What are they?
These are highways maintained at public expense. However, unlike other highways they are not tarmacked – hence the name green lanes, most being grass covered. Being highways, they are open to mechanically propelled vehicles (MPV- cars and motorbikes etc.). County Councils often refer to them as Unclassified County Roads – UCR’s or Unsurfaced Unclassified County Roads UUCR’s.
On Ordnance Survey maps
They are normally shown as Other Routes with Public Access (ORPA’s). In the county of Norfolk there are hundreds of miles of these roads. Unlike the one Public Rights of Way (PRoW) which is open to MPV’s ‘Byway Open to All Traffic’(BOAT), there is no legislation for the these to be signed from a surfaced road.
Difficult to identify on the ground.
Unfortunately, this means that these roads become very difficult to identify, which means they are not recognised as being open to all countryside users, walkers, cyclist, and equestrian use. It’s difficult to know if it’s a green lane or a private farm road. Some county councils, like Norfolk, have made this information available via their interactive mapping, but not all have done so.
There is no legislation to waymark these roads. However some highway authorities have started to use waymarking signs with black arrows.
Misuse and subsequent damage
Green lanes can be used by Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (MPV) and these may cause damage to the road surface, although this can also be attributed to agricultural vehicles, as many green lanes provide the access to arable fields. The falling price of 4×4 vehicles has led to growth in the pastime, as many see it as ‘off roading’ and getting covered in mud as the fun![1] Unfortunately these new green lane users tend to give those responsible ones a bad name with other users.
Organisations
There are organisations that have codes of conduct and support responsible use by MPV users, Greenlane Association, Trail Riders Fellowship, to name two. There is also the Land Access & Recreational Association an umbrella organisation and forum that brings together the leading national associations in motor sport and recreation. Of course, there is also the opposite view and GLEAM, Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement, campaign to stop the recreational use of green lanes by MPV.
[1] Off roading takes place on private land, with the landowner’s consent. As explained green lanes are roads just the same as if surfaced, so MPV’s must be taxed and insured, and the driver licensed.
