Object

Waterbeach New Town Supplementary Planning Document

Representation ID: 167300

Received: 13/10/2018

Respondent: Ms Laetitia Stuart-Bruges

Representation Summary:

5.2 MOVEMENT AND PLACE
Object to the loss of Bannold drove as a rural village bridleway with no replacements proposed.

Objection to losing Bannold Drove as a secluded grassy track which horse riders can currently safely canter on away from high levels of passers by or traffic. Development is encroaching on the rural landscape and provisions need to be made to replace features which it eliminates.

Currently it is effectively removing one of our best off road secluded rural bridleways. The river paths by Long Drove are inaccessible to horse riders, as is the path to Chittering. We would like to see an increase in bridleways and in particular safe circular routes. Upgrading footpaths to bridleways would help. Opportunity to improve the area for riders as well as giving a general benefit to the general public in having improved access to the countryside.

With the increased number of people living in the village, the roads will be busier and less safe, so safe places to ride are a necessity. Outdoor pursuits such as horse riding promote physical and mental health and the many riders, including children and the disabled need to be considered in this planning document. Please could you add provision for horse riders in your plan.

I also support the comments by the Waterbeach and District bridleways group.

Full text:

I would like to write to object to the loss of Bannold drove as a rural village bridleway with no replacements proposed. I could not get the Web response form to work, I hope this email is sufficient to make this objection.

We have an objection to losing Bannold Drove as a secluded grassy track which horse riders can currently safely canter on away from high levels of passers by or traffic. The development is encroaching on the rural landscape and provisions need to be made to replace features which it eliminates.

Currently it is effectively removing one of our best off road secluded rural bridleways. The river paths by Long Drove are inaccessible to horse riders, as is the path to Chittering. We would like to see an increase in bridleways and in particular safe circular routes (Bannold drove currently provides an excellent wide soft grassy track that provides a loop with the low traffic Long Drove).

The addition of circular rides within the development and up grading footpaths to bridleways (this means changing a few gates from kissing gates to bridleway gates) would help. Upgrading the footpath to Chittering to a bridleway (making the small bridge over the ditch horse safe, or creating a ford) is also an opportunity to improve the area for riders as well as giving a general benefit to the general public in having improved access to the countryside.

Bridleways are easy to implement but do require small changes from footpaths and cycleways to be safe for all users and accessible. The gates need to be and minimum of 1.5m wide, openable from horseback (see bhs guidelines), the surface is ideally grass where the horses ride, and the paths need to be a minimum of 3 m wide.

Motorised vehicles can be excluded by padlocked down poles over the tracks which can be stepped over by horses if this is a concern for landowners.

Bannold Drove is not only the best bridleway but also one of the only bridleways in the village. With the increased number of people living in the village, the roads will be busier and less safe, so safe places to ride are a necessity. Outdoor pursuits such as horse riding promote physical and mental health and the many riders, including children and the disabled need to be considered in this planning document. Please could you add provision for horse riders in your plan.

I also support the comments by the Waterbeach and District bridleways group.