Now the nights are dark and winter is upon us it’s about time we got the old chestnut of Ramsden Road out for a bit of a PathWatch roasting.
The much abused Byway is being abused much more by 4×4 vehicles whose numbers have increased dramatically following the Council’s saving of the byway for 4×4’s to..er…trash. Damage on the byway itself is self evident. 4×4’s are having fun driving in the new drain and gouging out a fresh set of craters for the Kirklees ratepayer to fill in next summer. One of the new culverts has been damaged and blocked by a 4×4 driving over it and collapsing the stone revetment.
Off Piste activity on adjacent land (much of it in the Peak District National Park) is out of control. The old Parish quarry which was partly restored during the works in early summer is again getting a hammering from both 4×4’s and motorbikes. Boulders stopping access have been winched aside to allow this damage. Similar damage by the same responsible green laners is occurring along Kiln Bent Lane between Ramsden Road and Home Moss. A good record of what is going can be viewed on Friends of Ramsden Road FB here . Seems Ramsden Road has more enemies than friends.
A Traffic Regulation Order banning motorised vehicles from Ramsden Road is the only solution. Had Kirklees not been ambushed by their own incompetence this would have all been resolved 2 years ago.
Ending on a positive note a couple of laminated signs from “Glass” have been posted on the byway. That should sort it.
Path Watch 