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KenG
Admin Chap
United Kingdom
2215 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Dec 2009 : 16:56:09
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A DEAL has been struck which will extend Bacup’s groundbreaking trail bike courses by an extra kilometre and make it a UK centre of excellence.
Mountain bikers from across the north-west have flocked to the Pennine Lancashire Adrenaline Gateway tracks at Lee Quarry since they opened last year.
Now a £185,000 project, to extend the scope of the venture to nearby Cragg Quarry, and a link to a national horse-riding route, has been finalised by Lancashire County Council.
Hopes are high that the Rossendale valley courses will become recognised as a UK leader in the sport, which is now an Olympic discipline.
Environment department spokesman Nick Obsorne said: "The project will construct new mountain bike trails at Cragg Quarry and link these sites up with Lee Quarry and the Pennine Bridleway trail via two multi-user routes.
"It will also add to the existing mountain bike trails in Lee Quarry with an additional one kilometre of new trail and substantial improvements to the skills development area."
Council bosses have carried out surveys among users since the 2008 launch of the Lee Quarry routes and have had ‘very positive feedback’ from the mountain biking community.
Mr Osborne added: "This will firmly establish the area as the leading trail centre in England and establish the area as a leading destination for mountain bikers.
"This approach to developing compact trail centres within quarries close to urban areas is seen as being highly innovative by the mountain biking community."
Mountain biking is seen as a good way of encouraging young urban people, less into mainstream sports, to participate in a worthwhile activity.
Support for the scheme will come from the county council’s local transport budget for rural schemes, the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund, as the land is a former quarry, and the Rural Development Fund.
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AG Mountain bike route to be extended
