Enthusiasm for Lincolnshire’s first off-road cycle park plans

Lincolnshire residents are keen to get plans for the county’s first off-road cycle park rolling.

The Wolds Cycle Park is proposed to be built in the picturesque Hainton Estate near South Willingham, at the edge of the Wolds.

A professional trail building company has designed it on behalf of Focus Rides, and promise it will be suitable for both beginners and experts.

Local cyclists want the one-of-a-kind plans to get into high gear, with dozens of enthusiastic comments left on East Lindsey District Council’s website.

“This facility will provide a great service for the local area, encouraging families to get active and enjoy the outdoors together,” one comment says.

“My family love to cycle and this will enable us to stay local rather than have to travel to facilities further afield. It will bring much needed revenue to the local area as I’m sure people will travel to use such a great facility.”

A keen cyclist wrote: “Let’s get this built. Will be great for the area, not having to drive across the country to a decent bike park.”

How the visitors centre would look | Photo: Lincs Design Consultancy

Another wrote there was a “black hole” in official cycle parks in Lincolnshire which this would fill.

The plans are predicted to bring 20 jobs and provide a welcome boost for local businesses.

Kevin Smith, who runs Focus Rides, said: “The Lincolnshire Wolds is the perfect spot for a cycle park that will be the only one of its kind in the wider region. There are many passionate off-road cyclists across the county, but there isn’t a single purpose-built facility to cater for them within Lincolnshire’s borders.

“We’ve engaged a professional trail building company to design and build the park, which will benefit everyone from those learning to ride a balance bike, all the way through to expert level riders.

“The park will promote a healthy and active lifestyle, and the site we have identified provides the perfect mix of excellent undulation while avoiding any significant visual impact on the surrounding area.

“As Lincolnshire folk, we all know how beautiful this part of the world is, and these proposals give us a great chance to shout about the region while also bringing new jobs to the area.”

The park would have both health and economic benefits for the area | Photo: Lincs Design Consultancy

The proposals have been submitted by Louth-based Lincs Design Consultancy.

Director Daniel Sharp said: “The project proposals have been developed following extensive public and statutory consultation and have been led by a thorough team of specialist consultants.

“The proposal will provide a significant ecological and biodiversity net gain as proven by the specialist consultants’ reports.

“The trail itself will be incredibly low-impact – all features will be constructed with soil from the site and dressed with fine limestone, so they are less impactful on the environment than a farm track, for example.

“The carbon footprint of the build will be offset by the planting of native species trees, grasses and wildflowers on the site, with the highly-efficient visitor centre building sitting sympathetically within the landscape whilst being both practical and user friendly.

“Overall, the park will sit hidden in the fold of the Wolds, with its whole ethos centred around an approach that is low impact and sympathetic to its environment.”

The application can be viewed on East Lindsey District Council’s website.