats why we have them, now get over it, besides most greenlanes were made as roads in the first place.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

Right I am sick of this. Stay at him in your own area if you dont like 4x4s. I am sick of out of towners coming to live in the countryside and then complaining that there are to many 4x4s or they complane that the farmer is muck spreading. If you dont like it stay where you are and keep it shut.

I have a 4x4 and live in the country. If ya dont like whats going on in the contryside then dont come. There are better places to go, try blackpool, go have a look at the lovely golden sand and clean streets. I love where I live and have no complaints. You love where we live but are full of them so dont even think about coming to live here because you will get a shock mate. Stay in ya gas filled city with muggins and stabbings.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

I live in sheffield, an industrial town. I also drive a landrover.

I get a great deal of pleasure from driving my landrover along green lanes and any other rights of way that i am allowed to drive along. i have never driven on a public FOOT path or BRIDLEWAY. they are not for vehicles. I have however driven along plenty of PUBLIC BYEWAYS.... which i am legally allowed to do.

I have no intention of complaining about ramblers and trying to take away a passtime that they get pleasure from, so why do ramblers complain about 4x4 vehicles and trail bikes?

whenever I pass ramblers on the green lanes i am always polite and courteous, i smile and wave a hello and a thank you to them for standing to one side or i stop and allow the ramblers the right of way. more often than not my manners and courteous gestures are met with steely ice cold glares of disgust.... I am not disgusted with the ramblers exercising their right of way so why should the ramblers treat me with disgust!? after all.... they dont know me to have any sort of opinion of me and manners cost nothing!!

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

Hey Anton from Bradford, what planet are you on?

How do you work out comparing a place like The Kings Road in London (which was once a country lane) to Howson's Lane in Langcliffe?

I come up North to get away from people in their sodding SUVs, and yes, I use public transport to get here. We're not talking about people who use their Toyota Prius to get to work, we're talking about people like you who spoil the otherwise peaceful countryside for everyone else.

4x4's aren't wanted in the city and they aren't wanted in the Dales either. Nobody wants you and nobody likes you.

By the way, you're not 'utilising' your 4x4, if you were you'd be doing something contructive with it, like farming. You're [edited] about in it. It's different.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

The views of ramblers and anti-greenlaners posted here are in general complete and utter rubbish. How many of them use 'proper' roads i.e ones that have been built by at one point digging through the countryside and pouring tonnes of tarmac down so that they can get where they want to go.

They should wake up and realise that this causes more damage to the land than people who use centuries old tracks to utilise their 4x4's in the way that they want.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

"grow up guys and smell the fresh air with everyone else..
Posted 8 January 2007

well, we would, but it's polluted from the toxic smog from your 4x4

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

I've read all the views on this page and think it's sickening how someone who rambles has more right than a motor vehicle. These green lanes ARE ROADS not paths, ok if you saw a vehicle driving on a path you have every right to complain but you are walking on a road and so you should act accordingly - dont forget people die on roads.... so why walk on them irresponsibly.

I am planning on getting an off road vehicle as I want to explore the countryside I have been many times with friends and many roads are inaccessible to said ramblers because of natural erosion, which i do know about as I did geography A'level, I've searched many off road clubs and nealry all of them participate in repairing green lanes, not just for themselves but for others, when do ramblers go out and repair green lanes, also dont forget ramblers leave rubbish and generally ramble onto land which they think they have rights to because it says on their map.

Ramblers are narrow minded selfish and above all ignorant to their surroundings where in the 21st century motorised vehicles have been around for decades, horse and cart can use these green lanes so why cant motorised vehicles.... if all ramblers were appreciative of the fact then no action would be needed. so grow up guys and smell the fresh air with everyone else..

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

I think that the view taken by the Ramblers Association and others like them is unrealistic. I have a Land Rover which I use off road, and whilst I dont use it to 'Green Lane' having the option to do so on appropriate tracks is just one of many ways that I could enjoy the countryside if I wished to and I would like it to stay that way - (I prefer to attend marshalled off-road pay and play days instead) - with freedom of choice supposedly being one of the guiding lights on which democracy is built I believe.

From experience I know that the majority of off road drivers are responsible people who use their vehicles in a way that will not deliberately damage the environment (except from the obvious effects of exhaust and noise - but with the advances in fuel and vehicle technologies these are becoming less) however I do appreciate that not everyone is of this ilk but I believe tuition not banning is the order of the day.

There is plenty of countryside out there to explore and Ramblers have access to lots more of it than off road drivers, I bellieve that if MORE lanes were opened this would spread the load and lessen the damage to those more fragile lanes and also promote 'Green Laning' as a viable outdoor liesure pursuit instead of trying to turn those that partake in the activity into some sort of social outcasts and perhaps may encourage those that have no training to get some thus lessening the damage further. (I have attended no less than 5 off road driver training courses and hope to get my Lantra and Borda qualifications in the near future)

I would also like to say how incorrect I feel the views are that agricultural vehicles do not cause as much damage to green lanes as the 'leisure off roader' as these vehicles are inherently heavier and will sink deeper into the surface of the track and whilst I admit their need to be there, I do wonder how much maintenance that these same people do to the green lanes.

The more observant of you will notice that I have stayed away from the term 4x4 as I think this term is highly erroneous and could be used to describe any vehicle with a 4 wheel drive drivetrain (such as a Subaru Impreza, VW Touraeg, BMW X3) which cannot go off road.

re: Motor vehicles on Green Lanes in the Dales

The Yorkshire Dales have recently banned all motor vehicles from going up a path used by many quad/dirt bike riders. This is an outrage. I am 14 and have been wanting a dirt bike for a long time, when I heard my dad was getting me a dirt bike I was over the moon. Then three days later I saw the sign saying no motor vehicles. This has made my dirt bike completely pointless. There is no where else to go and the Yorkshire Dales have ruined my christmas.

re: "Right To Roam"

Re, Right to roam, dated 11 October.

I am a walker of many years, and I totaly agree with the comments made. The only thing I dislike about walking, is having to go through a farm. I feel it is an intrusion too far.

It is long over due that all path's that go through farm building area's, should be diverted around the farm. But, farmers can apply for a path divertion, and not just moan or wait for someone to do it for them.

Subject: Animal welfare

We are all blinded by tradition..for what u may ask..for example Appleby horsefair. Becasue of my age people may think that I don't really know what I'm on about, well let me correct you there, I was born and raised in the forest of dean - Gloucestershire. I am not blind to what goes on around me, I'm not naieve. So now that we've got that sorted lets get down to it.

Appleby horse fair - police, vets and the RSPCA attend it, they are there to 'check up' on what's going on and yet lame and ill-treated horses are paraded around the streets, made to trott uncontrollably untill some pass out with over heating. Yes you may say 'but theres a river'- rivers don't help ripped tendons, slipped disks, and sores. It's about time people moved up to the 21st century! The times of suffering and neglect of horses and other animals are now over so why do we agree to have 'horsefairs,'

We managed to get 'foxhunting' banned, this is just a step up to help to make this undeserved suffereing become extinct so why are people sitting back and doing nothing all becasue people think it's 'tradtion' - it's about time we had our say and not fall into other peoples plans!

Related article:

Subject: Dales Youth Hostel closures

Why is the Yorkshire Dales - more than any other county - to be decimated by Youth Hostel cuts? I totally fail to understand especially why Dentdale, and Keld (the latter a key point in the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast) are to close since they are always full when my wife and I have tried to stay at these locations!!.

The Dales are as popular as ever with visitors and yet now only Hawes, Ingleton and Dufton (under protest) now remain. The YHA has just lost the plot; it is to get young folks out into the countryside. We shall be cancelling our YHA membership for 2007.

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

"I feel that the anonymous view that we are destroying the countryside is pathetic; he should start ranting about industry that's destroying the world, then maybe for something to do he should moan about war instead. The sad person!!!!!"(Posted 16/09/2006)

Maybe, Mark from Wakefield, just maybe I will. But I'll always come back to how arrogant you green-laners are, because that's the simple honest truth. Sorry buddy.

P.S you can't really compare the M62 to a countryside lane.

Mr Anon.

Subject: "Right To Roam"

I live on a farm which at most times is quite peaceful, although every so often we get a huge number of ramblers (20-30) walking through the yard. But, they don't just walk through they have a good look around the sheds even go in.

I think it's a DISGRACE this right to roam. They should do a few laps of their garden instead.

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

I have been a member of a green lane club now for 2 years, which as part of the club calendar we have repair days on the lanes. We go up onto the lanes and repare them back to a useable state after being eroded by weathering ect.

I have not once seen walkers doing any form of repair work. When we come across walkers that wont move to the side of a lane to let you past I think it disgusting as it is a public road, and why they think they can do it and get away with it, you dont see walkers holding up trafic on the M62 so why do it on a green lane, it's still a road.

I feel that the anonymous view that we are destroying the countryside is pathetic; he should start ranting about industry that's destroying the world, then maybe for something to do he should moan about war instead. The sad person!!!!!

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

(posted 21/03/06)"I think green laneing is great, i have a quad ha ha ha ha ha. i have lots of fun. If you banned green laneing there will be more cases of off road vechiles illegaly on the road."

You're right, Nick Attridge, Bridlington. That is a good argument! You have lots of fun slowly destroying the countryside with your selfish and irresponsible hobby, eroding the earth below us and leaving us open to all sorts of environmental disasters. Well done.

re:Superfluous road signs

A few years ago a survey was carried out in East Morton to find out if there was a need for 'traffic calming'. That phrase was not used at the time because it had not become the popular jargon. The conclusion was that though there was regular through traffic, drivers did in fact drive with care through the village and no special measures were needed. But more recently when Traffic Calming became the fashion, every measure available was installed.

I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT CHICANES ARE A POSITIVE DANGER. Fortunately this was realised with regard to the one which was installed on the hill to Cringles from Silsden, where I nearly met my end when a wagon bounced across the road to avoid it.

Near my home we have a double mini roundabout which no newcomer can possibly understand. But I have some theories:

The intention is not to give motorists guidance, but to slow them down by confusing them.

and/or

The job of road sign planning is given to school leavers as a joke against the public.

and/or

As in many other bureaucratic departments, the principal aim of an employee once they settle into a job is to perpetuate it at any cost to the British public.

Subject: Loss of funding for schools recycling project

North Yorkshire Schools Waste Action Club has been operating in the county for 5years and has worked with 1000s of children to effectively reduce school waste.

Why is it that the project will close in July as a result of no further funding whilst the county is funding projects which create things out of waste which will end up in landfill.

Education projects like SWAC make a lifelong impact and understanding of the 3Rs reduce, reuse and recycle. However, these types of projects have no source of funding from county, DEFRA or DfES.

Why is it that schools are being expected to become centres of sustainable development when there is no money to fund it?

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

I've read with interest the comments posted by others below, and have to say that I have seen it all before. Its the usual inaccurate information posted as 'fact' by those who have not bothered to do the proper research before they reach for the keyboard.

Of all the rights of way open to the public, over 120,000 miles are open to use by pedestrians. Only 5,000 (or less than 5%) are open to legal use by motorised vehicles.

The comments of how a walk has been spoiled by "a convoy of 4x4 vehicles" are simply not true - all off-road clubs operate a 'tread-lightly' policy that dictates that vehicles should travel in maximum groups of 5 vehicles. Vehicles would be in the presence of walkers for less than 5 minutes, as they trundle past at speeds of less than 10 miles per hour. When walkers have access to so much land it also surprises me that they choose to walk down a route that has vehicular access, and then complain about it ???

With reference to the errosion, a recent report by Faber Maunsell has clearly identified that the majority of deep rutted damage is caused by farm vehicles. Not by 4x4 recreational vehicles. You also only have to look at popular walker footpaths to see how much damage is caused by the continuous trampling of deep treaded hiking boots. Take as example the routes up Snowdon in Wales - they are having to ship in many many tonnes of stone slabs by helicopter to try to stop the errosion.

The countryside is there for all to enjoy, and there is enough for everyone to undertake their own hobby without having to encounter things they find unpleasing.

Lets just enjoy.

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

I think green laneing is great, i have a quad ha ha ha ha ha. i have lots of fun.

If you banned green laneing there will be more cases of off road vechiles illegaly on the road.

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

We visited Dent for our monthly walk, taking one of the so called Green Lanes that run in the area.

We have never seen so much mud, water and ruts.

We noticed that the parks had placed a notice restricting this to walkers. There was also a gate that resricted access.

However when we reached the other end onto the road no gate. Perhaps this would account for the trail motor bikes riding across fields.

Never again will we walk this way.

re: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

I see that the "POWERS" whilst allowing ramblers to wander at will over other peoples land are now intent on stopping people driving on that same land even of they own it!

This government is doing so much to ruin the countryside by affecting farming, stopping hunting and allowing random rambling I am surprised that they are not encouraging battle tanks over the dales let alone 4x4s. I am not a farmer, walker or land owner but I think that the land owners should decide what happens on their land not the government or the Ramblers Association!

Subject: Motor vehicles on the Green Lanes in the Dales

I have read with much dismay the selfish opinions of several of the people who have expressed their views that they should be allowed to drive their vehicles on the Green Lanes.

I suspect that there is much more opposition to this inconsiderate behaviour than is expressed in your letters page because many people would not bother to write a letter pointing out what is blatently obvious.

Peace and Tranquility:

• Motor vehicles have engines producing noise which in the open environment of the countryside can be heard for miles around. Everybody else who goes into the countryside appreciates the peace and tranquility found there and the prescence of just one motorvehicle, (let alone a convoy of 4x4's or a squadron of trailbikes), even some distance away, destroys this tranquility and their purpose for going into the countryside.

Indeed I (and many people I know) no longer go for a walk in the Dales because it is inevitably ruined by 'off-road' motor vehicles.

Several times I have been out walking and have come across groups of trailbikes who have ridden their motorcycles dangerously close to me or my companions in a manner which the police would have arrested them for had they been present.

Environmental Damage:

• Motor vehicles are heavy and have only a small contact area with the ground so the damage caused by the forces of a vehicle driving over a grassy surface is many times greater than that of someone walking over it. The 'damage' caused by someone walking over a piece of ground is insignificant and it is only when dozens of people use the same path over a short space of time that any real damage is done. This same damage can be done by just one vehicle passing carefully once over a piece of ground.

However the real damage is done not by people or vehicles, but by water erosion when it rains. If the ground surface has had time to recover before it rains then there is no problem, and this is the reason that generally walkers have little effect - however if damage has been done then the water run-off will wash away the soil and vegetation which accelerates the erosion. Thus the damage caused by the passage of one motor vehicle can lead to significant erosion. If there is more than one vehicle the damage is much greater and the effects of water erosion is usually catastrophic. The evidence of this damage is all over the Dales.

It is true that there are more sturdily surfaced paths where a motor vehicle driven sensibly would cause no significant damage, but if using these causes the tranquility of area to be disturbed then no considerate driver would drive along them unnecessarily.

However all of the arguments put forward by the 'Off-road' lobby conveniently ignore a number of things:

• not all drivers are proficient or skilled enough in 'off-road' driving to drive carefully enough to avoid damaging fragile areas.
• not all drivers going into these areas do so with the purpose of driving carefully, many of them are not concerned with the damage they may do and are more intent on having fun and finding a challenge which cannot be found on the normal road system.
• not all drivers adhere to their rules to drive carefully and only where legally permitted. The fact is that many of these people take advantage of the current situation to drive up onto the moors and then, once away from any fear of being apprehended by the police, drive over the moors and churn up huge areas of the fragile moorland ecosystem by having races and competing in the challenging terrain.

It is time that these people realised that this illegal activity can never be stopped whilst there is access to the moors by 'off-roaders' and that the only practical way to curtail it is to ban all recreational motor traffic from these areas.

I am not a botanist nor a bird watcher, so I do not know the details of what effects motor vehicles on the moors have on the ecosystem, however I suspect it is not a beneficial one.

I am a car driver and a motorcyclist myself. I understand the challenge of off-road driving and moto-cross, but the countryside is no place for anyone to follow these pursuits if it disturbs the peace and tranquility of all other users! There are scramble tracks and off-road courses all over the country, these are the places that these people should be going to. If they put their energy into that area then I am sure many more courses would spring up as our farmers see the demand and diversify.

There are only two possible outcomes to this situation, either:

• recreational motor vehicles are banned, in which case the many other users will return and damaged areas can be successfully repaired, or
• motor vehicles are allowed to access the Dales, in which case the other users will go elsewhere and the area will just turn into one big free off-road and scrambling park.

I pay my road tax too, but I do not expect to use that as an excuse to damage our fragile and irreplaceable moorland areas and drive without any real consideration for the other users of the moors who go there to relax in the peace and tranquility that used to be found there.

It is indeed a truly selfish and inconsiderate person who maintains that they should be permitted to pursue their leisure activities without any regard for the peace and enjoyment of other people.

Subject:hedgehogs in the Yorkshire Dales

What a glorious late summer we are having! I for one am enjoying every second of it, sipping iced drinks sat in the sun, fabulous! But just before you slap on the sun cream and head for the beach or garden, spare a thought for the hedgehogs and other wildlife that find this heat difficult to bear. The ground becomes hard as it dries out, making natural food very difficult to find, and there is a distinct lack of water around too.

A dish of non fish flavoured pet food or unsweetened museli put out each evening will help your local hedgehogs survive, and bowls of fresh water in several spots around the garden could be a life saver to all sorts of garden visitors.

It is also important to keep pond or pool levels topped up. Hedgehogs may use this as a water source, and while they are good swimmers, they cannot negotiate steep slippery sides and can drown exhausted. Ensure swimming pool covers are on every night and that polystyrene floats are placed near the side for a hedgehog to cling to. Half submerging bricks or rocks around the edges of ponds and pools may make life saving slipways. Alternatively a piece of chicken wire can be hung over the edge like a scrambling net which hedgehogs can climb up to freedom.

Many of your readers will know of the existence of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, others may be interested in its aims:

• To encourage and give advice to the public about the care of hedgehogs, particularly when injured, sick, orphaned, treated cruelly or in any danger.
• To encourage the younger generation to value and respect our natural wildlife and, by supplying information and giving lectures, to foster their interest in hedgehogs.
• To fund research into the behavioural habits of hedgehogs to ascertain the best methods of assisting their survival.

For further reading, please visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk

Subject:Superfluous road signs

I have watched over the last ten years the rapid and totally pointless increase in the number of superfluous traffic signs which have sprouted up, not just in the Dales, but countrywide.

For example, we have the 'New roundabout ahead' or 'New traffic lights ahead' signs. Can anyone tell me what purpose they serve? Local residents and regular users of that particular road all know they're there. After all, they were all inconvenienced for several weeks whilst the roundabout or lights etc. were under construction. To anyone not living in the area it's just another roundabout/lights ahead of them. Move on to the 'Welcome to ..... ' signs. I suggest that they are a total waste of our money too. I've been driving round this Country for something in excess of 50 years and I can honestly say that I have never once passed such a sign to be met by some welcoming body with open arms or a nice pot of tea. As a villager myself I must admit that I don't feel particularly welcoming to the thousands of motorists who pass through every day. To be honest, I wish they'd stay away. More totally pointless signage.

In passing, I saw quite recently in the local press that Bradford Council were in turmoil over its desire to erect new 'Welcome to' signs at Burley-in-Wharfedale. Apparently 'Welcome to Burley-in-Wharfedale' took up to much space so thought was being given to changing the village name to 'Burley'. I would have thought that if use of the correct village name posed such a problem, a modicum of common sense could have been used and the words 'Welcome to' omitted. All that's needed is the correct name of the village.

It seems to me that all road signs are erected for a purpose - to make the motorist read them, or they wouldn't have been erected in the first place. Does anyone agree that drivers have enough diversions to cope with without having a proliferation of totally pointless signage to distract them from their main purpose, that of driving safely.

Nationwide, this unneeded signage must cost us millions of pounds, which I suggest, with a minimum of imagination could have been better spent on improving the roads themselves. But then, on second thoughts, I suppose the construction, painting and erection of all these signs will give the Highways Dept., signwriters and hole diggers something to do, and it also helps their Managers to justify their own existence.