Gisburn Forest- Planning Application

MTBmaniac

Does anyone know the details regarding the recent planning application submitted to the Clitheroe Advertiser & Times? The note in the paper was quite hard to read as it was written in planning jargon. It seemed to be referring to Stephen Park and also Dugdale's Lane. It mentioned the creation of a visitor hub, toilets, new car park and some sort of skills loop amongst other things. Does anyone know if they are planning to use the existing buildings at Stephen Park for this or will things be built from scratch?

mac_man

this the one?

http://www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/planning ... tion/21659

Forestry commission. Can't read all of the application though

tezzer22

hi we were shown the plans at the digday on sunday , there is to be a bigger carpark next to steven park , also a cafe and toilets in the buildings , and a large multi grade (blue/red/black)skills area , and new start and finish sections to the trails , martin is hoping work can start in the late summer / autum this year

MTBmaniac

Hi, thanks for the replies. It sounds like there's quite a lot in the pipeline and I'm glad to hear that they are planning to use the existing buildings at Stephen Park as they have been under used over the last few years.

piker

Where is stephen park,i usually park at cocklett hill car park.

stumpyjon

Stephen Park is the big set of buildings you skirt around on the way back to Cocklett Hill car park before the last downhill blue section. The lease has been changing hands for the last two years which is why it's all been dormant. It's just been hand over so the building should get used again as a centre for outdoor activities. Part of their business plan is to provide a cafe to help supplement other revenue streams and keep costs down for their clients. The cafe is a seperate planning application which the new tenants will need to sort out.

As Terry says the planning application currently being considered is for a bigger car park next to Stephen Park, various graded skills loops and an extension to the trail to link the new carpark with new singletrack. There's also some work planned to improve the biodiversity of the area around the carpark. Whilst Mountain bikers will be the primary beneficiaries of the upgrades there are many other forest users as well.

The application is still being processed and there are still a few things outstanding before it'll be passed. Funding is also still an issue, applications have been made but nothing secured as yet (anyone got a spare £ 200k?).

If you're interrested in the developments keep an eye on www.pmba.org.uk I'll be posting up news on Gisburn and other things mountain biking in Pennine Lancs on there. As soon as the plans have been approved I'm hoping to be able to post them up on the website.

In other Gisburn news the freeride trail being sponsored by Hope has developed well, the contractors have been in and done quite a lot. Martin's had the contractors in to do a lot of repairs up around the crag which should now have reopenned and the XC volunteer trail builders have finished the Eggberry road bypass taking out about a mile of fireroad. We've now moved onto a cracking new section of trail, again more details on www.pmba.org.uk and on the Gisburn Forest MTB Trail Builders Facebook group.