The Peak District National Park Authority has decided that trail-bikes, quad bikes and 4x4s should be permanently banned from the Roych, near Chapel-en-le-Frith.

The Roych is a 3.5km section of the Pennine Bridleway, a national trail dedicated principally to horse-riders but also used by cyclists and walkers. It is an extremely environmentally sensitive route that has been seriously damaged by off-roading activity.

The Peak District National Park Authority's Audit, Resources and Performances committee decided a Traffic Regulation Order is necessary on the Roych and is to exclude trail-bikes, quad-bikes and 4x4s in order to protect the special qualities of the national park.

The decision follows a public consultation during which the Authority received around 2,500 responses, with over 1000 objecting to the proposed TRO and more than 1235 individuals and organisations in support of a ban.

Christopher Pennell, Audit, Resources and Performance committee chair, said: “We have not taken this decision lightly. The Roych is a very popular route with many different users but it crosses some of the most environmentally-sensitive areas of the national park.”

“We considered partial regulation, but past attempts, on a voluntary basis, to partially restrict use by 4x4s and trail bikes has failed. The status quo was unacceptable and doing nothing was not an option. “In light of evidence and feedback during public consultation, our members felt they had to use the powers Parliament gave them to restrict motorised recreational traffic in this particular case to protect the natural beauty and amenity of the Roych and its surrounding, stunning landscape.”

The Roych is in the Dark Peak - an iconic landscape of sparsely settled gritstone uplands with heather moorland and peat bog, wooded valleys and gritstone walls.

It is a very popular route, and high levels of use has led to conflict between users. Vehicles have left the highway, both to avoid difficult features and to link to Chapelgate nearby. A large amount of public funding has already been spent on the route and the levels of use were damaging repaired sections.

The exclusion does not include wheelchairs or electric disability scooters and trampers.
Read the details here