Winchester Many parts of the countryside are to be protected from the noisy invasion of motorcycles, 4x4s and quad bikes after a victory by green campaigners in the Court of Appeal.

In a test case, three senior judges backed an application yesterday by Winchester College to prevent ancient rights of way at Twyford Common, Hampshire, becoming open to all traffic.

The ruling - based on a technicality - may also safeguard the Yorkshire Dales, Exmoor, the Quantock Hills and many other places in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The case, which has cost Hampshire County Council an estimated £70,000, has been watched closely by councils and landowners who have been inundated with applications from off-road sporting organisations to claim historic rights of way for vehicles on lanes intended for walkers, riders and carts.

The organisations were allowed to do so under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

This legislation was intended by Parliament to halt the damage and destruction to green lanes in the countryside from motor propelled vehicles.

As a compromise to off-roaders, the Government agreed that claims could be made for rights of access if applications were made before January 20, 2005, and included historic proof of vehicular use of the path and a map showing the precise routes.

Yesterday's case centred on the technical detail of what qualified an application under the Act.

Winchester College and a neighbouring landowner, Humphrey Feeds, were seeking to overturn an earlier High Court ruling allowing traffic to use the lanes.

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