Bike centre plans are under threat
CHARLOTTE GREEN
DELAYS are jeopardising the creation of a £700,000 Trail Head centre, a council meeting was told.
The state-of-the-art centre, which would cater for bikers using Lee and Cragg quarries, was approved in 2013 but has been plagued by setbacks - including the maintenance budget for the quarries being withdrawn by Lancashire County Council (LCC).
The Pennine Mountain Bike Association (PMBA) has proposed to head up a community interest company to manage and generate income from the quarries, and take on the day-to-day site management, with LCC retaining overall responsibility for major issues.
But Coun Andy MacNae, Rossendale council’s portfolio holder for leisure, told a cabinet meeting that plans to create the centre were ‘in limbo’ for six months.
He said: “It has huge potential to attract many, many visitors to the area. There has been a lot of progress in getting commitment behind a Trail Head centre and all the user participation to make it work.
“The one thing that frankly is holding the whole thing back at the moment is county council’s consideration of the countryside sites, including Lee Quarry.”
The Countryside Services department, which looks after green spaces - including Lee Quarry, is being axed as part of 52 non-statutory services LCC is cutting from its budget by 2018.
Coun MacNae added: “Without some sort of decision on what’s going to happen with Lee Quarry we are in danger of losing commercial interest from potential relaters and occupants in the Trail Head centre, and we are in danger of losing the goodwill of local volunteers that have put a lot of hard work into that site and are willing and able to carry on doing that. If county council don’t make a decision I think it would be a real tragedy and loss for the area.”
An LCC spokesman said: “We are keen to see Lee and Cragg quarries continue to be a great asset to the local economy in Bacup, and are working with the PMBA and Rossendale Borough Council toward transferring ownership of the quarries.
“Officers are meeting this week to look at what we need to do next to progress this.”
The Trail facility - to include a shop, cafe, classrooms, training rooms and washing facilities was anticipated to be built by Rossendale council and leased to commercial operators. It was estimated it would cost around £700,000 to build, with the initial outlay recouped through the rental charged on the site.