Northumbria TRF - Latest News

11&12 September 2010

Adventure Rally Club - Northumbrian Rally (2 day)

Adventure Rally Club is a brand new club formed only to cater for people who want to explore, tour and compete on off-road capable vehicles. The Northumbrian Rally is being held on 11th & 12th of September 2010 in Kershope Forest (10 miles north of Brampton). Single day entries from £70 with 2 day entry from £120.

Includes:

Entry to envent
Free camping at start venue
Free facilities
A meal on Saturday evening and a meal after the race on Sunday
A finishers award

Follow this link for more information

05/12/2009

Bottle run and Christmas Lunch

12 members of the Northumbria branch of the Trail Riders Fellowship met at the Travellers Rest Pub near Slaley village and set out on a short trail rider before returning for Christmas lunch. Three groups left the pub at half hour intervals but unlike normal club runs this time each group carried a little Chritmas spirit to give out to a few of those who live on or close to a byway or unclassified county road. The bottles of either port or whisky were given out to show our appreciation to these people for their co-operation and understanding. The three groups returned to the pub for 1pm and were joined by non riding family members to enjoy the Travellers Rest Christmas Fayre lunch time meal, our thanks go to the staff at the pub for an enjoyable afternoon. See the gallery for the phots taken from the day.

NTRF group enjoy Christmas Meal at Travellers Rest

10/07/2009

In the Press - Victory for trail riders in BOAT case

TRAIL riders have won a key victory in their battle for the right to ride their motor bikes along a 240-year-old road in Hexhamshire. A bid to stop up the ancient drift road that runs through Espershields Farm between Slaley and Healey dramatically collapsed at Tynedale Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Northumberland County Council withdrew the application to block off the road after magistrates indicated the proposed alternative route was unacceptable to them. More

REMEMBER this is what your membership fee is for, protecting your right to ride your bike on byways.

From the Letters page of the Hexham Courant

24/07/09 - Curious victory - After consulting widely, the council wanted to accept the dedication of a new bridleway, which would have formed a useful new link for walkers, cyclists and horse riders, without causing hardship for the farmer. Full Letter

7/08/2009 - Compromise - Northumberland County Council ignored all of these and adopted in total the suggestion of the landowner which involved diverting rights of way for all users onto an additional two miles of busy highway. Full letter

7/08/2009 - Dismayed - On behalf of the Ramblers’ Association, I had already supported the proposal for the alternative bridleway. It would have provided a useable and more attractive alternative, linking more readily into the rights of way network in Slaley Forest and the Blanchland Moors. The BOAT will need field gates inserting into old stone walls to make it useable. [presumably walkers, cyclists and horse riders can walk through walls then! Web ed] Several horse riders I have spoken to have expressed their concern at sharing the route with motorised vehicles. [Byways make up 4% of the rights of way network, Bridleways 30% and Footpaths 66%, users do well to find a byway in Northumberland but not motorised users, whilst able to use Byways, do have alternatives Web ed] What a pity the magistrates decided to perpetuate a track which was relevant to economic interest in the 18th century but hardly accords with the aim of the county’s rights of way improvement plan. Full letter

4/09/2009 - Residents ask for BOAT result more

03/07/2009

In the Press - Court to rule on stopping up BOATs

NORTHUMBERLAND County Council has applied for two ancient byways to be stopped up. more

29/04/2009

Durham Bikewise - Doing it right off road Four of our members show PC Gary Ward from Durham Motorcycle Section where to ride road legal trail bikes off tarmac. Follow the link for the full article http://www.durham.police.uk/bikewise/off-road/724/

05/02/2009

In the Press - Proposed cuts to Northumberland County Council's Rights of Way & Countryside Team

Newcastle Journal reports that the proposal is to cut three posts, two of which are in the management of the rights of way network. The cuts are proposed in order for the Council to meet its finacial targets set by the Government. Click here for the full article.

The cuts will undoubtly affect the department's ability to maintain the rights of way network and this will likely affect us more than other user groups so in an effort to avoid the Council using TROs rather than carrying out maintenance work can all riders excercise restraint on byways which are soft and thus prone to be damaged more easily.

31/01/2009

Northumberland National Park - Management Plan (draft)

The Newcastle Journal reported the release of the Park's draft management plan which has been published for formal public consultation between 30 January and 27 March 2009. Feedback can be emailed to managementplan@nnpa.org.uk.

A summary of the management plan can be found on the Journal's website, click here. A number of open evenings have been arranged for the public to attend and make comment and these are to be held on the following dates at various locations around the area:

Mon 9th February Hexham, Tynedale LSP, Prospect House 6.30pm
Monday 2nd March Lanehead, Village Hall 7pm-9pm
Tuesday 3rd March Berwick, Guild Hall 7pm-9pm
Wednesday 4th March Haltwhistle, Comrades Club 7pm-9pm
Monday 9th March Alnwick Community Development Trust 7pm-9pm
Tuesday 10th March Morpeth Storey Park Community Centre 7pm-9pm
Thursday 12th March Wooler, Cheviot Centre 7pm-9pm
Monday 16th March Harbottle, Village Hall 7pm-9pm

The plan warns that inappropriate and illegal activites, such as off road biking and 4x4s, are becoming a recurring problem and undermine the tranquillity of the Park, but what the plan doesn't say is that od 1,100 km of rights of way with the Park there is only 23km of byways which can be used by recreational motorised users (data taken from Northumberland County Council's Rights of Way Improvement Plan).

For a full copy of the draft management plan, click here.

12/12/2008

In the Press - Crackdown launched against forest bikers

Northumbria TRF Chairman & Rights of Way Officer (Tony Whitehead) and Runs Co-ordinator (Steven Campbell) assisted local Police and the Forestry Commission with the start a combined operation aimed at educating motorised users of the legal byways in the area. Click here for the full story. Northumbria Trail Riders Fellowship assist police & Forestry Commission in Slaley Forest

01/12/2008

Latest ROW News - Broadway Byway claim rejected
The claim for the Broadway (over hexhamshire common) to be recognised as a byway has been rejected by the secretary of state following appeal by the claimant. Northumbria TRF has received this notification from Northumberland County Council and been asked to inform our members that it is now illegal to ride a motorcycle on the Broadway, click to see letter

20/11/2008

In the Press - Clamp down on Rogue Bikers
Hexham Courant reports that police are targeting rogue bikers who churn up tracks in Slaley Forest. The Police who are working closely with the Northumbria group of the Trail Riders Fellowship are responding to complaints about damage casued in the area. Attend your local group meeting or arrange to come on a TRF lead run for more information. Click here for full story in the paper

04/11/2008

Northumberland TRF Group meeting and AGM

Prior to the November group meeting the AGM was held and the elected officials for the next year were:

Chairman - Tony Whitehead

Vice Chairman - Neil Pattison

Secretary - Roger Peters

Treasurer - Nic Gilbert

Rights of Way Officer - Tony Whitehead

Runs Co-ordinator - Steven Campbell

Assistant Secretary - Ray Smith

Assitant Rights of Way Officer - Steven Campbell

** IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ** It was proposed, voted on and agreed at the meeting that from the January 2009 meeting that the monthly meeting would be held on a Wednesday rather than a Tuesday.

06/06/2008

In the Press - Scooters in Slaley Forest
Maggie Kyte group spokeswomen for the Alan Valleys Action Group (AVAG) expresses concern for children putting their own lives in danger by using scooters on the Byways within Slaley Forest. She also comments that there has been almost no Police presence in the Forest in the last three years. Click here for the full story

Update: The Police and Forestry Commission both now have a much higher presence in the Forest and Northumbria TRF are supporting them to curb illegal motorised use in the Forest. Stick to the byways you've been warned, see lastest news 20/11/2008.

31/05/2008

Horse Event - Hexham Horse Trials
Members of Northumbria TRF helped collect the score cards at the Hexham horse Trials on 31 May and 1 June 2008.

22/05/2008

In the Press - Bikers not the villians on the peace (Hexham Courant)
Response to letter published on 16 May 2008 from a reader in support of ligitimate motorcycling on Byways in particular in Slaley Forest. Click here for the full letter.

15/05/2008

In the Press - Bikers Allowed to take over the forest (Slaley)

AS a council tax payer, I should like to know why a whole network of Byways Open To All Traffic (BOAT) is being created in and around Slaley Forest. More

27/04/2007

In the Press - Byways Decision Delayed
Northumberland County Council Rights of way Committee met to determine three byway applications. These cover sections of Blanchland Moor, Byerhope Bridge and the Carriers’ Way between Allenheads and High Acton. Councillor Glen Sanderson said: “I would not be happy progressing this matter today, we need to hear balancing arguments from all sides.” His proposal to defer the decision was seconded by local councillor Bill Purdue. Click here for the full story.