LANDOWNERS and residents in Arthington fear their peace and quiet is set to be ruined by the scream of off-road vehicles.

Householders living beside two new potential rights of way -- along Allums Lane and down Mawsons Lane -- raised their fears with a Government inspector at Old Pool Bank on Tuesday.

Some who attended were actually sympathetic to recognising the routes as public paths or bridleways.

But the possibility they could be deemed Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs), and so used by 4x4s and trial bikes, was met with near universal opposition.

The event was held after landowners in the area challenged Leeds City Council's findings over claims for new routes made under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

Chairman of Arthington Parish Council, Councillor Basil Thompson, said: "We don't want to see either of these used by traffic at all.

"The one that runs east to west is currently part of the Ebor Way and a bridle path, but it carries no cars.

"We don't want motor traffic of any kind on there, and the people who live at Bank Top Farm and at Bank Side Farm aren't happy, they don't want traffic going through their farmyards and land.

"The other route, Mawsons Lane, which runs north to south down to the main road, it seems has no designation at all at the moment.

"This BOATS order could make it open to traffic which unsurprisingly nobody here wants.

"Certainly the parish council would want the east to west one to remain as a bridleway and the other to become properly recognised as a footpath, but nothing else.

"We're in the hands of the inspector now so we'll have to wait and see. I have to say he ran the appeal very well, he gave everybody a chance to speak and afterwards went along to actually look at the routes."

The paths in question run east to west along Allums Lane (from Bedlam Lane), and north to south from the middle of that route down Mawsons Lane to the road.

Arthington Parish and Leeds City Councillor Clive Fox (Con, Adel and Wharfedale) would like to see both recognised as public routes but shares concerns that 4x4s could be allowed in.

He said: "There are two separate claims to be determined here, but when the investigations were carried out, sparked off by the claim that Mawsons Lane should be a public right of way, it was decided that both were capable of being a BOAT.

"That means they could be used by jeeps, 4 x 4s, anything really, because historically they're 'roads'.

"So some of the objectors like Mike Beverley, who lives at Bank Top Farm, are understandably saying Allums Lane can be a pedestrian and bridleway but not a BOAT.

"Other landowners and farmers, who raised the issues of foot and mouth, hygiene and security, are saying the Mawsons Lane route is totally private and has never been open to the public.

"My own view and the parish council's is that they're both rights of way but we don't, and nor does anyone else, want them to be BOATS. No-one wants vehicles going along there."

Coun Fox added that a compromise could yet be found, as the inspector could rule that the paths were rights of way and BOATS, but then add a restriction to prevent vehicles actually using them.