Greetings,
Just to keep you up to date here is a copy of the reply from the BBC to my follow up complaint email;
"We are sorry to learn you weren’t satisfied with our earlier response and appreciate that you felt strongly enough to contact us again.
The time needed for us to reply at this stage of the complaints service depends on the issue you raised but can also sometimes be affected by practical matters, such as whether a production team is away or how many other complaints need to be investigated further.
We aim to reply at this stage within 20 working days (four weeks) but will let you know if it may take longer. For full details of our complaints process please visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/handle-complaint/.
Please don’t reply to this email because it’s an automated acknowledgement sent from an account which can’t receive replies. If you do need to get in touch, please use our webform instead at www.bbc.co.uk/complaints, quoting your reference number. "
We will have to wait for their follow up reply.
TTFN
Hugh.
BBC Countryfile Autumn Diaries - or just more inaccuracies.
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Welsh Gar
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Re: BBC Countryfile Autumn Diaries - or just more inaccuracies.
This was the response from my complaint...
Thank you for contacting us regarding the ‘Countryfile Autumn Diaries’ edition, broadcast on 1st November 2019, regarding the use of 4x4’s and trail bikes in the Lake District National Park.
This is clearly an issue that both residents and visitors to the area feel passionately about. Three hundred thousand of these people signed a petition to express their strong view that access to these lanes should be denied to 4x4’s and trail bikes. This gave us a clear editorial justification to cover the story.
We feel that we did reflect a balanced view. We featured a local climber who has lived in the area all his life, and a representative from the Friends of the Lake District charity. They both opposed the current levels of access granted to adventure tourists. To counterpoint their opinions, we spoke to a representative of the Lake District National Park Authority whose recent report recommended against starting the formal process which would restrict access for motorised recreational vehicles to routes at Tilberthwaite and High Oxen fell. Their stance is the opposite of the other two interviewees featured in the film.
The LDNPA representative also pointed out that access to these vehicles was in fact restricted to two specific areas within the park, and that those seeking less disturbance could access many other places instead. He further reinforced this view by pointing out that the Park is for all to use, but “ Everybody’s level for what is acceptable is different, that for some people, one four by four vehicle on here would be too many, other people have a greater tolerance”. The hierarchy of trail routes was also explained by our presenter, as was the fact that traffic is limited to four 4 x4’s and six trail bikes on a lane at any one time.
In response to whether or not the LDNPA should act to take steps to ban 4 x4 using a traffic regulation order to address the concerns of the three hundred thousand people who signed the petition, their representative states “that very strong view and very strong opinion of all three hundred thousand people is important and we have to listen to that, but just 'force of view' doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a reason for applying a traffic regulation order.”
Our presenter explains that these fell lanes are, legally speaking, roads. The LDPNA representative also emphasises that “ any move to exclude vehicles from this area has to go through a very strict process because we are taking people’s rights away from them if we do do that….we have to listen to everybody, we can’t just listen to one group of people, this is a national park for the nation it’s not just about the people who live here”.
The adventure tourists who use these lanes are made up of a wide range of people, including many private individuals along with professional companies who take groups through the park. We deliberately obscured the identity of all vehicles in the film so as not to unfairly highlight the activities of one specific company or individual. We fully and accurately represented their legal right to use these lanes as they currently do.
In an eight minute film it is not possible to canvas the opinion of every stakeholder or local charity, but we expressed the facts and the opposing views clearly, and as stated at the end of the film we are certain that this debate will continue for some time to come.
We hope this helps and we thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
Please note: this email is sent from an unmonitored address so please don’t reply. If necessary please contact us through our webform (please include your case reference number).
Thank you for contacting us regarding the ‘Countryfile Autumn Diaries’ edition, broadcast on 1st November 2019, regarding the use of 4x4’s and trail bikes in the Lake District National Park.
This is clearly an issue that both residents and visitors to the area feel passionately about. Three hundred thousand of these people signed a petition to express their strong view that access to these lanes should be denied to 4x4’s and trail bikes. This gave us a clear editorial justification to cover the story.
We feel that we did reflect a balanced view. We featured a local climber who has lived in the area all his life, and a representative from the Friends of the Lake District charity. They both opposed the current levels of access granted to adventure tourists. To counterpoint their opinions, we spoke to a representative of the Lake District National Park Authority whose recent report recommended against starting the formal process which would restrict access for motorised recreational vehicles to routes at Tilberthwaite and High Oxen fell. Their stance is the opposite of the other two interviewees featured in the film.
The LDNPA representative also pointed out that access to these vehicles was in fact restricted to two specific areas within the park, and that those seeking less disturbance could access many other places instead. He further reinforced this view by pointing out that the Park is for all to use, but “ Everybody’s level for what is acceptable is different, that for some people, one four by four vehicle on here would be too many, other people have a greater tolerance”. The hierarchy of trail routes was also explained by our presenter, as was the fact that traffic is limited to four 4 x4’s and six trail bikes on a lane at any one time.
In response to whether or not the LDNPA should act to take steps to ban 4 x4 using a traffic regulation order to address the concerns of the three hundred thousand people who signed the petition, their representative states “that very strong view and very strong opinion of all three hundred thousand people is important and we have to listen to that, but just 'force of view' doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a reason for applying a traffic regulation order.”
Our presenter explains that these fell lanes are, legally speaking, roads. The LDPNA representative also emphasises that “ any move to exclude vehicles from this area has to go through a very strict process because we are taking people’s rights away from them if we do do that….we have to listen to everybody, we can’t just listen to one group of people, this is a national park for the nation it’s not just about the people who live here”.
The adventure tourists who use these lanes are made up of a wide range of people, including many private individuals along with professional companies who take groups through the park. We deliberately obscured the identity of all vehicles in the film so as not to unfairly highlight the activities of one specific company or individual. We fully and accurately represented their legal right to use these lanes as they currently do.
In an eight minute film it is not possible to canvas the opinion of every stakeholder or local charity, but we expressed the facts and the opposing views clearly, and as stated at the end of the film we are certain that this debate will continue for some time to come.
We hope this helps and we thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team
www.bbc.co.uk/complaints
Please note: this email is sent from an unmonitored address so please don’t reply. If necessary please contact us through our webform (please include your case reference number).
