Confused motorists do some off-roading
DRIVERS TAKING TO FOOTPATHS AFTER ENCOUNTERING BARRIER
motorists who have lost their way are mistakenly driving down footpaths at a tourist attraction in South Derbyshire.
The paths are meant for walkers only but drivers who have been either trying to leave the site or enter have been taking a wrong turn and end up on them.
Walkers have told how they have been confronted by lost visitors in cars at Rosliston Forestry Centre in Burton Road, Rosliston, as they walk along the tracks near the car park.
Now bosses at the forestry centre have said they will be installing new signs to stop the problems.
Rosliston Forestry Centre is run in partnership by South Derbyshire District Council and The Forestry Commission and is managed by Aurora Country Developments Limited.
One walker, Jo Owen, was shocked after spotting a vehicle driving behind her on a tight track to the currently closed holiday lodges at forestry centre.
She said there had been a few cases recently where vehicles had been seen driving down footpaths and tracks on the South Derbyshire site. They are often trying to exit the car park but get confused by the exit barrier, which is down, and end up on the paths.
Some drivers do not realise that the barrier rises automatically as they approach and have instead been turning onto a track which leads to the lodges.
As a result, white lines and guidance arrows have been painted in the car park and new site signage has been installed.
Mrs Owen, 56, of Rosliston, said: “I had been walking with my son down the top path, which runs parallel to the road, when my son saw a vehicle driving behind us. We stepped to one side out of the way and thought it might have been workers at the site but my son saw a woman and a child in the car. “I don’t know where they would have come from as the lodges are not occupied at the moment. Sometimes they do go the wrong way.
“The car did speed off a bit fast and I reported it to the police because people with young children and dogs often walk down here and it could be dangerous.”
Councillor Melanie Bridgen contacted Rosliston Forestry Centre following the concerns raised.
She received a response from site manager Nick Tucker in which he said: “There seems to have been a couple of cases recently of people new to the centre getting confused by the exit barrier being down (it operates on a loop system to rise when cars approach) and turning into the lodge track.
“We are having white lines and guidance arrows done in the car park, new site signage installed, and I’ll be talking to Forestry England about the possibility of a barrier up past the lodges.
“The issue with this last measure is the required emergency access in case of an incident and the ability to gain access, especially out of hours when staff aren’t on site.”
Mr Tucker added that the general public’s vehicles are not allowed access to the site outside of the car park, except by permission and with constraints.
However, he said that various authorised vehicles, such as contractors and staff members and lodge guests, need access on pedestrian routes, adding: “So there will always be an element of vehicular traffic ,which we can’t avoid.
“It is hoped that the additional signage and guidance will help to reduce or eliminate this problem.”
Councillor Bridgen said: “Rosliston Forestry Centre is a fabulous site where families of all ages can enjoy the best of what the National Forest has to offer in a beautiful forest setting. I was understandably CONCONFUSED cerned by reports of cars driving along what should be pedestrian only areas and the obvious risk that this presents to other users.
“The forestry centre management were quick to respond when I raised this with them and I have had assurances that immediate action will be taken to improve road markings and signage. I urge anyone visiting the forestry to use the car park and then take their time to explore the rest of the area on foot.”
A spokesman for Derbyshire police confirmed the incident had been reported and said the path is not used solely as a footpath as it gives access to buildings further down. The spokesman added that the car in question was checked out and all came back fine, adding that there have been no other reports to the team of any issues.
I reported it to the police because people with young children and dogs often walk down here and it could be dangerous.
Jo Owen