Roych Clough - we did more than our bit and were betrayed by the PDNP
The Club has always worked hard to do its bit and build relationships especially with people who might be affected by our use of the land in our sport and the use of our rights of way.
click here for full size copy of above picture, it shows (left) Ron Weale (former Manchester 17 and ACU Cheshire & North Wales Centre President as well as a PDNP board member ) Centre Geoff Wilson ACU CEO at the time and past member & chair of YDNP Local Access Forum and (right) PDNP Ranger Ian Hurst). More on Ron Weale here.
Comment by Mr P;
Rights of way are available for use by all
of us, recreationally or for any reasonable reason that passage along it
is needed. They are a part of basic fundamental right in any society,
freedom of movement.
Unfortunately there are pressure groups who make it their aim to remove those rights because they see any other activity than theirs as reducing their enjoyment of the countryside. They aim to ban others rights to use the countryside as if they have more rights then others. Unfortunately, based on experience such as that over closing Roych Clough, it looks like they have.
Our National Parks seem to have forgotten their Raison d'être coming out of working class people's fight to be allowed access to the countryside. They have allowed themselves to be pushed into valuing the views of well financed vocal pressure groups above the reason they exist - to allow ordinary people access to the countryside.
Any route used by anything will show signs of that use. Its wear. The more it is used the more it is worn. The law requires rights of way to be maintained. Why is it that those who are obliged by law to maintain our rights of way can simply blame wear on users and get away with not fulfilling their obligations under the law while blaming the state of repair for their removing our rights to use those precious routes?
Even when we put ourselves out to help, those self interested individuals responsible for managing our National Parks act against us.
Its wrong.