Cyclists agree to help mitigate path damage
The Guernsey Mountain Bikers Association has agreed to a number of suggestions designed to mitigate any damage caused by the four-month trial of riding along a section of the south coast cliffs, according to La Societe president Trevor Bourgaize.
Mr Bourgaize has met GMBA secretary Mark Smith, with the pair walking from the car park at Rue de la Trigale to the western end of La Rue du Chemin le Roi, and back along the road to the car park.
Mr Bourgaize said the GMBA had agreed to La Societe’s suggestion that, should there be two consecutive nights of very cold or wet weather, the association would cease using the paths for two nights, so as to enable affected species to build up their ‘fat reserves’ again.
Additionally, he said that the GMBA had also agreed to a suggestion that metalled roads should be used to access Batterie Dollman from Mont Herault.
‘This means a large swathe of land currently used by a range of passerines and non-passerines for feeding or roosting would be undisturbed. We are grateful to the GMBA for these changes.’
Mr Bourgaize said he highlighted how the cliff paths and surrounding fields provided an extensive habitat for species to hunt, nest, and roost, adding that the mountain bikers had agreed to do some remedial work.
‘We agreed that a botanist or ecologist should be consulted as these areas, although seemingly devoid of life, hold some extremely rare plants.’
The presence of these notable species, Mr Bourgaize said, emphasised the importance of remaining on the cliff path to avoid any erosion.
He said Mr Smith had reassured him that this would be monitored and regulated by the GMBA via the use of trackers.
He emphasised that La Societe still considered the trial a ‘retrograde’ step, and thought the planned trial finishing date of 30 March was ‘too late’.
‘We would prefer to see a finishing date around the beginning to the middle of February. We have yet to hear how the “trial’’ will be assessed, the environmental issues being considered, and how they will be monitored.’
National Trust president Mike Brown has said the feeling among most of those who had contacted the trust about the trial was that they wanted to see a continuation of the ban that had previously been in place.
Mr Brown said he had seen a legal opinion which stated that the right of a landowner to refuse their land being used for such an activity trumped the States’ right to allow it to take place, but said the trust was still investigating the matter.
He added that the trust condemned the attempts to sabotage mountain bikers’ first chance to ride the cliffs on Saturday night, when a stake was put across the path.
‘It’s unacceptable and endangers people,’ he said.
