[Closed] Rushup edge resurfacing

!!! Which bit?
The top boggy bit?

No the bed rock bit that did not need doing

Sick of hearing about this now 🙁 it's happpening everywhere!

There are a few alternate lines higher up on the bank though which I'm sure won't be sanitised so not all is lost

No drop offs on those though

I'll be heading out that way on Sunday, will report back with pics.

It's been mentioned on the keeper of the peak twitter feed. Some one has ridden it

Got to love the power of the bloody rambler haven't you 😡

🙁 I love that bit of trail. Hope this isn't true.

What? The bit that was interesting for riding a bike and walking on?

I was tired last time and didn't clean all the step ups, sounds like I won't get the chance

Yep. Was there yesterday. Nice bit of mundaneism council vapid thinkers.

All in progress to be nicely levelled.

Whats the argument? It aint a 4x4 spot.

I can't quite grasp how they complain about bikers/motorbikers/4x4s tearing up the trails and destroying them yet resurfacing the lot so they look nothing like an actual trail is ok??

Open season on footpaths then?

Open season on footpaths then?

That or we all show up with a load of shovels and barrows one Saturday morning and put it back how it should be.

So they ban 4x4s and sanitize it?! Makes no sense.

I don't like to sound paranoid but is there some old fart at dcc intent on boring all mountain bikers out of the Peak District entirely?

Ugh. What possible reason was there for this? That piece of trail was one of my favourites in the peak.

Can't one of us get a high ranking job at dcc stop this from the inside?

Glad I got to ride there a couple of weeks ago.

I have been known to walk and run on trails myself sometimes, usually when I forgot my bike 🙂 The thing is, I don't want to walk or run on sanitised trails either. I just don't get who they think 'benefits' from this ridiculous waste of money.

Mintimperial - let me know when and I'll be there with my shovel. 🙂

Any idea what they've surfaced it with? Surely the amount of water that comes down the slabs when it rains is going to wash it away pretty sharpish?

Not my picture I might add, posted on my local riding groups Facebook page:

[img] [/img]

Pretty certain it was taken where the bridleway joins the road before heading up the Roych.

You're ****in kidding me!

Christ. Unbelievable. 🙁

Mintimperial - let me know when and I'll be there with my shovel.

I'm definitely not the best person to organise something like that but I'd be well up for getting stuck in and shovelling some of that crap off to make a point if, say, Ride Sheffield or someone happened to name a date. Negotiation and engagement clearly hasn't worked. It would be sort of like the MTB version of the Kinder trespass. Hands off our trails.

Bloody hell. Another one bites the dust. Let's just Tarmac the ****ing lot and have done with it.

Couple of good winter storms will hammer that. Not really value for money!

I'm not the best person to organise something like that but I'd be well up for getting stuck in and shovelling some of that crap off to make a point if, say, Ride Sheffield or someone happened to name a date. Negotiation and engagement clearly hasn't worked. It would be sort of like the MTB version of the Kinder tresspass. Hands off our trails.

Dam right!

I don't like to sound paranoid but is there some old fart at dcc intent on boring all mountain bikers out of the Peak District entirely?

That's exactly what is going on.

Couple of good winter storms will hammer that

+1

half that will be washed away by the new year (probably resulting in washed out erosion 'ravines' that will twist a wheel/ankle)

Couple of good winter storms will hammer that
+1

half that will be washed away by the new year (probably resulting in washed out erosion 'ravines' that will twist a wheel/ankle)

It hasn't happened to Chapel Gate, though, has it? Drainage bars have seen to that.

Guerrilla raid with picks and shovels might be the only way.........

Nice work DCC... another section of a true national classic mountain bike route temporarily ruined by inconsiderate regrading. Agree that it will weather out, and maybe quite quickly, but what a waste of public funds. That's another doctor/teacher/policeman that we can't afford for a few years. (If anyone had the brains to reassign budgets in a half sensible fashion)

Do we know who's done it?

OMG so sad, really. loved that trail. glad to have had it on a regular ish route and cleared it up before this **** up 🙁 WHY!?

I think we might well need our own version of the kinder trespass. I'm up for that.

Me too

Do we know who's done it?

Got to be DCC, surely. No one else would bother covering half a mile of rocky byway that was hurting no-one with tonnes of aggregate. At least it's not **** roadplanings this time...

Do we know who's done it?

Given that this is the only thing Google can find about it, it seems no consultation or notification has been given. Unfortunately I am coming to the view that all this 'user group' and 'consultation' stuff is one-way only. We are given crumbs from the table when they want stuff rubber-stamping and no 'scene' being caused, but it's up yours when they just want to railroad something through.

Footpaths and off-piste ahoy.

Blimey. That is spectacularly shoite.
I take it the old trail is under there somewhere?

ruined my weekend that 🙁

Kinda looks like it was done on the sly, I notice peak mtb knew about wlt and cut bridge works, but only tweeted this a couple of hours ago

WTF!?!

It's all b0llocks. The more this goes on the more tempting it is to ride wherever the hell I want. Bring on the trespass.

Only rode that for the first time this year on my holidays. Truely sad. Down here on the south downs, since we became a national park, there is evidence of the same sort of thing happening here and there. I fear its just a brownie point exercise for a council official in claiming that they have made the national park more accessible. Certainly not more fun.

It's all b0llocks. The more this goes on the more tempting it is to ride wherever the hell I want. Bring on the trespass.

Yep, it's time these buggers realized that every action has a reaction. You screw up this bridleway, we'll ride that footpath. Turbulent times ahead. I thought these councils were 'struggling' financially. When they can spunk money away on crap like this, that no true walker would want either, then I'm becoming convinced it is a campaign. All the things that money could have been spent on.

Piss boiling now......

Wow what a sand slope! Anyone got any pics / vids of it in its original glory?

Maybe a freedom of information request regarding the cost of trail repairs. Then pass it on to Derbyshire telegraph (or whatever it might be called) and see if the people of Derbyshire might be a bit pissed off at their money being wasted.

Wow what a sand slope! Anyone got any pics / vids of it in its original glory?

As it happens it's in the video at the start of today's Pootle thread, from about 15s to 1m00: [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/pootle ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/pootle[/url].

(I'm the one mincing down the steps at about 21s.)

Edited as above

Im going to ride cheeky brazenly now. Explain to anyone that its not illegal AND politely tell them its open countryside. Not theft, speeding or crime so politely be quiet.

Maybe a freedom of information request regarding the cost of trail repairs. Then pass it on to Derbyshire telegraph (or whatever it might be called) and see if the people of Derbyshire might be a bit pissed off at their money being wasted.

That's a very good idea. "Council wastes £££ resurfacing Road To Nowhere whilst Hard Working Families bump over potholed roads to underfunded schools and hospitals."

From dcc website

In 2014-15, we must save £36.7m and at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday 5 February) councillors voted to:

Set our annual budget for 2014-15 at £515.5 million
generate £5 million by asking residents to pay an extra 1.99% in council tax.

And then generate a couple of hundred k on wasted trail maintenance

Commiserations to Ride Sheffield, Peak District MTB and all the rest of you guys who have tried to promote our interests, by the way.

I admire the work that you have done, and the commitment you show to the cause. To have a knife shoved in your back like this makes me want to puke.

I think those responsible knew full well this was on a 'classic' ride that many have enjoyed and hoped to enjoy in the future. They probably thought it would be a bridge too far with you guys and thought "actually, sod 'em, we'll just do this without telling anyone".

I am fairly militant about stuff like this (we recently had some 'trail advocacy' of our own locally), but I wished the guy well. What actually happened was a revitalized enforcement and crackdown by the authority that he was trying to engage with. These people are cynical, and they will look you in the eye, shake your hand, then do whatever they want anyway.

They don't want us there. It is as simple as that. Once you come round to that view, then a bit of opprobrium for riding a footpath doesn't really register anymore.

Ok. Can we can get the actual cost then hit the media in conjuction with the savings needed/% asked from taxpayers?

I imagine middle class pressure is behind the trail 'repairs'?

Might pack a spade this weekend. Whats the legal punishment if I say I feel improvements feel loose/dangerous?

I've been in contact with DCC this evening to ask them whether this was their doing. I have doubts it was anyone else and I have doubts I'll get a response. If I do I'll update this thread as well as the Peak District MTB website, Facebook and Twitter feeds.

Let's at least dig out the drop offs,for the sake of those we know who paid good money in skills courses to be able to ride them like demons

Whats the legal punishment if I say I feel improvements feel loose/dangerous?

I doubt there would be any serious repercussions unless you did it on a regular basis and made a proper nuisance of yourself. You'd probably not even be noticed, unless you were unlucky enough to be spotted by someone wearing an official hat.

More importantly, with just the one of you you'd not make much impact. It needs someone with a lot of reach in the area to name a date and get as many riders out with picks and shovels all at the same time, in order to make a point. You bury our trail, we dig it back up again. (And dump all the rubble on the road, maybe. Or turn it into jumps.)

Wonder if my wife will get chance to clear the beast in one before it goes forever. Pretty sure that will be next. It's now starting to feel like a focused attack on the classics.

Does anyone live in the area and fancy lighting a fire under their local MP?

The Beast is a bridleway, isn't it? I think it's much easier for them to do this to byways, RUPPs and whatnot, which come under the remit of Highways and are supposed to be maintained or something. That's the bad excuse I've seen used, anyway.

Who is the local MP?

http://www.andrewbingham.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1:high-peaks-..

There'll be some high and mighty roger red socks somewhere in the DCC that was probably "nearly killed" by a cyclist one day and is out to get the lot of us. The whole council is corrupt anyway, there's no use trying to put up an argument as it'll fall on deaf ears.
Pretty sure if they did reply it'd involve making the routes more suitable for walkers and tourists, they're blind to the idea that natural erosion takes place around here when there's cyclists and off roaders who they can put the blame on.

Unbelievable ..... wrong on so many counts.

Can't believe that whoever sanctioned this 'repair work' can be so utterly and completely stupid.

<Heads off to write angry letter to MP>

[tin helmet]

It could be argued that they are just repairing the trails and putting them back to a 'useable' condition for the maximum number of users. We have built up a hobby riding badly damaged and poorly maintained rights of way, we can still ride them, they have not stopped us.

[/tin helmet]

It may not be DCC, could be the landowner. Let's get the info & share it before doing anything that may negate anything positive being done elsewhere. Just for the record DCC is the highways authority for that part of the Peak which falls within the Derbyshire county boundary, they are responsible for the maintenance of rights of way including bridleways and byways etc.

Personally I will be just a little miffed if it is DCC after all the efforts made to engage with them and assurances made.

More than a bit annoying as therefore plenty of actual roads that need fixing around Sheffield...

The chapel gate sanitisation was carried out to protect a SSSI from being damaged by the run off from the old track. Can't think where the SSSI is near Rushup?

P.P ranger told me the excess run off on chapel gate was effecting the pH causing damage to some protected plants on the SSSI. Surely all the runoff from rushup ends up on the road?

As well as Peter White from DCC I've also been in touch with Jim Dixon to ask what is going on. He is the current chief executive of the Peak District National Park and is quite active on Twitter (@PeakChief). I've already had a response from him saying he'll look into it, so fingers crossed and watch this space...

We don't yet know for sure that this is DCC. Let's keep the momentum and disquiet going with this, but let's not throw pitchforks until we are 100% sure of the target.

I remember the decent from curber edge to baslow being "resurfaced" years ago. It was one of the first. We've lost some gems since then. Just wish we'd been more vocal and more active then. Much more of ththis and it's cross bikes all round.

Roger, is it possible to put together a map of what's happened? I'm sure each one will have its own excuse/justification but the result for us is the same.

I have the attention of Peter White from DCC who looks after rights of way. It would be very useful to have some more precise details of location e.g. grid references.

I won't be able to keep checking on here so if you can please email them to me. Email in profile.

Thanks
Dan

The work carried out on chinley churn was the wall builders (possibly paid for by 'Rural England' - I think CPRE)
The wall is nice. The trail is shocking. They dug up the stable almost-bedrock with a digger first, then threw unused stone off the wall down, no resurfacing. The result after a few weeks is stagnant watery mud with loose boulders lying around: almost impassable.

Is it this one?

[img] [/img]

🙁

Would it be classed under the same BOAT stretch as Chapel Gate on the other side, and perhaps be a continuation of those works, hence no notice?

This is really sad. Another excellent descent done over for no real reason. As others have said, I'll be surprised if that top coat of gravel lasts more than a winter without becoming a mess.

F%*&%*ing disgusting.

I'm glad we had a really good blast down there 2 weeks ago.

Thing is it's done now, isn't it? Even if they shrug their shoulders, shuffle, look embarrassed like naughty schoolchildren, say "sorrywon'tdoitagain", it's too late. Always easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

It's happened in less than 2 weeks (I rode it a fortnight ago), presumbaly less than a week, as it would have been spotted last weekend otherwise. Where did the backfill material come from? It's a decent length bit of track with some big steps, so there's a lot of volume needed. Getting that in quick would have taken some planning. You can also bet the bedrock underneath will have been mashed by the plant doing the work. At least one big backhoe, a road roller or 2 and gravel trucks reversing up and down the track.

Although I applaud the efforts of RS and PDMTB, my personal view was/is that they will always be on a hiding to nothing as there's nothing to be gained for DCC by even acknowledging we exist. Even if you take into account the "money brought into the area by tourist mtbers", it's still chuff all.

It would be interesting to see a close analysis of the bank accounts of the members of DCC highways dept and a corresponding one done on the contractors involved.... (is it always the same contractors??)

Can we make a FoI request to see who requested the works to be undertaken? (Horsists/walkers/random solo "disgusted of derbyshire"?)

But who is all this work actually for? I was talking to some locals in Holmesfield where the bridle way by the side of the woods was motorwayed a few years ago. The awful bodge carried out annoyed everybody from dog walkers, horse riders, serious rambler types as well of course mtbers. Same as Houndkirk, I was talking to some t'old lads on there who were furious about the vandalism ( their words ) on the track. So back to the original question, why?
All users seem to hate it, yet these works carry on. I think it shows as someone said earlier a total disregard for consultation and user input. Oh, unless you are the Hallam Riding Society who seem to get whatever they want.

🙁

Think I've only ridden down it twice and now it's gone. I keep reading it'll be back after a decent storm etc. but I've not seen this on the others that have been flattened.

The only way it would come back is if vehicles were allowed on it.
They aren't.

As others have said, let's find out exactly who is responsible first.

It won't be back as we knew it for many years.

Winter storms will probably cut a narrow, deep winding channel down it that *will* be dangerous. Then DCC will have to come out and do the job "properly" ala Chapel Gate or Stanage with big rain bars, spunking a whole load more cash to outside contractors in the process

Is it this one?

really sad if they've flatted out this stretch, I love that bit of trail, especially after the terrible boggy section of field on the way to it, you cross to the sandy track and blast down, and its totally weatherproof as a descent 🙁

love the little drop offs too, its really annoying they keep sanitising everything

ive actually never seen anyone walking on it anyways, the walkers tend to use the grass verge above that runs along side it 🙁

Can we expect [url= http://www.v-publishing.co.uk/files/downloads/VP-Kinder-All-Weather-MTB-Download.pdf ]this whole route[/url] to be flattened over the next few years? Chapel gate, the climb up to jacobs, and now the sunken road descent all gone 😥

Is there actually anything that can be done about this happening again? I feel like the whole situation is utterly helpless.

It is DCC; there is a van up there right now. One of the Peak District MTB lot is up there taking pictures and finding out more information and I'm grilling Peter White for more information.

Frustrating as it is for many of us to lose technical features from our trails, remember that others would prefer it easier. I've heard huge support for the Stanage Causeway works from other users for example. Those of us who want it technical are probably a small voice but we try and make a lot of noise.

Remember:

If you have an enquiry about Rights of Way or you would like to report a problem email: eteprow@derbyshire.gov.uk or phone Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190. Alternatively you can use the online reporting facility here: [url= http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/countryside/Access/rights_of_way/default.asp?VD=rightsofway ]Rights of way: Leisure and culture - Derbyshire County [/url]Council