Off-road vehicles are to be barred from four green lanes in the Yorkshire Dales for a trial period despite strong objections from drivers and trail bike riders.

Experimental traffic regulation orders will be brought into force to prohibit motor vehicles from using the lanes except for access.

North Yorkshire's Craven Area Committee voted in favour of the orders at a packed meeting in Eldroth Village Hall last Thursday.

They agreed that the results of a monitoring exercise would be reported to the committee in 12 months but in the meantime discussions would be held with user groups, farmers and parish councillors on other ways to manage the lanes.

The routes affected are Mastiles Lane, Top Mere Road/Starbotton Cam Road, Long Lane/ Sulber Nick and Halton Gill/Yockenthwaite.

Graham Cressey, county traffic management and development control officer, said there had been 880 responses to the consultation exercise, including a 400-signature petition against the ban. In all, 446 people supported the orders and 434 were against.

He said the issue was in many ways an emotional one and not easy to resolve. He stressed the orders were experimental and said monitoring would be carried out.

He said the orders were not just to please walkers and horse riders but to maintain the peace and tranquillity of the area.

All Wheel Drive Club member Brian Lewis said that not all recreational drivers were hooligans so why ban them all? He said the off-road traffic would now be forced on to the roads causing more disruption.

He asked the committee to agree to look at other forms of management before bringing in the orders.