CYCLISTS who’ve been using Welsh Government-owned woodland as a mountain bike park for nearly 10 years now have planning permission to do so.
The volunteers, who’ve formed a community interest company to run the site they’ve described as “the best hidden bike park in the UK”, have been granted retrospective permission covering the change of the use of the land and for the jumps and berms – or raised banks – they’ve created.
When councillors approved the application they were told part of the reason no enforcement action had been taken was because the council would have had to serve a notice on the Welsh Government minister responsible for Natural Resources Wales which owns the 11.5 hectare site at Ty Bwmpyn Road in Pontnewynydd, Pontypool.
Torfaen Borough Council had also agreed, in July, to use £145,000 of £6.5 million it has been provided by the UK Government to boost economic growth, to support the creation of a visitor centre with toilets and showers at the area.
Tirpentwys Trails Community Interest Company
Jason Bullimore, of Tirpentwys Trails Community Interest Company, was granted the permission which also allows for a timber shelter with grass-roof on the site and its hoped will be the first step in further developing what has so far been an informal attraction. A linked application, by Mr Bullimore on behalf of the group, to restore an existing, overgrown concrete area for use as a car park off Pantygasseg Road in Pontypool was also approved.
Councillors were played a video, filmed from a rider’s perspective on the trails, at Torfaen Borough Council’s Tuesday, November 10 planning committee meeting.
Planning officer Justin Jones told councillors “just to confirm this isn’t me on the bike going at some speed” and said nine routes for different abilities have been created while he said there are also two public rights of way across parts of the site.
“It is well used by local people and people from other areas and all ages use the site including local children and it as an aspiration of the group for it to be a destination in its own right,” said Mr Jones.
The area is classed as ancient woodland but many of the trees are planted for commercial purposes with the area owned by Natural Resources Wales which is responsible for its management and some trees will be replaced with native species, but it doesn’t require the council’s permission for felling.
A consultant who specialises in mountain bike tracks that cross rights of way has also worked on the application and Mr Jones said the intention is to slow riders down as they approach the paths and the road .
Hedgehogs
He said some fencing is already in place and longer term it is likely hedgerows will also be planted as barriers.
“Historically a lot of riders have jumped off and descended into the road and there are now styles and gates to force them off their bikes,” said Mr Jones.
Councillors unanimously backed both the retrospective application and the linked proposal for the 26 space car park.
Pontnewydd Labour member Stuart Ashley said: “I was a cyclist for 40 years, but I can’t get on a bike now, and I’m fanatical about woods and this is a brilliant scheme to get people out on their bikes in the countryside.”
Labour councillor for Pontypool Gaynor James said: “I will definitely be supporting this. It is excellent and all ages and groups have great fun up there and it brings in visitors from other places.”
Reform UK councillor for Llantarnam, Alan Slade, asked why no enforcement action had been taken with the committee told the site has been in use for nine and a half years.
Mr Jones replied: “The problem is because it is Natural Resources Wales we would have had to serve a (enforcement) notice on the minister.”
The planning officer also said officers were satisfied use for cycle trails isn’t a conflict with planning policy, while there was no objection from the council’s ecologist or Natural Resource Wales as a consultee to the application.
The site currently relies on the Tirpentwys Nature Reserve car park and Mr Jones said addressing the parking issue had contributed to a delay in bringing the main application forward.
Cllr Slade also questioned why the presumption, in Welsh planning policy, against sites with a reliance on the use of private motor vehicles hadn’t been addressed as part of the car park application.
Mr Jones said there is unlikely to be regular public transport to the rural location, meaning it could be assessed differently to an application in a town, while he said local people are likely to cycle to the area.
The site is advertised as “the best hidden bike park in the UK” on the Tirpentwys Trails website.