Dont you love those tractors

[hobbit]

Found another tractor trail yesterday

Getting popular again aren't they

Likes my axles these things, leave a nice finish on the top though :lol:

[joker777]

And the tree huggers say we damage the land

[simdeb]

What lane was that on ?

[Eeyore]

I have to agree with Simdeb - what a cracking peice of user evidence. :shock:

And what a cracking representation of 'out of repair'. Your HA needs a prod!

cheers
 8)
Eeyore

[muddyweb]

um... just to jump to the defence of the farmer....

They do have a pretty good reason to be there usually... it's their job.  They have to do it all year round, and they often have to use large equipment.  Damage to lanes and tracks is inevitable.... you should see the state of some of ours.

Trouble is, all too often, they can't win... I've seen people complaining when farmers drop a load of hardcore in lanes or clear them back because they have "ruined them".

I think the main issue here is that it is an unsurfaced road and we must accept that damage will be done by vehiclular use...   if we could stop that being considered "vandalism" then the world might be a better place.

[Colin 009]

Well said Tim.

[simdeb]

I agree that farmers have as much right to use the lanes as us , but when ramblers blame us for the damage to the lane it is nice to have pictures / user evidance to say its not us ( green laners ) that cause the damage to the lane . Thats why i asked where it was .

[muky-kid.]

:shock: Personally if i came across a lane that was this muddy and soft in the past i have simply turned around and found another route, no need to dammage it thurther than nessacary.

Good picture evidence though, well done.
I know the farmers have to use these lanes everyday, but its us greenlaners who get the blame for this dammage from ramblers etc who also take photos like this and try and use it against us.

[hrh_dave]

Have you considered that the farmer has to use the lane no matter what condition the lane is in. Where as seeing that is was in such a state did you consider that you possibly shouldnt be using it.....


Just a thought


Dave

[Range Rover Blues]

Ther's 2 arguaments going on here, none of us can dispute that farmers need access to their land, whether it's a public right of way over their land or a public by-way.  I think what we want to see as 4x4 owners is some recognition that farmers have to access their land and in so doing cause damage and that it's not down to recreational use by the likes of us.  If we allow the ramblers to have their way and we get banned it will be too late for us to say "look, it wasn't us all along" when the damage still continues.

Either that all we all buy tractors!

[muddyweb]

There are a number of issues, but they are all intertwined.

Like I say... the main thing we must accept in my opinion is that vehiclular use causes damage... just like any other sort of use does.  

We need to get away from this blame culture.  The very fact that we have a picture posted here and are all discussing the damage to the lane shows (to me at least) that many of us believe it is the farmer's "fault" that this lane is damaged.   How many photos have been posted on here with damage caused by recreational users ?

The only solution is to surface the roads in question... but as I said before I've seen many people complain bitterly when this happens.

[hobbit]

Good points all round, It wasn't a dig at agricultural traffic, just an observation. Unfortunately this was father down than could be seen, I check so far, and was able to run ok, but unfortunately was then committed, so had to do the least damaging method to get out, would have done more damage to turn around

It is unfortunately part of the probs you have to face

You do the best you can

[Eeyore]

I agree with lots that has been said on this subject, but I'm going to add another tuppence worth to it. I might regret it, but here goes!

Should the council surface the lane? Well, the lanes got a surface - it's just not in the best of conditions. What it may need is modifying to ensure that the character of the lane is not lost, yet it is usuable to all. The HA have a duty of care to ensure that a lane can be used by all user groups - clearly this includes the farmer, walkers, equestrians and recreational drivers.

One solution could be to apply a seasonal TRO on the lane - it gets really cruddy in winter, ergo, vehicles can't use it over that period. The falicy with this is that the utilities users and farmers can still use it.

Maybe the lane has seen a change of use, maybe some drainage ditch somewhere is blocked, maybe the mud has been washed onto a made surface over the years to create the cruddy stuff pictured. At this stage we just don't  know - all we know is that if an axle does that, niether walkers or equestrians will want to use it and, chances are, its the recreational drivers that will get blamed.

Allowing the farmer to trash a lane in the name of agriculture is no excuse for not being able to recreationally drive it. Lest we forget, 99 times out of a hundred, the farmer doesn't own a lane - it's public property, therefore he has a vested interest to ensure he doesn't damage it - just as we have.

Farmers (rightly so) speak out against drivers damaging their fields, so why shouldn't we speak out when farmers / utilities / forestry damage lanes? We've all got a duty of care to lanes.

Mind you, no ones actually said the pictures on a lane yet!

cheers
 8)
Eeyore

[muddyweb]

Allowing the farmer to trash a lane in the name of agriculture

Well, that's not too inflammatory or biased then  :oops:

[hrh_dave]

Allowing the farmer to trash a lane in the name of agriculture is no excuse for not being able to recreationally drive it.

I think personally this is a bit strong as farmers dont have the option not to use certain lanes when conditions are not sutable to use them. I dont think people should be having a go at farmers at any point it suits them.


Dave
p.s. Im an Agri student

[hobbit]

This one 'Lane' is basically a line up the map, running down the edge of a field, no drainage, unfortunately it has a second track running along side it now for part of it

Like I said its not the first nor will it be the last, at least when I'm down that way again I can have a look to see what has happened to it

It wasn't a dig at farmers, just noted that the damage was done by that type of vehicle, as not a standard 4x4, I look at it as a hazard/obstacle you can come across, same as locked gates, and blocked lanes by other obstructions

[Eeyore]

Allowing the farmer to trash a lane in the name of agriculture is no excuse for not being able to recreationally drive it.

 #-o

Okay  :-k , let me phrase it differently - how about 'allowing a farmer, or any other heavy vehicle user, to render a lane impassable or undesirable to use by other user groups in the name of agriculture'.

 :|  I'm not flaming, or having a go at farmers (many of whom do a fine job in the face of innumerable odds IMV) but purely drawing attention to a fact that some lanes have been rendered impassable by even farm traffic through the actions of agricultural or utilities vehicles. Unfortunately, farmers / utlitlites / military / recreational drivers all have the same responsibilities to protect a lane.

I feel I have a sort of duty to mention the 'other side of the coin'.

Like I said, I'm not trying to enflame opinion, or have a go, as that'll get us nowhere.

cheers
 8)
Eeyore
(now slowly backing away to a very safe distance.......) 8-[