Rushup Edge Work Halted ‘For The Time Being’

Leading on from our report earlier this week about the flattening of the Peak District track at Rushup Edge by Derbyshire Country Council, which was in turn followed by a tweet from Peak Park CEO Jim Dixon suggesting that work was to be halted for consultation between the Park Authority and DCC, we’ve now had confirmation that work has stopped ‘for the time being’.

PDNPA Statement

A statement issued by the Peak District National Park Authority this afternoon reads as follows:

Work at Chapel Gate has stopped for the time being.

The National Park Authority has asked Derbyshire County Council for an opportunity to comment on the specification and work plan before work progresses any further on site.

Sue Smith, access and rights of way officer at the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “We are not consulted as a matter of course on repairs to rights of way in the Peak District. However, we have since spoken to Derbyshire County Council and have agreed that we will work together on future projects such as this one to find the best possible solution.’’

A Step In The Right Direction

The news will be welcomed by both mountain bikers, who reacted to the work on an unprecedented scale, post-bombing DCC’s Facebook page, contacting councillors and organising a Protest Picnic at the site  But it’s also good news for anyone who believes that repairs to paths and tracks in a National Park area should be sympathetic to the environment and also that they should not compromise the access to adventure which is why many of us go into the outdoors in the first place.

It’s not, of course a guarantee either than the Rushup Track will be returned to its existing condition or that similar situations won’t arise in future, but it’s at least a move in the right direction and the statement that the PDNPA and DCC have agreed to ‘work together on future projects such as this one to find the best possible solution’ is a positive step in the right direction.

Let’s hope that it’s the start of Derbyshire County Council working productively with the guys at the Peak District National Park Authority to avoid scenarios like this happening in the future and that it’s not too late for Rushup Edge.

Watch this space for more updates.