Green lane campaigners have condemned a landowner’s actions to obstruct a track at the centre of an access dispute.

A company applied for an injunction against the Department of Infrastructure over a scheme to open up the Donkey Track in Andreas.

In court, Ballaseyr Stud Ltd withedrew its application after the DoI gave an undertaking that it would stop work on the track.

Ballaseyr has warned that anyone entering their land will be trespassing and police will be called if they try to do so.

It has erected signs marked ’Private property - no access’.

The DoI had been working with volunteers from the Green Lane Users Group (GLUG) to open the Donkey Track up for walkers and mountain bikers.

It says the route, which runs between Bernahara Road and the A17, is shown as the unclassified U72 road on the official highways map.

But Ballaseyr Stud, which bought the land at Ballavarry Farm in 2018, insists the track is not, and has never been, a public highway.

However, GLUG spokesman Julian Wood said: ’There is no question as to the legitimacy of its status as a highway as it is listed on the Isle of Man 1860 map as such.

’Clearly any action taken by the landowner to block or obstruct the U72 Donkey Track is unlawful under the Highways Act and such action could face prosecution.’

Mr Wood said the Donkey Track scheme was ’the poster project’ for GLUG which had been working on it with the full backing of DoI, DEFA and the land’s previous owners for close to 10 years.

He said GLUG volunteers had been working for more than 200 man hours to clear vegetation, improve drainage and undertake general remedial works.

Mr Wood said the scheme was supported by the Manx Horse Council, Manx Mountain Bike Club and the Manx Footpath Conservation Group.

He said the track would be open to all traffic with a weight limit of 500kg.

Ballaseyr Stud director Kathryn Revitt claimed previous DoI minister Ray Harmer had agreed no works would be carried out on the track.