YOUR VIEWS
OFF-ROADERS RUIN THE LAND
I WRITE this first hand as the daughter of a hill farmer in the Rossendale Valley – ‘ Groups of off-road bikers have been causing chaos and disruption to farms between Whitworth and Edenfield’, Observer, January 30’
My family have farmed the same farm and moorland for generations and it is now facing hugely unprecedented times and is under a threat of no longer being home to grazing livestock at all.
The biggest issue our uplands face is it is treated as a playground for grown men to travel to, along with their motocross bikes, 4x4s and numerous friends.
They spend their days and evenings shredding our moorland to pieces.
This problem has grown in popularity over the last ten or so years.
Groups of up to 20 bikes have been sighted and photographed.
The mess and devastation they are creating is totally beyond belief.
Our moorland is home to several species of birds including twite, curlews and lapwings, along with birds of prey such as buzzards and kestrels.
Not to mention several farmers’ flocks of sheep and herds of cattle; all of which are threatened with these devastating effects.
Our ewes have become trapped in motorbike ruts, bogged up to their necks in a peaty soup.
Other farmers on our moorland have had their cattle ‘rounded up’ in a game by the bikers.
One particular calf, only days old ended up with a broken leg.
These peatlands are stores of carbon, removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in the peat. These environments are the UK’S largest store of carbon.
The carbon stored in UK peatlands is equivalent to eight years of total UK carbon emissions.
Therefore, it is hugely important to preserve these carbon sinks.
The ruts these bikes create speed up the flow of water from the hills to the valley bottoms causing erosion, and in some cases flooding.
The erosion of blanket bogs and peat haggs, which store huge amounts of dissolved carbon inside them, are known to affect the water quality and increase the costs of water treatment from our local reservoirs.
By improving the moorland landscape, making sure the vegetation on open peat bogs is there, we can prevent flooding in below villages as the vegetation slows down the water.
It’s only now that I have felt that the future of hill farming is very bleak.
What a sad and sorry future our local area has ahead of it. Things need to change. Beth Holt
TAKE STOCK OF THIEVES!
IT‘S sad to see St Mary’s plight
Whose flagstones were half-inched at night Culprits will be sought And when they are caught
A stretch inside should serve them right
But some folks would not take this line
They’d say let our heritage shine Don’t lock them away Put them on display Those stocks at St Chad’s should do fine! Ian Aitchison, Rooley Moor
● THE firm hoping to put hundreds of electric scooters on the streets of Rochdale...and how they’d make it Covidsafe (page 3)
Beverley Martin said: “If the scooter is introduced will they be reopening the A&E department at the infirmary?
“I guess they are useful in a mugging situation for easy get away.”
Jeanette Scott said: “This is an outrageous idea. It’s bad enough with some mobility scooters being driven badly without having to cope with these, plus they wouldn’t last a week.”
Janet Neal said: “No and no. We will all need to be ready to jump out of the way. Hospitals could have more casualties from these.”
Catarina Sheridan said: “No, I don’t think these should be used in Rochdale, a bad idea – who is paying for them? We are encouraged to walk more.”
Dave Smith-markl said:
“Is this instead of the ridiculous Castleton cycle lane idea or in addition to?”
Ben Crossley said: “They will soon get rid when someone comes off on that dodgy paving round the new shopping centre, then it will be claim central – but crack on RBC, you know best.”
Andrew Mee said: “Can’t wait. They look like a lot of fun and should encourage more infrastructure for less cars and encourage other modes of transport.”
Simon Duggan said: “They’ll probably all be stolen within a few weeks of service.”
● TRIBUTES have been flooding in for Captain Sir Tom Moore (see page 2)
Debbie Chatburn said: “They don’t make them like him anymore, a true British hero. Fought for his country during the terrible WW2, and still a fighter wanting to do his bit for his country which he loved and was so proud of – a very rare breed these days.”
Amanda Webster said: “He was a true gentleman. Such a shining soul and a very much needed inspiration and strength to the country in very difficult and worrying times. Sir, you are a true British hero.”
Pauline Graham said: “Sir Captain Tom Moore was a true hero and gentleman. The world was a better place with him in it. A remarkable man.”