Please reply to PO Box 1065, Bradford, BD1 9JY

The Chief Planning Officer,

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Yoredale
Bainbridge
Leyburn
North Yorkshire
DL8 3EL

14.08.2012

Dear Sir,

PLANNING APPLICATION C/44/257. PROPOSED NEW ACCESS ROAD AT CAM FELL FOR CAM WOODLAND TRUST

I write on behalf of the Dales Way Association. The Association has almost 400 members, from all over the UK and abroad. Its principle object is to “support and promote the Dales Way Long Distance Footpath”.

The Association believes that the proposal to use the historic Cam Fell High Road for large scale timber extraction will be extremely damaging. The Dales Way, one of Britain’s most popular and best loved paths, uses approximately 5 km of this ancient green road, from a point just above Cam Houses Farm to the junction with the B6255 above Gearstones ford.

We note that this track also carries in part, a section of the Pennine Way National Trail and the new Pennine Bridleway. This is also part of the proposed new “Dent loop” of the Dalesway between Cam Houses and Dent via Newby Head and Wold Fell.

Our concerns include:

·  Damage to the public highway by constant movement of heavy vehicles, leaving the track severely damaged and rutted, making it unpleasant for walkers and for cyclists. We note that the National Park Authority has, commendably, used its powers under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to regulate the use of motor vehicles along this track, and carried out significant repair work. The exact reasons used to restrict its use by 4x4 vehicles and motor cycles are even more relevant to the proposed use by heavy forestry waggons.

·  Danger to walkers from slow moving heavily loaded vehicles either approaching or coming from behind which will severely restrict enjoyment of the route and raise issues of safety.

·  Loss of both visual amenity in terms of destruction of the surface of the green lane, and the heavy industrial concrete sewer pipe "Irish Bridge” which will be constructed across Gearstones ford.

·  Severe noise pollution from the engines of heavy haulage vehicles over a very large area of what is the quiet heartland of the National Park as they haul large loads of timber up very steep hillsides onto Cam Highway.

·  Loss of the feeling of wilderness in what is one of grandest and remotest sections of the Dales Way

·  Almost certain oil spills and related pollution from heavy vehicles, and severe run off from damaged road surfaces and feeder tracks into the becks and headwaters of the River Ribble. We understand this area includes one of the last strongholds of the nationally important English crayfish, as well being as an important fishery and wildlife conservation area.

The Dales Way attracts many thousands of walkers from all over the UK and abroad each year, and these users, most of whom who stay for several nights in the area, make a significant contribute to the local economy. The proposed massive timber extracting operation at Cam Houses, supplying a low quality product easily obtainable elsewhere, is we believe a major threat to both the National Park and to the quality of experience of the Dales Way. It will make one of the most iconic stretches of the route, with its outstanding views across the Three Peaks, unpleasant and even difficult to walk, especially after periods of wet weather when mud and water will fill the rutted surfaces. The noise, damage and disturbance will deter users for perhaps several years.

We believe that the National Park Authority has a prime duty to defend the special environment of the National Park from whatever large scale industrial damage threats that environment, and to promote its quiet enjoyment by the public. The proposal to use the Cam Highway for timber extraction totally contradicts these prime duties.

We do not believe it is the job of the National Park Authority to find alternative ways of extracting this timber which may include managing the present and future woodland in ways that maximise its landscape and conservation value, treating some timber on site and using less environmentally damaging methods to extract the logs.

Present proposals may be in the economic interest of the owners of the Forest but are not in the longer term environmental and economic interest of the National Park nor of its stakeholders, including the Dales Way Association.

We therefore request the Park Authority to turn down this most harmful application.

Yours sincerely,

Chris Grogan

On behalf of the Dales Way Association Committee