We have had a written, formal response to the questions we outlined in the earlier post and it raises another raft of questions, it would be great to hear other riders’ questions and responses to this so we can keep this dialogue going and make the most of the open communications we have with PDNPA.
This is the letter we received back from Peak District National Park Authority:
Re: Peak District MTB Comments on Wider Peak District Cycle Strategy
Thank you for your comments with regard to the Wider Peak District Cycle Strategy as provided in your e-mail to Emily Fox on the 9th of January 2014. I would also like to thank you and your colleagues for meeting with Mike Rhodes and myself on the evening of Monday 13th January 2014.I apologise for the fact that we were unable to cover all of the points raised within your e-mail, but hope that the meeting proved as useful to yourself and other members of the group as it was for me.
I hope that providing some background to the genesis of the cycle strategy explained why there are some gaps with regard to mountain biking in the document. Hopefully we also clarified the situation with regard to other existing plans such as the Rights Of Way Improvement Plans and a need to avoid duplication where a mechanism for improving provision for cycling already exists.
However, we do see that the Wider Peak District Cycle Strategy does have a role to play in the enhancement of mountain bike routes and facilities; and where appropriate we already have, or will take on board the comments and suggestions you provided.
As discussed at the meeting on the 13th, the strategy is a work in progress and the current version has undergone significant amendment compared with the version upon which your comments are based. We will be undertaking a five week web-based consultation of the draft version of the suite of documents comprising the strategy, from the 17th February 2014 onwards, and would welcome any further comments and suggestions from the Peak District MTB during this time. You will be provided with further details about the consultation in the very near future.
At the meeting on the 13th of January, I agreed to provide a written response to the comments that you provided, and which we were unable to cover during the meeting, these are contained within Appendix A.
