HORSE riders have banded together to campaign for a forestry route to be reopened to them.

The track through Craig yr Allt Forest, in Upper Llanover is popular with local riders, but in March Natural Resources Wales (NRW) installed kissing gates at either end in an effort to stop off-road motorbikes using the path. This meant horses cannot access the route.

Janet Villars, from Mamhilad, is leading the campaign.

She said: “By installing the kissing gates NRW goes directly against Welsh Government, Local Government and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority strategy, policy and guidance to increase and improve safe off-road riding and circular routes for horses.

“I have tried to reason with NRW to implement a solution that enables horse’s access whilst prohibiting motorbikes but they have refused to do this. I have submitted a request to re designate this as a bridleway which will take up officer’s time, public money and may take up to two years.”

Dai Rees, land manager for NRW, said: “We installed kissing gates at both ends of a public footpath in Craig yr Allt forest to stop illegal off-road motorbikes using the path, and ensure the safety of people using it.

“Following talks with the local horse riding community, we installed a combination lock and mounting blocks to enable free horse access through the forest on routes other than the public footpaths.”

They also pointed out that the route is a public footpath and so horses do not have a legal right of access along the path. They confirmed that an application to upgrade this footpath to a bridleway has been submitted and if this application is agreed the NRW will replace the infrastructure to enable horse access.

MP David Davies and county councillor Bryan Jones have backed calls to re-open the track to riders.

Mr Davies said: “I am surprised and disappointed that NRW have made it impossible to ride horses across the forest. It is a beautiful stretch of countryside and NRW should be supporting those who want to make use of it in this way.”

He said he will be writing to NRW to ask them to come up with a better solution.