Mountain bikers in Wild Park are urging the council to let them improve and manage the site after recent safety warning signs were put up in the area.
A group of mountain bikers say they have the commitment and resources to turn the site into a safer, industry standard site for mountain biking.
But the group say that, after four years of negotiations with Brighton and Hove City Council, there has still been no progress on their proposals.
Mountain biker, Rob Gutteridge, has submitted a proposal to the council so that the mountain biking trails in Wild Park are managed by a community group.
He said: “Our latest proposal is that the Wild Park Trail Collective, a formally recognised volunteer group, take on the management and maintenance of the trail network and improve and maintain it to what is deemed as a safe industry standard so that the conditions of the councils insurers are met.
“We need signage – that’s what we’re pushing for. We want them to put signs up and to grade the trails by industry standards, like in skiing where you have green, blue, red and black trails.
“The sad thing is, there’s a massive opportunity here for the council.
“I approached the council about leasing Wild Park and I’ve asked them about a community asset transfer to take it on, almost like a lease.
“I’ve looked at creating a community interest corporation to run it as a business.
“The commitment and the resources are there – we don’t want funding, all we want is permission really.
“During a meeting we had in May, we were actually told by the conservation managers at the council, that Wild Park is the most suitable location for a facility such as this in Brighton and Hove as it is secondary woodland.
“There’s nowhere else it could go other than there anyway.
“We want to work with the council, but it’s more a case that they don’t seem to want to work with us – or they tell us they do but actually, nothing happens.
“We want to provide a free-to-use safe and sustainable mountain biking facility in Wild Park, but we do seem to be banging our head against the wall.”
Mr Gutteridge, who has used the trails there for more than 30 years, says the recent signage only served to unfairly villainize the mountain biking group.
He said: “We haven’t actually built anything in the last few years; what we’re doing is maintaining what’s already there and improving it, and actually making it safer for the riders.
“Obviously, the trails degrade over time, like any facility would, and consistency and continuity of standards is what makes things safer.
“We understand that the council’s point of view was that the biggest problem and the absolute crux of this is liability and insurance, which is why the signs have now gone up.
“It’s so they can’t be sued for something that has been banned.
“We’re fed up with being villainized basically for just enjoying a sport.
“When branches come down in the wind across the trails, the council isn’t going to come and remove them, so we do it ourselves.
“There’s a lot of maintenance that goes on. This is a thriving community.
“There are also a group of individuals out there that I know ride motocross bikes – combustion engines, petrol motorbikes.
“There doesn’t seem to be any signage to put them off from riding up there or any mention of that being illegal.
“I think it’s interesting how a particular user group has been villainized and singled out, in my opinion.”
Mr Gutteridge proposed setting up Wild Park Trail Collective, to fit within the council’s Community Asset Transfer Policy when considering self-management of Sports Facilities.
Earlier this month the council said the placement and wording of signage was being reviewed after bright yellow posters were found in Wild Park warning mountain bikers they could be prosecuted for trespass.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, chair of the council’s City Environment, South Downs and the Sea Committee, said: “Mountain bikers are welcome in our parks on appropriate paths – as long as they are not creating dangerous jumps or cutting down trees and they are mindful of other park users.
“A number of individuals have recently been clearing trees without our permission in order to create a makeshift bike track that includes potentially dangerous jumps.
“The tracks and jumps that have been created may be used by children or inexperienced riders, putting their safety at risk – which of course we want to avoid.
“Wild Park is part of the Hollingbury Wild Park Local Nature Reserve.
“Our concerns are around mountain bike riders destroying parts of a nature reserve and potentially putting people’s safety at risk.
“We do not treat motorbikes any differently to mountain bikes. We put up signs where we have repeated complaints about motorbikes.
“But we have no evidence that motorbike riders are involved in either of the issues we are primarily concerned about at Wild Park.
“Council officers met with the mountain bikers recently and invited them to put together a proposal as to how they might manage the site safely.
“At the meeting it was stressed once again that they did not have permission to build jumps or fell trees.
“I’m very happy to consider any options that have the potential to work for everybody.”
Pardon me but Wild Park is for everyone, not just a few mountain bikers.
And we all pay our Council Tax to have it managed by the council.
Request a site meeting with your local Councillors if there are specific issues.
Sit in the trees for a few hours and notice how many people walk up there. Dog walkers, kids, people just going out for some peace. Enjoying the wild life, squirrels, birds. And then someone comes thundering through on a bike shouting to get out of their way.
There are far more public on foot enjoying that area than cyclists. During lockdown it was quite comically busy up there. And there was still space for everyone to keep apart. It should always be a shared space and respect all users. If a race track is required, find an unused space. Or employ marshals to stand on the blind corners to make everyone aware what is going on.
The mountain biking area is just one small part of Wild Park, and is the ONLY wooded area within several miles of Brighton that is steep enough for proper riding. There are dozens of other places that walkers can go to enjoy nature, walk their dog and just be outside, well within the city limits.
Proper sign posted cycling trails would encourage those that are not cycling, to use the correct trails instead of the ones that have been made by cyclists, for cyclists, and have been in place for decades.
No one is asking for a race track. We’d just like to be able to go ride our bikes in the woods without some entitled walker hurling abuse or getting violent simply because they think they have more of a right to nature than others.
Of course the Wild Park is for everybody and just because mountain bike riders might want and get a managed facility it doesn’t mean that other people cannot use and enjoy the park.
I wasn’t aware that many people objected to the grass skiing in the park
It’s a nature reserve not a Recreational facility. Who is is going to pay the vet bill when a dog gets run over or would the like us to keep them on a lead.
Wild Park is shared public space. It should not be privatised so that only one group can use it.
Currently, the main use of the site is for dog walking. Secondary to this is walking without a dog. Finally, there are other uses, such as mountain biking, leisure biking etc. Trying to displace the majority for the occasional mountain biker doesn’t seem right
We need to find a way to share and to share safely. If mountain biking is to continue (and let’s face it, it will as the council can’t enforce any “ban”) then marking some paths seems useful to everyone. Walkers can then avoid these routes. However, there must be ways for walkers to continue to use this space, with alternative routes in the same area. That means there will be crossings and potential conflicts, but most bikers and dog walkers seem to share well now. Marking biking and walking routes (with warnings for crossings) will just make things clearer for all
I suggest a meeting of dog walker reps, other walkers and mountain bikers with the council to discuss pragmatic ways forward. Leasing the park is a non-starter. The many other people who use the space wouldn’t accept it – and what would happen if various groups start to take over each park? As a dog walker we’d probably win in each area as the majority. But I don’t want that – we should share public land
Indeed, Wild Park is for everyone, including the mountain bikers. The article makes no mention of privatising Wild Park or restricting access or use to any user groups. There is also no mention of any single user group taking over the management of the park. All these guys want is to be able to manage the facilities they have provided for themselves at no cost to the council or tax payer in order to keep doing what they love as the council don’t have the funding too do it. Wild Park is ‘part’ of the Hollingdean Nature reserve, which also includes the golf course and football pitches. The golf course is now run by a private enterprise since the council sold it. Who would a dog walker sue if their dog was hit with a golf ball? It says the bikers are engaging with the council, or have at least been trying to, which is the best way forward. Good luck to them i say.
The article includes a quote from the MTB group ” I approached the council about leasing Wild Park and I’ve asked them about a community asset transfer to take it on, almost like a lease.
“I’ve looked at creating a community interest corporation to run it as a business”
So, yes, it does talk about leasing the park and taking it over. It talks about running it as a business – and not a public asset as it is now. So, yes, it does talk about privatisation
The MTB group are not quoted about wanting to share the space in any way
I’m not sure if the aim of the mountain bikers is to take over some or all space, or how it could be shared. I assume that they really are more flexible and open than this appears. But talking about leasing the park and running it as a business is there.
As you say the space should be for everyone. That includes the woods where many of these tracks are – very popular with dog walkers in the heat
Hopefully, the debate can now be extended to include other groups so that we can continue to share this space and that issues such as safety are addressed
“All these guys want is to be able to manage the facilities they have provided for themselves at no cost to the council or tax payer “
But it’s not their land to do that with!
On that basis I could put some facility on Hove Lawns or the middle of Preston Park at no cost the the council and you’d be happy for me just to appropriate the land.
Everyone has a right to use the space it’s about the most pragmatic way forward to meet multiple community needs. Accessible green space is a precious commodity and the council not engaging and criminalising leisure activities isn’t exactly forward thinking.
I really hope they can find a way forward. As someone who has both ridden my bike and walked my dog in wild park for years I have found that generally speaking interactions between different user groups have been polite and courteous. There is no doubt in my mind that Wild Park could be shared safely and fairly whilst minimising impact on the environment (which all trail users have to some extent, even dog walkers, who as has already been pointed out visit in much larger numbers). Signage/grading would be a great first step.
The suggestion that mountain bikers have been felling trees I find hard to believe – appalling if true – but restoring trails after the carnage left from the ash dieback felling more likely.
An organised community group responsible for maintenance and working with other trail user groups to fairly share the space has to be a better solution than ejecting one part of the community.
I looked at my Ordnance Survey map… there are no bridleways that run through Wild Park, only footpaths. Surely that means that cyclists shouldn’t be up there in the first place?