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Driving on our land

Introduction

2.9% of Wales’s population participated in off road driving and motorcycling during 2016/17 (National Survey, 2017). Natural Resources Wales want to encourage responsible recreational motor vehicle use, and we work with the national governing bodies of motor sport to provide access for Wales’s best-known events.

Definition

Here, we explain the different types of recreational motor vehicle use:

  • Individuals - Individual drivers / riders
  • Affiliated groups - Motor clubs affiliated to national governing bodies
  • Events or commercial groups - Tractor rallies, Land Rover safaris and vintage car rallies
  • Competitive events - Rallies, enduros and hill climbs

Please note: This statement covers two and four wheel recreational motor vehicle use but doesn’t cover other non-recreational vehicle access, such as for filming and private access.

Where you can go without needing our permission

Recreational motor vehicle driving is a legal right on Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) You can identify these routes on the maps held by the Local Authority.

When you’ll need permission from us

  • We’ll consider applications from affiliated groups to use the parts of land we manage that aren’t BOATs.
  • Events or commercial groups will need to ask our permission to use any part of NRW’s managed
  • Permission for competitive events is given through motor sport governing bodies (in line with our Master Agreements). However, only parts of our land are considered for this.

Please note: we won’t give permission for individuals to use areas where they don’t have a legal right of access. Individuals who want to recreational motor vehicle driving on our estate should seek to take part in affiliated group activities.

How we support recreational motor vehicle use

  • We will follow our Guiding Principles for community involvement with land that we manage.
  • We work closely with National Governing Bodies to enable well managed competitive events.
  • Wecarefully consider the location of high-profile events, as they can lead to an increasein illegal off-road activity.
  • We work with the police and other organisations to enforce the law when illegal off-roading activity takes place, to ensure our land is always used safely.

What you’ll need to do

If you have received our permission, then you’ll also need to:

  • Ensure that all vehicles and drivers meet with statutory legal requirements and comply with the relevant regulations and road traffic laws.
  • Respect other users of NRW managed land. Any irresponsible or antisocial behaviour on shared routes can lead to conflict with other users and could potentially be a risk to public safety.
  • Adhere to all our signs. NRW managed land is often a working environment and failure to follow safety signs can be dangerous for both drivers, riders and land managers.
  • Follow our ‘Keep It Clean’ guidelines to protect against the spread of invasive species and biosecurity threats. This is especially important where routes go through waterbodies or muddy areas.
  • Take care not to cause erosion or to damage vegetation, particularly in sensitive areas such as ancient semi-natural woodland, sand dunes and marsh habitats. Intensive use can also damage trail surfaces, making them impassable to other people. Also, rutting on regularly used routes can affect the flow of surface water and lead to flooding and increased sediment run-off.
  • Aim to minimise the noise you make by dampening your vehicle’s sound as much as possible and showing discretion with the throttle. Noise pollution is a concern to other users and residents.
  • Always be careful not to disturb birds or animals. They are particularly vulnerable during the breeding season and in winter.
  • Avoid causing pollution. Fuel spills from vehicles may impact watercourses and intensive use in some environments may also affect air quality.

How you can apply for permission

It will normally take up to 12 weeks to assess an application and complete an internal consultation. This will make sure that your activity or event can be carried out safely without affecting others who are using or working on our land. 

Apply for permission to film, organise an event or carry out an activity on our land

Who to contact for more information

If you’d like further information, you can find out more using the following links:

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