“Up to 100,000 miles of trail across England and Wales waiting to be claimed”

Following a sustained nationwide campaign, CTC, the national cyclists’ organisation, is today celebrating final confirmation that cyclists will be able to claim a new type of right of way. This is the first advancement in Rights of Way legislation for cyclists since 1968, and CTC is calling on cyclists to get ready to take advantage of these new opportunities.

Last October, thousands of cyclists contacted their MPs in support of cyclists’ right to claim Restricted Byways where they could show sufficient evidence of past use. At that time Minister for Rural Affairs Jim Knight MP accepted the principle of CTC’s campaign, and after lengthy discussions an amendment was agreed, which the Minister laid before the House, saying “The view of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is that a normal pedal-powered cycle is a non-mechanically propelled vehicle and therefore may give rise to restricted byway rights. This amendment introduces a clause that will make that clear on the face of the Bill.”

CTC Off-Road Campaigner Richard George welcomed the news, saying: “It has taken a while, but finally off-road cyclists are getting the rights they deserve.”

The countryside is littered with inconsistencies including bridleways linked together by footpaths, or changing status at County borders. In the past, cyclists have been unable to do anything about this, but now, where there is evidence of twenty years’ cycle use on a trail, they can claim a permanent right to use it.

CTC is asking cyclists to think of examples like this near them, and to submit a claim to their local highway authority; there is a guide to submitting a claim on the CTC website.

“We have no idea how many routes like this are out there, and the only way we’ll find out is by cyclists submitting claims - there could be up to 100,000 miles of trail across England and Wales just waiting to be claimed!” says Richard George.

CTC would like to thank the thousands of cyclists who supported the campaign, as well as Emily Thornberry MP, who led the fight in the House of Commons, and Lord Berkeley for defending it in the House of Lords.

Ends

For more information including photography contact CTC Media Officer Yannick Read 0870 873 0063

Notes to editors

• There are 225,000km/140,000 miles of public rights of way – off-road footpaths, bridleways and byways that the public has a right to use – in England and Wales (Countryside Agency).

• CTC is the national organisation for all cyclists in the UK and Ireland, including children, families, and commuters. CTC has 70,000 members and affiliates and is the oldest and largest cycling body in the UK.

• The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill received Royal Assent on the 30th of March, and the Government hopes to commence the relevant sections “as soon as possible” – potentially within two weeks. For more information, see the DEFRA press release, at http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=193730&NewsAreaID=2&HUserID=878,793,894,857,782,868,865,845,786,674,677,767,684,762,718,674,708,683,706,718,674.