Giving us a say will help tackle the ramping up of concerns

THE town council is in a sticky situation with Bradley Wood’s illicit bike trails, it seems.

On one hand, there are plenty of users of the wood who do not want to share their daily dog walk with mountain bikes.

And on the other hand, there’s a vociferous crosssection of the town that welcomes a local activity for youngsters.

The elaborate ramps that have been created represent hours of work by a team of people determined to create a playground in a part of the wood that is, largely, away from the main pedestrian areas.

But as it was dug out without permission, and supervision by ecology experts, it is potentially harmful to the wood’s ecology, and its unauthorised use leaves it open to public disquiet.

However, the cost of bringing in machines to level it all again will be as expensive as it will be controversial.

Perhaps it’s time the town council weighed up the opinions of the town.

They do a great job of looking after the wood; planting trees, supporting its natural balance and keeping away motorbikes and other unauthorised users; but maybe there’s a need for public opinion over the way the town enjoys it to be officially measured.

And if the town council does decide to weigh up the public mood, hopefully they’ll bear in mind an offer made by locals to demolish the current ramps free of charge and to set up safe, managed and maintained trails in an area agreed by an ecology expert.

Granted, our Facebook page isn’t the ideal barometer of public opinion, but it does appear there’s a big appetite for a local mountain biking facility.