Calls for vehicle ban on damaged ancient byway

Motorised vehicles are damaging an ancient byway and should be banned from using it, a charity has said.

The Cambrian Mountains Society (CMS) said Powys County Council's plans to upgrade Monks Trod – a route created centuries ago to link two Cistercian abbeys - could also attract more off-road motorcyclists to the area.

Monks Trod is a byway open to all traffic, meaning the public have a right of way on foot or horseback or to drive vehicles on it. 4x4 vehicles have been banned permanently and there is a temporary restriction on motorbikes.

Powys council said it planned to create a dry-stone causeway which would make the track easier to use and prevent further damage.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said it had concerns about the "environmentally sensitive and protected" site being used by motorised vehicles as they could "disturb wildlife and cause lasting damage to important habitats".

As its name suggests, Monks Trod was created as a route to link the 12th Century abbeys at Abbeycwmhir near Llandrindod and Strata Florida near Pontrhydfendigaid.

The byway runs for almost 6 miles (10km) in Powys, and then crosses the boundary into Ceredigion to become an unclassified road for a further mile.

It is a remote upland area which includes a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is part of a national nature reserve.

CMS member Alun Davies, who walked the length of Monks Trod two years ago, said he was "astonished by how difficult the going was" because the route had been "badly cut up by off-road vehicles" with "deep tyre ruts on both sides" of the Trod.

Mr Davies claimed that despite the temporary closure order, motorcycles were still being driven on the route.

"It's a temporary order - it lasts for six months, then it comes off, and then they put it on again," he said.

"What we want is a permanent ban, by turning this into a track that's only suitable for pedestrians and horses."

Sorcha Lewis farms near Monks Trod and used to be a ranger in the area for the Elan Valley estate.

She is worried about the impact on the peatland and the area's wildlife if more motorbikes started to use Monks Trod.

"There's times in the summer where I'm looking for water voles or something at one end, and I'll see scrambling vehicles coming up and across the Trod and into the wider landscape not just on the route itself, which I think is just as much a concern as the actual route," she said.

The Green Lane Association promotes inclusive access to the countryside for all users, including walkers, people on horseback and vehicles.

Tristan Craddock from the association said it welcomed Powys council's plan to improve Monks Trod which it said would "enhance access for a wide range of users, including walkers, cyclists and horse riders and (limited and already in place) motorcycle use".

Mr Craddock added: "The association strongly condemns any instances of illegal motorised use in the area. However, existing legislation already provides effective means to prosecute those who break the law. Responsible, legal users serve as the eyes and ears of the countryside, helping to monitor and report unlawful behaviour."

Councillor Jackie Charlton, the cabinet member with responsibility for rights of way, said one reason for the work was to repair the damage to Monks Trod.

"We want to repair it for biodiversity and to make the area as best as we possibly can, and make it accessible to walkers, to ordinary cyclists, to horse riders and others," she said.

When asked if "others" meant motorcyclists, Ms Charlton said: "Yes, because it's open to all. It's a public highway, so it is open to motorcyclists. We can't stop them. The restriction that we have at the moment has been there for some time. But the law says that we can't keep that restriction there forever. So our aim is actually to improve (it) for everyone to go along."

Ms Charlton said the ban on 4x4s would not be lifted and the council's plan would be for a dry-stone causeway "compatible with the surrounding landscape".

She added: "We want to see the Trod used by responsible walkers, responsible cyclists, responsible horse riders. People who look at the countryside in a responsible way."

But the CMS said it was concerned by the proposals, adding it would continue to oppose them.

"I'm all for making (Monks Trod) better than it is, in a limited way. But the problem with off road motorcyclists is, as we can see, they just prefer to go off road. So if Powys County Council spent millions to resurface it, the guys will just go around it," said Mr Trod.

A Natural Resources Wales spokesperson said: "As the environmental regulator for Wales, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) does have concerns about allowing motorised vehicles on this historic trail.

"The area in question is environmentally sensitive and protected. Motorcycles and other motorised vehicles could disturb wildlife and cause lasting damage to important habitats.

"To date, we have not received any formal proposals from Powys Council. If and when we do, NRW will review them carefully and assess them against the relevant environmental and habitat regulations that apply to this site."