Formal steps to create an accessible trail along a disused railway line in the Yorkshire Dales could be taken later this month.

Members of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) will vote on whether to seek a Public Path Creation Order for the six-mile route between Garsdale Station and Hawes.

YDNPA claims the scheme has widespread public support, with 80 per cent of respondents to a 2022 survey backing the idea for a route for walkers, wheelchair users, cyclists, and horse riders.

The scheme has been criticised, however, by railway campaigners who want to see the rail link restored on the route.
A steering group, including representatives from the national park authority and North Yorkshire Council, has been working on the multi-use trail plans.

A land agent has also been employed to work with landowners along the route to secure access agreements.
Officials say that while many have engaged positively, some have objected or not responded.
Members of the park authority will vote at a meeting on September 30 on whether to apply for the order, which would be issued under the Highways Act 1980, to establish the proposed route as a bridleway.

Interested parties can submit objections to the order at this stage. If these cannot be resolved, the matter would be referred to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Lizzie Bushby, YDNPA deputy chair and member champion for recreation management, said: “In the initial consultation, just under 80 per cent of those responding embraced the vision of a shared use bridleway, highlighting the community’s support for a safe, inclusive travel corridor.
“In their responses, many local residents spoke movingly about the need for a safe way for children to walk and cycle away from the fast and narrow roads that pose daily risks.

“Their comments reveal real stories: parents picturing stress-free strolls with prams, grandparents hoping to rediscover the old line on foot, and those less mobile dreaming of barrier-free access.

“It’s now down to us to make this happen and the decision that Members will take on the 30th is an important milestone in that journey.”

The route of the former railway has been protected to preserve the option of reinstating the railway.

But national park chiefs believe this is unlikely in the short term, and say an attractive, accessible trail that benefits families, older residents, and those with limited mobility would boost the local economy and encourage sustainable tourism.

Jill McMullon, chair of Hawes and High Abbotside Parish Council, said: “Ideally, it would be great to get the railway back open but that’s a much longer-term plan. And I do think residents and businesses would like to see the walkway created.”

Long-term critic of the trail plan, Wensleydale resident and transport campaign Ruth Annison, who was influential in saving the Settle-Carlisle railway line, declined to comment until she had seen more details of the park authority’s plans.