It looks as if the threat to motorsport from the ramifications of the ‘Vnuk case’ may finally be over:

Read more on the Government website.
Read the statement from Motorsport UK.

Following the retirement of Alan Kind, we would like to welcome Dave Waterman who will be supplying his services to LARA as its Technical Advisor from March 1st.

Dave worked for DEFRA from 2000 until 2018. His role in DEFRA was mainly as head of recreation and access policy, which included public rights of way policy and legislation, but included National Parks policy. Before that Dave worked in a wide variety of roles in the Departments of Environment and Transport, including the Planning Inspectorate and the (then) Vehicle Inspectorate.

Dave drives a Defender, but his exploration off the beaten track is generally by bicycle or on foot. As you will see from the above, Dave brings a high degree of expertise to the role and a special understanding of PROW issues from a government perspective.

We are delighted to welcome Tom Waterer as our new Chairman. Tom takes over from Andrew Brown who resigned in April, after four years in the role, due to family circumstances.

Tom is a lifelong motorcyclist who has worked for BSA, Norton, Suzuki GB, and the Motorcycle Industry Association; he’s raced at the Isle of Man TT and in enduros; and competed in motorcycle trials and motocross. More recently he’s become involved with 4×4 green-laning; renovating Land Rovers; competing in AWDC events; and driving 4x4s overseas in Morocco, the Pyrenees, Namibia, Lesotho, and South Africa. Quite some CV!

Tom can be reached at chairman@laragb.org

LARA TECHNICAL ADVISER

Due to a forthcoming retirement, LARA wishes to recruit a part time, home based, Technical Adviser. The role requires a working knowledge of current legislation and good practice as applied to the use of motorised vehicles in the countryside, and highway research expertise. An interest in grassroots motorsport, on 2, 3, or 4 wheels, is desirable but not essential. The role also includes the administrative work necessary to support the LARA Steering Committee, which usually meets three times a year.

Applicants should be Members of IPROW or able to demonstrate equivalent qualifications and experience. Applicants would need to demonstrate committee experience and negotiation skills. The position would suit retired local government officers, potential early retirees, or anyone willing to assist Highway Authorities with the management and sustainable use of rights of way.

Applicants will be expected to commit to an average of 10 hours per week, but this may rise following a transition period with the existing incumbent. The actual hours to be worked, the hourly rate, and other contract terms, will be negotiable for the right applicant.

If you are interested please apply, in confidence, to chairman@laragb.org including your CV and any other relevant information. Applications close on Friday 13th March 2020, interviews will be held during March/April 2020, and the successful applicant should expect to start work from 1st May 2020, subject to negotiation.

Posted on behalf of our friends at GLASS:

No matter where you live almost every green laner and trail rider has heard of Happy Valley, Carn March Arthur, The Wayfarer and Horseshoe. These are some of the most iconic green lanes in the UK, but damage has been caused by those who choose to act outside the responsible green laning community. This, coupled with the impact of weather and water erosion, has left local authorities with some hefty repair bills they simply cannot cover – so we need to take steps to bring these important routes back to their former glory.

Over winter GLASS have been busy forming plans with Denbigh, Wrexham and Gwynedd County Councils, Snowdonia National Park Authority and local landowners – now it’s time for action!

GLASS are going to help fund these large projects which will include:

• Helicoptering hundreds of tons of stone to repair Happy Valley and Carn March Arthur.
• Bridge repairs, sleeper section maintenance, drainage improvement, signage and off-piste solutions on the Wayfarer.
• Signage and drainage improvement along the full length of Horseshoe

We’ll be digging into our fighting fund to complete each project, but the shortfall needs to be covered by donations. Money raised will be ring-fenced for these projects and any excess used for future maintenance on the routes.

Our crowdfunding page can be found here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/greenlaneassociation
(Please note that during the process donations to JustGiving are optional)

A project overview and future ongoing updates can be found here:
https://www.glass-uk.org/help-save-our-iconic-welsh-lanes.html

With your help we can ensure that some of the most well-known lanes in the UK are preserved for us all to drive for years to come.

Finally, don’t forget to pass the link to donate onto any green laners you know.

Ends

We have now completed the move to the new web server. The content is unchanged. There’s still some tidying-up and re-formatting to be completed and the old site will remain available at https://laragborg.wordpress.com/ until this has been completed.

Please be aware that we are moving the LARA website to a new web server, starting on the morning of Wednesday 13th November. The website will be continue to be available at http://laragborg.wordpress.com/, but not at http://www.laragb.org/, whilst the move is underway. The linked Reference Documents will be unavailable (at both web addresses) for a short period thereafter. Emails sent to any @laragb.org email address whilst the changes are underway may not be received. We currently hope to have everything fully functional within 24 hours, although we will be making minor changes to the style and format of the site over the following days.

We have just published a revised version of the LARA report on Motor Sport Events in the Countryside, subtitled Good Practice Guidance for Event Organisers & Land Managers. This supercedes the previous version, published in January 2016. This new version now covers only the laws and regulations dealing with the temporary use of land for motor sport events under what is known as the ‘14/28 Day Rule’. Sections of the first version dealing with the regulation of motor events on public rights of way, and the provision of permanent motor sport venues requiring planning permission, are now covered by separate LARA papers. The new report is available from the LARA – Publications page of this website.

We have just published a new LARA Paper, titled Motorsport Events on Public Rights of Way and sub-titled Good Practice in Statutory Authorisation. This sets out, in principle, the relationship between ‘route authorisation’ (under S.13 of the Road Traffic Act 1988) and authorisation for the use of rights of way (under S.33 of the same Act), together with basic guidance on appropriate conditions that might be imposed by a local authority when granted ‘S.33 authorisation’. We intend to publish a second paper, later this summer, providing more detailed guidance to organisers seeking S.33 authorisation for their event. The new Paper is available from the LARA – Papers and Reports page.

… passed quietly a couple of months ago. It is now just over 50 years since The Motor Vehicles (Competition and Trials) Regulations 1969 came into operation and they continue to regulate motoring events on public highways five decades later.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s there was increasing concern about the noise and disturbance caused by car rallies, particularly those held during the night. The Road Traffic Act 1962 made provision for the “Regulation of motoring events on public highways” and this led to The Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) Regulations 1965, the first time that motoring events on the highway had to be authorised. The 1965 regulations were considered over-draconian and immediate efforts were made to relax some of the controls, resulting in the Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) Regulations 1969 which are still in force (with amendments) to this day.

When one considers how our roads have changed in the last 50 years it is a remarkable tribute to those who drafted the 1969 Regulations that they are still considered ‘fit for purpose’ in a totally different motoring environment. It is also a tribute to our friends and colleagues, first at the RAC, then at the MSA, and now at Motorsport UK, who have been responsible for the ongoing implementation of these regulations.