A LONG-RUNNING dispute over whether to open up ancient lanes in Dorset is being thrashed out in the highest court of the land today over the issue of access to the county’s ‘green lanes’.

Watch all the action from the Supreme Court here.

DCC has applied to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal after losing a judicial review at the Court of Appeal in 2013.

The case was initially brought by the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) which argued that five of the lanes should be recorded as Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) on DCC’s Rights of Way Definitive Map in 2010.

The TRF campaigns to preserve and promote legal motorcycling on unsurfaced vehicular rights of way.

The lanes in Dorset at the centre of the case are at Bailey Drove, Batcombe; Doles Hill Plantation, Cheselbourne; a route between Tarrant Gunville and Chettle; another between Meerhay and Beaminster Down and a fifth at Crabb’s Barn Lane, Beaminster.

DCC rejected the bid on grounds that the maps attached to the applications were not to the required 1:25,000 scale, but blown-up copies of Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 maps.

The High Court agreed with the council when the TRF appealed.

But when it was taken to the Court of Appeal, judges ruled the routes should be recorded as BOATs.

The council’s legal bill was understood to be around £40,000.

Now the case is going before the Supreme Court in London.

A Dorset County Council spokesman said: “A range of matters including historical evidence, usage and representations from a variety of local people and interest groups must be considered before any modifications are made to the Definitive Map and Statement.

“Any alterations are covered by legislation and the council considers any changes in accordance with the law.

“With regards to the Trail Riders Fellowship, we considered different interpretations of the applicable law before refusing the applications in question.

“We believe that the Court of Appeal did not take into account all of the evidence in this case, which is why we have applied to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal. We await their decision.”

The TRF said the underlying issue was that the definitive map was ‘wrong’ and there was a legal requirement to have an accurate map. A spokesman said the ‘cash-strapped’ council would be landed with a huge legal bill if the Supreme Court found against it and questioned why the authority was pursuing the case.