A £450,000 scheme to create North Yorkshire’s first cyclo-cross track and extend facilities for family cyclists beside a historic centre for horseracing has been approved.
The North York Moors National Park Authority’s planning committee agreed plans to extend a cycle trail and build a pump track – a circuit of rolling bumps and banked corners – as part of a drive to increase visitors at Sutton Bank, after hearing it would reduce conflict between cyclists and nearby horse racing stables.
If the scheme receives EU grant funding, work is expected to start in September to build the circuits in the plantation at Hambleton, the site of one of the country’s earliest racecourses which was supported by Queen Anne until her death in 1714.
It is envisaged the site will be used for cyclo-cross races up to six times a year.
Trainers Kevin Ryan, whose successes include numerous Royal Ascot winners, and Bryan Smart, whose wins include the Prix De L’Abbaye De Longchamp, had expressed serious concerns over the plans, saying increasing the number of cyclists in the area would increase the risks to their thoroughbreds.
Mr Smart’s wife, Victoria, told the meeting riders and horses had already been injured in incidents involving cyclists.
She said: “Horse racing has been part of Hambleton for over 500 years and since cycling has been promoted at Sutton Bank we have noticed a huge impact on our businesses, with parking, noise from cyclists, cyclists coming onto the road, into the yard and across the gallops, which is quite dangerous.”
The meeting was told to address the concerns, the original route of the trail had been moved away from the yards and gallops used by the trainers.
Mrs Smart said: “I am pleased to see common sense has prevailed and we are now looking at an amended route. We still have severe misgivings about cycle racing going on there. The noise can be heard from quite a distance.”
Committee members said they wanted races marshalled and extra efforts to ensure car parking in the area did not create hazards. The meeting was told work on the cycling tracks would only start after 80 extra car parking spaces were created.
The authority’s chairman, Jim Bailey, said providing specialised and contained cycling areas would help cut conflict between horse and bike riders.
He said: “It will be a more intensive use, but it will also be a more expected use.”
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