WALKERS continued their long-running battle to stop a bridleway through the Chiltern Hills being opened to motorbikes.

A public inquiry last week investigated whether the route from Great Kimble to Longdown Hill should instead be defined as a byway - open to all traffic.

Part of the bridleway runs on to the Chequers Estate, the Prime Minister’s official country residence, the inquiry heard.

Local historian Roger Howgate, along with dog walkers John Roberts and Adrian Meade, objected strongly to the change - questioning the evidence submitted by Buckinghamshire County Council.

The council had referred to a 19th century map, showing the route had previously been defined as a public carriageway, the inquiry heard.

However, Mr Howgate said this did not correlate to the route on the ground, while submitting other historical maps which he said contradicted the council’s evidence.

The application was made in 2003 by biking group Trail Riders Fellowship, which argues there are historical access rights attached to the land.

Bucks County Council said the application should be approved, but residents have repeatedly tried to force a refusal by appealing to the planning inspectorate.

An interim decision by planning inspector Mark Yates in 2010 said the route should become a byway, before he proposed a slightly modified version when more objections were made.

Thursday’s hearing was the third inquiry into the plan. At one stage Mr Roberts claimed he was being "gagged", after he was cut short by planning inspector Mark Yates while giving evidence.

The retired managing director, from Whiteleaf, had accused the inspector of misunderstanding evidence at a previous inquiry. Mr Yates did not respond to this point, but said Mr Roberts had “strayed into matters that are not new evidence”.

However, he said the documents Mr Roberts was reading from would still be taken into account.

About 20 other parishioners also attended the hearing at Ellesborough Parish Hall in Butlers Cross. The Chequers Estate did not make representations to the inspector over the modified route, the inquiry heard.

A decision is expected later in the year.