Rushup Cock-up – The Fight Continues….
It’s been a busy couple of weeks since DCC started flattening yet another classic Peak District trail. During that time, much has been achieved. Thanks to the efforts of Peak District MTB, Ride Sheffield, @KoftheP and many others, a temporary halt has been called to the work. However, we’re pretty sure it’s only a matter of time before another bulk order of crushed gritstone is delivered and the diggers get to work again.
We discovered very quickly that it’s not only mountain bikers who object to the decimation of this wonderfully rugged high-level route. So we though a joint statement would help to concentrate minds at DCC.
Open Letter to Derbyshire County Council
We the undersigned wish to object in the strongest terms to the current maintenance program on Rushup Edge. In this environmentally sensitive location, which is protected by various national and international designations, ecological, landscape and amenity considerations must be paramount Our main objections are as follows:
- The complete lack of consultation with the Peak District National Park Authority, the Local Access Forum and relevant user groups.
- The urbanisation of the Peak. Tracks and trails within the Peak District are by their very nature, rough and natural. It will be a sad day when every trail brings to mind an urban cycle path.
- The effect on the landscape and the National Park’s special qualities. Wide, flat paths do not sit well in the Peak landscape, sticking out, as they do, like the proverbial sore thumb.
- Expense. In these austere times, should such large sums of money be spent on inappropriate and unnecessary repairs to the public rights of way network?
Ride Sheffield, Peak District MTB, @koftheP, British Mountaineering Council and Friends of the Peak District/CPRE
As you can see, both the British Mountaineering Council and Friends of the Peak District/CPRE have put their names to the statements, two organisations that very much have the best interests of the national park at heart. Although Peak Horsepower felt unable to sign at this time, we have had supportive comments from a number of individual riders.
Please feel free to use the statement wherever you think it will have an effect.
