Urgent - Save Stonehenge byway 12 for wild camping!!!

[Firefox]

English Heritage want to close the ancient right of way Byway 12 also known as the NetherAvon Coach Road to all vehicular traffic. This is an excellent wild camping spot and also a great vantage point to observe the stones for free from a respectable distance.

If they get their way it will be lost for ever. A public enquiry has just finished and the inspector is due to report to secretary of state for transport Justine Greening


What you can do

1. Join the Facebook Group dedicated to keeping this Byway open. Read the groop for more information. Link below:

Welcome to Facebook


2. Write to Justine Greening at

fax9643@dft.gsi.gov.uk

This was my email

Dear Minister

I understand a recent public enquiry has taken place and the inspector will make his recommendation to you.


If I had known this enquiry was taking place I would have attempted to submit evidence or raise objection to the closing of byway 12 to traffic.
I have in the past used this byway to to pull over and photograph the stones at sunrise and less commonly at sunset. I am not a pagan or of that persuasion, but I would like to make it known that it is used by occasional photographers, or recreational vehicles to view the stones at times when the normal facilities may be closed. I agree with the stopping up of the A344 from byway 12 to the A303. The junction with the A303 is at a sharp angle and dangerous. The A344 does compromise the stones as it runs close to it. However, Byway 12 in no way does so as it is at a distance from the stones and used only by farmers, photographers and a few recreational vehicles. The traffic is very minimal.

Byway 12 provides a low key alternative access to view the stones at any time by disabled people of limited means, photographers, or those for whom the stones have a religious significance. The stones belong to the nation, not to English Heritage. I don't believe it is within English Heritage's rights to grant themselves a monopoly that anyone who wants to view the stones has to use their paid car park and road train at considerable expense, and at such opening times which suit English Heritage.

I realise that if you do not want to use the paid car park and road train, you can park elsewhere and approach on foot but this means walking several miles, perhaps in the dark. It is not practical for disabled people, photographers carrying equipment, or pagan worshipers who want to view the stones at certain odd times, not just at the solstice or equinox.

I would thus urge you to approve the closing of the A344 from Byway 12 to the A303 but leave the ancient right of way Byway 12 open to vehicles as it has always been to cater for the needs of the people described above.

I hope you can give this matter due consideration.

 

[donkey too]

E H is like all the similar organisations they spend thousands on huge wages for the directors and management and all the real work is done by volunteers.
I am wondering if they can actually close the bridleway? I can't find reference to it but I am sure if a place has been used regularly over a number of years it cannot be closed off from that use. A bit like the old squaters rights.
If anyone has any knowledge of this please let me know. as this may be a way of keeping the site open

 

[Teffy]

Many years ago we visited an interesting stone circle on the west coast of Scotland. We returned a couple of years ago and found the area fenced off and signs saying no dogs allowed. We couldn't imagine how the dogs were now going to harm stones that had been there for thousands of years. Dig them up?

 

[Firefox]

The issue is that it will be closed to motor vehicles. It will still be open to horses and foot traffic.

They can close it to motor vehicles via a TRO, remove the gravel road, and grass it over.

But motor vehicles are needed by the disabled, photographers with tripods, etc. The only alternative for a motor vehicle is to use the new EH car park two miles away pay the £10 or whatever it is and take the road train at a time convenient to EH. OR you could park in Amsbury and make your way on foot one or two miles across the fields IN THE DARK to see or photograph the sunrise. For a disabled person or photographer with a lot of gear this excludes them.

It also excludes casual visitors for example on the way back from the west country and want to stop briefly to see the sun set over the stones. There is no access and parking for them. The EH car park will be closed and who wants to pay £10 or more on multiple occasions to view from a distance what should be free. Or people may want to view the stones in the moonlight. Again EH will be closed, no parking or access by road at night. People may be excluded including some religious groups for whom observing the stones at certain times is part of their right to worship.

In short the EH proposal to close this byway is madness and a violation of human rights, not to mention national rights as they actual exclude some people from their heritage.

 

[jogguk]

English Heritage want to close the ancient right of way Byway 12 also known as the NetherAvon Coach Road to all vehicular traffic. This is an excellent wild camping spot and also a great vantage point to observe the stones for free from a respectable distance.

If they get their way it will be lost for ever. A public enquiry has just finished and the inspector is due to report to secretary of state for transport Justine Greening


What you can do

1. Join the Facebook Group dedicated to keeping this Byway open. Read the groop for more information. Link below:

Welcome to Facebook


2. Write to Justine Greening at

fax9643@dft.gsi.gov.uk

This was my email

Dear Minister

I understand a recent public enquiry has taken place and the inspector will make his recommendation to you.


If I had known this enquiry was taking place I would have attempted to submit evidence or raise objection to the closing of byway 12 to traffic.
I have in the past used this byway to to pull over and photograph the stones at sunrise and less commonly at sunset. I am not a pagan or of that persuasion, but I would like to make it known that it is used by occasional photographers, or recreational vehicles to view the stones at times when the normal facilities may be closed. I agree with the stopping up of the A344 from byway 12 to the A303. The junction with the A303 is at a sharp angle and dangerous. The A344 does compromise the stones as it runs close to it. However, Byway 12 in no way does so as it is at a distance from the stones and used only by farmers, photographers and a few recreational vehicles. The traffic is very minimal.

Byway 12 provides a low key alternative access to view the stones at any time by disabled people of limited means, photographers, or those for whom the stones have a religious significance. The stones belong to the nation, not to English Heritage. I don't believe it is within English Heritage's rights to grant themselves a monopoly that anyone who wants to view the stones has to use their paid car park and road train at considerable expense, and at such opening times which suit English Heritage.

I realise that if you do not want to use the paid car park and road train, you can park elsewhere and approach on foot but this means walking several miles, perhaps in the dark. It is not practical for disabled people, photographers carrying equipment, or pagan worshipers who want to view the stones at certain odd times, not just at the solstice or equinox.

I would thus urge you to approve the closing of the A344 from Byway 12 to the A303 but leave the ancient right of way Byway 12 open to vehicles as it has always been to cater for the needs of the people described above.

I hope you can give this matter due consideration.

Justine Greening direct email: greeningj@parliament.uk


John

 

[Firefox]

You can also write direct, but make clear at the outset it's a secretary of state for transport matter not a constituency matter. They have a habit of ignoring correspondence from people who are not constituency members otherwise.

 

[Firefox]

Only 8 "likes" so far on the facebook page: Keep Stonehenge Free for Occasional Visitors & Byway 12 open | Facebook

If you are on facebook and have a moment, please "like" the page and maybe share the page with your friends, if they like the great outdoors.

Hopefully we'll get over 1000 likes and then I can write to Justine Greening again with concrete evidence that there are lots of people who care about this byway. That's why it will be really useful if you can like the page.

We will also be demonstrating at Stonehenge on 4/5 December with placards to keep the byway open to traffic.

Note that the thrust of the argument is the loss of amenity of the byway. On a byway as with any road there is only the legal right to pass and repass. Parking or overnighting like on any road is only "tolerated" not necessarily a right. But this byway just happens to have a central 4m gravel track with lovely 4m grass verges on either side... so you know the rest.

 

[kangooroo]

Not just humans !!!!! My dogs love it up there ! Bunnies too ?

Definitely bunnies too (although secretly she preferred Woodhenge).

She's up for a thumping protest if it goes ahead next time with placards. If the press get wind of it, she could attract attention and photo opps while you and Vernon could be good spokesmen. Just a thought....

 

[donkey too]

I have started printing posters. and will do some hand out leaflets if someone can supply the wording. we may get a chance to hand them to motorists etc.?
As said. iI shall bring the posters and sticky but you will need to bring your own poster boards. A3 size cardboard with a stick nailed to it for a handle will do.
Be good for us as well if the press were there as we could put our wild camping side to them and even ask them along to a wild camp. that may get through to some of the less blinkered public/councillors etc.

 

[Firefox]

Personally I would not mention wild camping at all.

The reason being that there is no legal right to stop or overnight on a BOAT (Byway open to all traffic) or any other road. Stopping or overnighting is only "tolerated" where it does not interrupt the traffic. We have to argue from a proper legal standpoint because since there is no right to overnight; wild camping is simply dismissed by saying you had no right anyway therefore you have not lost any rights.

Closing Submissions | Wiltshire Council

On the above link are the closing submissions to the public enquiry. If you check out the official submissions by Wiltshire and English Heritage they are written by barristers, traffic engineers, archeologists, and other experts ... all carefully worded to put the case for closure as regards the law and what is reasonable. The submission against closure by Arthur Pendragon (Druid) although well meaning, is rambling, does not argue from all the right standpoints, and does not counter the arguments of the other parties like they do to his submission.

This is why the Enquiry will be a complete stitch up and the recommendation of the inspector to the Sec of State will almost certainly be for closure of the Byway to vehicular traffic.

To counter the arguments of EH and Wiltshire we have to argue from our loss of amenity to to pass and repass on the byway to view the stones, for disabled access to view outside EH opening hours, for photographic access when carrying equipment etc. So although loss of wild camping is a by product of the closure, it can't really be used as one of the arguments that may hold sway with the Sec of State, because her legal adviser will simply say there was no right so it shouldn't be considered. Also wild camping does not generate any sympathy with the public because it is seen as a nuisance by some.

What will hold water with both the public and legal people is genuine loss of amenity. Disabled access, religious access, viewing access, photographic access etc. All these things can be achieved from the new EH car park and road train, but not without paying through the nose, and only at hours to suit EH.