Moor the merrier, but walkers are not happy

A ROW has broken out over plans to develop picturesque Crompton Moor and encourage mountain bikers to use it.

Residents who use the beauty spot to walk their dogs fear a proposal to include an authorised bike trail will shatter the peace.

But Oldham Council says the initiative will make the land more accessible to everyone and give youngsters already riding on the moors a safe area to pursue their hobby.

The plans include improving the footpath network for walkers, and bridleways for horse riders, and creating a dedicated mountain biking trail as well as a special trail for disabled scooters to open the countryside to the handicapped.

A series of programmes, such as horse riding days and mountain bike events, will then encourage people to get involved in sports.

Lottery funding of £30,000 has been secured and a six-month study is under way to seek people’s views and ideas.

The North West Riders, a group of young mountain bikers, is working with the council on the project.

But website www.crompton moorusergroup.org.uk has been set up to criticise how the plans are being developed. Its organisers say hundreds of dog walkers visit the moor every day and help look after the land and clear it of litter.

They fear their views are being ignored and say some bikers have littered and damaged the moorland. They add: “We bring our dogs here to get away from the traffic and noise of the city and many of us just want to preserve some of that.”

Richard Vink, principle greenspace development officer, said: “We are looking at a project to improve access for everyone on the moor. It will get people up there and using it in a positive fashion.

“We are trying to accommodate all the users, it’s not dedicated to one particular group. No one person can say no one else is allowed on there. We could have bulldozed the unauthorised bike trail but if we had told them to stop doing it they would have just come back again.

“We are trying to engage with people and give them a fair say. We are very much at the early stages and nothing is set in concrete.”

He stressed the plans would not turn the moor into a major attraction but would encourage locals to utilise it as a hub to the wider countryside.

Council leader, Councillor Howard Sykes, said: “There’s a small but very vocal group of dog walkers who have an issue and don’t appreciate we have made access easier. The improvements I think will be to the betterment of the area.”

Shaw Councillor Rod Blyth said: “This moor is for everyone and not one small group. The more people on the moor, the less vandalism there will be. It’s the jewel in the crown for Shaw.”

The presence of bikers on the moorland has long been contentious.

Two years ago the Chronicle revealed that traps had been left for mountain bikers including wire strung between trees at head height and logs left across tracks.

The bikers feared the council would bulldoze the track they had created, which proved an attraction for teenagers from as far afield as Huddersfield and Sheffield.

But the council agreed to work with them to include them in the plans and develop a new, authorised track.