Council: We removed mountain bike track
KIRKLEES Council removed woodland bike track in Mirfield.
Mountain bikers said they were left “devastated” after the jumps and ramps in Lady Wood – which have been in place for decades – were dismantled.
Cyclist George Bennington, 21, of Kirkheaton, said he had been going to the woods to use the course since he was a child and was “heartbroken” after finding it destroyed.
He said: “We have been working on improving the track to make it a bit more challenging for the past year, hoping that we could introduce more young people from the community to get into biking.
“The logs and jumps made from dirt had all been ruined. No-one has given us any explanation why it has been destroyed.”
But that explanation has now come from Clr Musarrat Khan, Cabinet member for highways and neighbourhoods, who said: “This part of Lady Wood is owned by the council and at no point has anyone requested permission to develop a mountain bike track.
“As we had no information on who was responsible for the changes to the track and due to concerns over its impact on the natural environment, the decision was made to remove the ramps and jumps and try to return the wood to its natural state.”
Now the council is staging a meeting in Lady Wood on Thursday, April 13 at 10.30am about how the wood can be used by the community in the future.
A Kirklees spokeswoman said: “The meeting is open to anyone who uses the wood and will provide an opportunity to discuss different users’ wishes and possibilities for accommodating them.
“The wood has been used by a variety of different groups over the years without any real issues, but the latest changes to a makeshift mountain bike track have led to complaints by local residents and other users of the woods.
“In ancient woodlands like this one there are often protected plants and other creatures that visitors may not even notice, but that could be accidentally harmed by making changes.
“As with open spaces their intention is to provide an environment that meets the need of a variety of users while ensuring that the natural habitats are protected.”
Clr Khan said the mountain bikers were welcome to attend, adding: “Individuals have come forward in the local media and we would encourage them to join us at the meeting.”