PLANNING APPLICATION REFUSED 
:)
Bike Forum
Micheldever Wood / Black Wood near Winchester - worth exploring?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Good news there Brian, although pretty close! Ridiculous idea anyway!
How are the trails there at the moment?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I haven't been up there cycling since the summer, but I expect the trails will be pretty good at the moment.
Posted 1 year ago # -
this made the news on south today or something the other day, forgot to post, quote from the echo though...
"Among the reasons for refusal were concerns about the impact on the habitat of the endangered dormouse."
is there more info on why refused, it would be good to know for future methods of objection for other locations, but clearly mentioning endangered species is the way to go..
Posted 1 year ago # -
That's a tricky one, dobo. There are reams of arguements you can read on the council planning website (link poster earlier in thread) and next Thursday the council's weekly list should show a summary, eventually a full decision report will pop out. But at the end of the day, this was won by the weight of local objection. Dispite the woodland being a SINC and the presence of endangered species, the planning officers actually recommended that the application be allowed. It was only that the decision went to committee, due to the number of objections and a request by the local community, that the planning officers were overruled by elected politicians. So, I'd say no, endangered species count for nothing. You need masses of objectors - or some councillors keen on being re-elected!
a bit more infoPosted 1 year ago # -
Hurrah! I only found this out from the news on telly. Brilliant news! I was up there about a week or two ago - it was nice and dry, but all the fallen leaves are making some of the trails a struggle to see(!) and maintain speed on. Saw a hare though, which was nice.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Posted 1 year ago #
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Thanks for the update Brian and that really is good news.
Not wishing to sound negative but would they be able to appeal/resurrect planning application in the future?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm pretty close and keep meaning to get over and check out Micheldever Wood.. am I right in thinking it's probably not even worth thinking about at the moment with all the rain we've had?
Posted 1 year ago # -
IMO don't bother. The tree cover and type of soil means it doesn't dry out quickly...
In summer it's great though! I'd wait for *at least* a dry seven days before considering it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
poppa - Member
IMO don't bother. The tree cover and type of soil means it doesn't dry out quickly...In summer it's great though! I'd wait for *at least* a dry seven days before considering it.
Cheers, I figured as much.. the Harroway is bad enough in these conditions and that's pretty open so I guessed it wouldn't be great!
Posted 1 year ago # -
c-g, I don't think there's anything to stop the forestry submitting a new planning application for anything they like, but one would hope by now, after several rejected applications and a lot of wasted money, that they realise it isn't worth pursuing.
The riding in Black Wood - and elsewhere - may just be OK, if there is a good cover of fresh leaves. I was walking thru some woods yesterday, on a thick carpet of sweet chestnut leaves over a base of liquid mud, and my shoes didn't get muddy! It was a bit slippery though. I might take my bike in for a play. Not expecting much traction, but at least it shouldn't be too sticky.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Found this thread googling the black woods and cycling. The route through black woods is cut twice a year by the enduro motorbikers (no, i know it hurts but we owe them one)
enduro news events look at april 25
I have spent a lot of time mapping out the route, which takes in 14 pits, but dont think it has made it onto the post. it is pretty accurate, and shows the full 12 mile loop (best done clockwise from the car park on the A33), but a shorter, better biking loop of 8 miles. i go there regularly, and although it is pretty miserable at the moment, if the ground hardens up a bit again should be great. i'm not brilliant on the mtb, but ok, and happy to sho people around the route if like to meet up. Also there are 3-4 decent sized pits in micheldever, which we have cleared out, one of which is incredible. Again happy to meet up for a spin - was out there this mornig: saw 25-30 deer in a herd: amazing.
I dont think i am going to be able to get the map on - anyone know how please
Posted 1 year ago # -
I definitely cont get the route on, but happy to email
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi,
I am interested in the map, as have been unable to get the bing map links (on page 2) to work.
Have emailed you.
Cheers
Posted 1 year ago # -
sorry about the late reply - will email. will also send stuff about micheldever - cracking route a mate and i have workede out
Posted 1 year ago # -
I am a local that had not considered Black Wood until seeing this thread in the summer (via a friend) - I thought it was too small. But I rode there a lot in the summer and eventually worked out the route (or most of it - and one I liked - anyway!). About 90 mins riding when reasonably fit, and incredibly good riding for this area.
I went there yesterday and the path is really hard to follow now - we need to ride there more and keep it clear!!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Now that I've figured out how to post links here properly, the bing maps again
Black Wood 2010
Black Wook 2009Looks like the motorbikes are pencilled in for March 20th 2011.
I was thinking of heading over to black wood this coming weekend. Does anyone have an update on the mud?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Rode Black Wood for the first time on Boxing Day.
Even with a gps route (GPX courtesy of Roddi - thanks), I found it incredibly hard to find the trail. But then again it was under full snow coverage.
Was amazed how incredibly hard going it was. The beech leaves were really sapping.
But fun all the same and the effort required soon warmed me up in the sub zero conditions.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Rode the loop with Jehosophat (Hi James) from up there on 3rd Jan. Agree with what he and FieldMarshall are saying re the track/path being difficult to follow.
Surface still not too bad, but I reckon it will be very wet now.
Rode down the edge of Micheldever wood on Monday evening and it was very slidy.
Roddi - interested to know where abouts in Micheldever Wood you are talking about. We walk in there quite frequently and ride occasionally, but never seen any significant pits - unless you mean the old burrial mound in the north west?Posted 1 year ago # -
Rode Black Wood yesterday. The ground was very firm, mostly frozen, but it looks like it would be OK when thawed too, with the covering of leaves. It looks to be fairly dry. I lost the track on many occasions: it has completely disappeared in places under the leaves. Even with the GPS, at times I could not be sure exactly where it was. At least with the leaves down, it let the sun stream in. I thought I knew my way around there by now, but obviously not. Even when I was on the track, there were sections I completely did not recognise. It was slow going too, with the leaves, constant GPS stops, and never knowing exactly where to go. I clocked two and a half hours cycling, but car-car was three hours fourty
On the plus side, at least my bike did not need cleaning!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi - havent visited the site recently so missed the posts. Micheldever is a bit of a mess at the moment - lots of tree cutting and deep tyre tracks. the best pit is still ridable, but access is poor secondary to the above. the route was as per http://connect.garmin.com/activity/60170467
the best pit is 9:18 mins in, but you have to walk the bike round to the far side, drop in and out and then walk back to the path. there is another pit just north of that one i cleared out last weekend. the pit to the lest of the track 14mins into the route is small but good fun. the one at 17:17 is currently not worth trying as access so bad with tree cutting
agree with allk comments about black wood, but if you find the pits (there are 16) some of them are awesome - was out there 2 weekends ago.
have fun
Ian
Posted 1 year ago # -
Oh shame as presumably with a few dry days, it could be fun there! Hadn't realised there were so many pits though.
Asking a silly question but have any new tracks been cut for the MX'ers?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Breaking news re black woods:
1) I spoke with 2 guys out there today who will be spending the next couple of weeks prepping the single track for the motor cycle endure on 20th
http://forums.mxtrax.co.uk/showthread.php?t=295314– no leaves on the line: oh happy day. The surface is really nice underfoot, and I think minus the leaves should be brilliant.
2) The forestry guys are reapplying for the planning permission for the chalet for the 3rd time – 60 this time not 98, but still will be a major change to the woods. I haven’t been to the site to have a look at the plans, but we shall have to see. The parish council will object again, but 3rd time lucky?
Dont know what the new route will look like, but the route that dom and I did a while ago which is the more interesxting 8 miles of the 12 mile full circuit
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/54825148
have fun while it lasts
Posted 1 year ago # -
For the 1st time this year, I was out in Black Wood this morning. I noticed the 60 chalet planning notice as I went in. Fingers crossed it gets refused.
The southern section of the trail was okay and it was easy to find and follow. Most of the other sections are still covered in leaves and I would often loose the trail. The leaves just seem to sap your energy so quickly.
Once the enduro motorbikes have been through there later this month, that will make the trails easier to find again. We just need to get more people to ride there more often (myself included), so that the trails stay visable!
Black Wood is 5 miles from my front door, so I should make more effort to go there, rather than always going to Swinley or Caesers Camp!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Latest planning application
http://planningapplications.winchester.gov.uk/PlanningWeb/Results.aspx?ID=10/03109/FUL&tab=0Posted 1 year ago # -
That's bad news about the planning app. I think we can assume the planning department will recommend approval, as they did before; and that the parish council will request the decision to go to committee again. So it will probably come down to why the councillors rejected it before. According to the new (third) application:
The first reason given for the refusal of the second application was the scale and concentration of development and its impact on the landscape setting and tranquillity of the wood.
This development will still dramatically change the nature of the wood. It will also still dissect the MX route into pieces, and render the enduro unfeasible. We've see lately how quickly the trails vanish, so it would be hard to keep anything at all going in Black Wood if this goes ahead.Send your objections! If you objected before, be sure to write again incase they think you now approve.
There are a lot of objections already raised (more than last time I think!) and let's hope the councillors are desperate for votes to get re-elected.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I decided to ride at Black Wood this morning and the 12 mile trail loop is now clearly visible thanks to the motorbikes that were there last weekend. The trail is easy to follow, as you just have to follow the motorbike tracks and it is mostly singletrack with a couple of fireroad sections. The ground is a bit draggy in places, as the soil is loose from the where the motorbikes have turned it over but overall the trail is nice to ride.
Posted 1 year ago # -
nice pics, i found it hard to follow the trails last time i went and was hard work..
is there an updated gps for this or is it the same route?
also does anyone have a route for Micheldever Wood? i was thinking of going for a run in there as well as a ride. are the bluebells out yet?Posted 1 year ago # -
Black woods this morning - fantastic. the motor bikes have sut a route that i think is more fun than last year, and well worth a look
regarding micheldever, the route that we did a while ago is at this link. the little there and back bit at the north is a waste of time. the route is best done anticlockwise. as you go down the eastern side, there are 3 decent sized pits - one is at the little v off the side of the track. all three pits have pretty poor in and out, but i have made a track, but they are hard to find. i am sorry i dont have a gps, but as before happy to email from ianrodd@aol.com.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I rode the new motorbike trail yesterday afternoon. It was much wetter than I was expecting from the photos - I think maybe some rain came thru Saturday evening. I thought the ground was really heavy going: loose damp soil. 13 miles of pain!
The trail follows the same general route as last year, but there are several changes along the way, and some bombholes switched around. Managed to miss out a small section to the NNW of the meadow, after the looped back bombhole, should have crossed over the fire road somewhere instead of heading for the meadow. GPS is here Black Wood 2011
Good fun, but it'll be nicer when it dries out...
Re. Micheldever woods, the gps posted on page 5 for BW 2010 also includes a bit of Micheldever woods. There's plenty more in there but I seem to remember some was closed off for forestry operations.
Posted 1 year ago # -
... BTW, the links don't seem to work properly with older browsers such as IE6. Firefox 3.16 is ok.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Might check Black Wood out this morning.. was hoping it would be sunny but not looking too promising!
Is this the entry that people use on the A33? It seems to match up with some of the GPS tracks people have posted, but seems a bit short on parking.. wouldn't want to block the track / gate - any other options?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Must get back there, should have done it last week!
frogstomp - either here or at the start of the bridleway is a little layby.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks CG.. think we're due rain tomorrow so it could get sticky again..
Posted 1 year ago #
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