The search for a site for Kendal’s mountain bikers and BMXers to ride will continue, town councillors have pledged.
Work to find a location for a pump track – a specialist bike track which allows downhill mountain bike enthusiasts and BMX riders to make a circuit of humps and bumps, using the gravity designed into the track – has been ongoing for some time.
The council’s environment and highways working group heard that potential sites were being investigated at Mintsfeet and around Kendal Castle, but that some other potential sites could be ruled out.
Town View Field has a new flood alleviation and biodiversity scheme in it, Rinkfield is prone to waterlogging, Hallgarth open spaces are not very conveniently located for the rest of the town, and Beezon Fields may be required for further planting or use in association with the flood relief scheme.
However, the working group agreed last night that the search for a suitable site in the town should continue.
Councillor Eamonn Hennessy reported that his Facebook page featuring the search for a site had attracted over 500 followers, which was a reasonable indicator of demand.
The group felt that the issue was worthy of further investigation however, so agreed that more information should be gathered about sites which did not have obvious
drawbacks.
Coun Hennessy presented the group with some example sites from elsewhere in the country, observing that the land required was actually quite small, and biodiversity
mitigations could be built in to the design.
He added: “We want to make sure we’re serving all parts of our community.
“We have good play provision for the under-10s, but sometimes provision for older users falls very short.
“The skate park at Beezon is well-loved but this appeals to only a narrow group of riders.
“A pump track is a real family-friendly feature.”
A further report will be delivered to the council on feasibility in the autumn.
