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RIDER RIGHTS

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Says Naomi Smith

Says Naomi SmithIt is all too possible to round a corner on horseback and come upon a group of cattle with no prior warning -this WILL result in a horse being badly spooked at best, bolting at worst -it is only a matter of time ........... read more

Trail Riders Fellowship welcomes Supreme Court victory in Dorset map scales case, but questions cost

"Questions need to be asked as to why cash-strapped Dorset County Council was prepared to spend large sums of money preventing members of the public from correcting obvious mistakes and inconsistencies on its Definitive Map."

Says Richard Simpson

Dorset County Council will have to review the status of five rights of way in the county after a Supreme Court victory for the Trail Riders Fellowship. The TRF is now questioning why the council chose to fight the case in the first place.

It is widely accepted that Bailey Drove in Batcombe, Doles Hill Plantation, in Cheselbourne, Crabb's Barn Lane in Beaminster and a route between Tarrant Gunville and Chettle and another between Meerhay and Beaminster Down, should be Byways Open to All Traffic throughout their length.

Trail Riders Fellowship welcomes Supreme Court victory in Dorset

Dorset County Council refused applications for these errors on its Definitive Map to be corrected in 2010 – not on the grounds that the corrections themselves were invalid, but because the maps supporting the applications were not Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 scale, but copies of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps sourced electronically and enlarged to 1:25,000 scale by the applicant.

After earlier hearings in the High Court and Court of Appeal, Dorset County Council's argument was rejected by the Supreme Court on 18 March, 2015, and the council will now have to process the applications.

The Trail Riders Fellowship understands that Dorset County Council faces a substantial legal bill.

A spokesman for the TRF said: "On its website, Dorset County Council says that 'it is in the public interest that the Definitive Map and Statement are correct and up to date.'

"We are puzzled therefore as to why it has taken five years and three expensive court cases to force Dorset County Council to start to process these corrections.

"Questions need to be asked as to why cash-strapped Dorset County Council was prepared to spend large sums of money preventing members of the public from correcting obvious mistakes and inconsistencies on its Definitive Map.

"Were they acting on the behest of wealthy landowning interests, were their strings being pulled by Westminster politicians, or was there some other reason?"

Trail Riders Fellowship welcomes Supreme Court victory in Dorset

A summary of the judgment can be downloaded here:

And the judgment in full is here

About the Trail Riders Fellowship

The Trail Riders Fellowship was founded in 1970 to preserve and promote legal motorcycling on unsurfaced vehicular rights of way in England and Wales.

Its members operate a code of conduct

It should be noted that trail riding is not 'off-roading'. The routes used by trail riders have vehicular status, although they may lack a coating of tarmac.

Says Linda Wright

Says Linda WrightWe moved to a Shropshire location a year ago having surveyed the local OS map and noted the significant number of bridleways around the property. Sadly the map appears a total fiction. Scarce any of the bridleways are usable ........... read more

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