[Richard Sharpe]

Collective Knowledge, does anyone know if the Access issues for Conies Dale have been resolved? or if there is a way of accessing without causing issues?

[highrepute]

RAD database says not been resolved

Might be worth asking the access rep - Rob Dyer. There's a Peak Area meeting on the 12th, good place to discuss this.

[Bonjoy]

The current situation, which hasn’t changed in at least a year, is that the Peak Park authority are supposedly negotiating with the landowner about access. For this reason the BMC opted to advise climbers to stay away while negotiations progress. I’ve asked the PDNA directly and via the BMC several times how they are getting on. Reading between the lines (or lack thereof) I believe this has totally dropped off their radar or is such a low priority that it’s not in their diary to do anything about. Perhaps this is ungenerous, but given the lack of movement I think waiting patiently may not bear any fruit. Given the CROW status and proximity of a public footpath to the CROW boundary this should be a very easy fix. If the landowner is incapable of putting two and two together and installing a stile I think climbers should offer to pay for and install one. That’s just my opinion, not BMC policy.

[highrepute]

From what I've heard the problems haven't come from climbers crossing this fence but rather failing to follow the described approach and having to jump over the wall, damaging it in the process.

So i don't think a stile addresses the failure mode.

I'd suggest clarifying the approach descriptions on UKC, peakbouldering.info Any where else? Unfortunately we can't update the guide. This is what is on UKC/pb.info... (i wrote it originally I think, or edited into it's current form)

The crag is on CRoW land so climbing should not be a problem. Although, problems have arisen with climbers causing damage to walls while accessing the crag, ONLY CROSS WALLS AT A STILE/GATE. If approaching from Sheffield turn right onto Church Lane at the traffic lights in Peak Forest (opposite the church). Continue to a T junction with Old Dam Lane. Park here being careful to block no access. Follow the track heading NE to Conies Farm. After the track a public footpath continues through two fields, in the third field there is a stile in the bottom right-hand corner of the field (the corner nearest the parking). Once over the stile follow wall up the valley carefully crossing a fence. See attached map. Take extreme care to avoid damaging walls, and be polite to anyone with any concerns.

Anyone care to suggest some improvements?

[Bonjoy]

To be fair that's the approach described in the BMC guide and shown on the approach map. The only bit it misses is to follow the wall after crossing the fence  (which should be obvious if the rest of the directions have been followed). A stile would demarcated the access point and avoid wall damage. Currently the rickety fence is most easily crossed near the wall and it's fairly easy to dislodge stones.
It would also make it actually possible to stick to the direction of not crossing boundarys except at stiles/gates.