A new pay-to-ride bike park will be created on the Entry Hill golf course in Bath after a Bristol-based company was appointed to take on the running of the site.
Entry Hill Golf Course in Bath | Photo © B&NES Council
Entry Hill will be transformed into a multi-use activity site, opening up the space for those on bikes or on foot.
It will be run by Pedal Progression, who will oversee the creation of park areas and trails for walking and cycling, a learn-to-ride area with pump track and a new natural play park alongside allotment space.
The dedicated bike park will be a pay-to-use facility and will be separated from the rest of the site. This area will house the majority of the trails and mountain bike specific facilities.
Elsewhere, wildlife habitats and wider biodiversity will be encouraged with a nature garden, pond and community growing area. There will also be a new and expanded café with seating and viewing areas across the park.
The bike park design will “seek to give all people of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy an exciting bike ride – including balance bikes and disability trikes to tandems and mountain bikes”.
The proposals will link to existing and new cycle routes, and promote walking and riding to access the site, encouraging people to leave their cars at home.
Pedal Progression, a skills coaching and bike hire company, says it is committed to engaging with the local community as they seek to get more people, more active, more often.
Residents living locally to the park will receive letters from the company in early March.
It is hoped that the cycle park will open in spring 2022, with the café expected to open later this year.
Councillor Paul Crossley, cabinet member for Community Services, said: “This exciting new multi-use park will breathe life into Entry Hill, creating a place that brings people together to enjoy being active in a variety of ways.
“It won’t solely be a place for bikers – it will equally be a green destination for walkers, families and nature-lovers that will boost the biodiversity of the area.
“We’ve seen during lockdown how people have made great use of the site for exercise and dog-walking and we want this to continue.
A map of the proposed design for Entry Hill
“It’s going to be a pleasant space that boosts people’s wellbeing as well as their health, which will be particularly important in the wake of the pandemic.
“Our robust open procurement exercise has selected the bid which best meets our priorities including encouraging people to be more active, ensuring there is leisure provision for all members of the community to engage with and meeting our climate and ecological emergency goals.
“Thank you to everyone who gave their views in the consultation leading up to this appointment. I hope the local community will continue to have their say and help shape the plans.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council held a public consultation between December 2019 and March 2020 to find out how local residents wanted to shape the site for the future.
Responses highlighted that a majority of people strongly supported a family cycle centre, while other popular options that were supported included having trails for walking and running and a park with a café.
The consultation was followed by an open procurement exercise in August 2020, under the rules of which the highest-scoring bidder was recommended for appointment.
Matt George and Ollie Cain, directors at Pedal Progression, said: “Our plans for the Entry Hill site have always had a strong community element.
“At the heart of our business is a deep belief that cycling including mountain biking is a great tool to bring people together to make the good stuff happen.
“We have also been very aware from early on that the beautiful green site, nestled in a residential area, should be developed sensitively.
“We will look to offer much to the local community and wider Bath area as well as the cyclists who will want to use the bike park.”
The concept design for the park was created in partnership with Architrail Velosolutions UK, a Bristol-based company that designs and constructs trails and pump tracks.
