A HANDFUL of green lanes in the Yorkshire Dales national park could be protected from vehicle damage by experimental traffic bans.

The traffic regulation orders would exclude motorcycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles from up to four sensitive lanes for 18 months. The effect would then be assessed to see if such a ban succeeded in protecting the routes sufficiently.

North Yorkshire County Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority joined forces to promote the experiment, which goes before the council's environmental services executive members in September.

If the meeting backs the scheme, the first experimental traffic regulation orders could be introduced early next year.

About 500 responses were received to consultation on the proposed experiment for the green lanes, of which there are 80 in the national park.

Recreational vehicle users submitted about 350 replies opposing the move and suggesting that other ways of managing the problem of vehicle damage should be explored instead. These could include regular repairs to the routes.

The remaining responses came from residents, parish councils, walkers, horse riders and cyclists who supported the proposals and voiced concerns about the damage and disturbance caused by recreational vehicles.

Coun John Fort, the council's executive member for environmental services, said: "We see the use of ETROs as one of the tools available for managing the use of recreational vehicles on the county's green lanes.

"But we recognise the need to continue to explore other management techniques with user groups in the county. By running this trial, we will be able to assess whether this approach delivers the management we are after and better protects sensitive routes."

Coun Steve Macare, chairman of the national park authority, said: "The responses we considered show the strength of feeling on this issue. Increasingly, recreational vehicular users who, nevertheless, feel the proposed trial will limit their rights to use green lanes, are compromising the enjoyment of walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

If the move is ratified by executive members, the relevant county council area committee will decide which routes will be subject to ETROs and consultation on these will take place.

Coun Macare stressed that no routes had yet been identified, but said that the majority on an initial list of about 30 possibilities were in Craven district.