An opportunity to create something close to Sheffield’s Parkwood Springs has arisen in Derby and we need the mountain bike community of the city, county and neighbouring counties to help.

Practically the only big hill in the city has been given back over to general public use after the golf club on it folded. The hill at Allestree Park is sizeable and would be perfect for some trails.

The council are in touch with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust who have proposed to rewild it and within the early plans they released they have mentioned that there might be cycling routes. Details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-59248186

I fear that the routes won’t be geared up for proper MTB. A consultation is now live and they are asking for people’s thoughts. Now, I work in PR so I understand what a consultation normally means but I live in hope we might be able to get at least one good line out of the plans – it has happened in other places like Bath so why not Derby.

You can campaign for the creation of proper routes here https://letstalk.derby.gov.uk/allestree-rewilding

So please, bikers from Derbyshire and nearby, leave your comments, share it on your social media and tell your mates. We have a opportunity here – lets see if we can get something built.

Speak to Leeds Urban Bike Park, the people that run it.

That used to be an old Golf Course. Its fair to say that what they did there, has gone down rather well.

That would be a dream to have something like Leeds Urban Bike Park. I’m setting my sights a bit lower but you can hope.

I’ve filled the survey in, wording suggests more family trail type stuff but that would still be welcome.

Thank you very much. I think due to the hill being so long and steep it would be perfect for a red line – even a tame one, would be something in a city void of anything like it.

great idea, here’s hoping

They won’t like gnarly mountain bike types in Allestree! 🙂

No they won’t 🙂

But there are a few unofficial lines in the woods and some dirt jumps there already. I fear that people will build illegal stuff if we cant get proper trials approved. The hill is probably the biggest in the city.

The more noise we make, hopefully the better the chance. I’m so envious of what Sheffield has created. If we could just get a small slice.

The terrain is perfect for a Parkwood style trail and more besides, but the area is very different and I can see a high degree of NMIBYism kicking in.

Nothing ventured and all that though – I’ll fill in the survey, and here’s hoping.

Great thank you mate. Yeah, I know what you mean but we can but try. Please spread the word!

Shared around the 700 people on the cycle club FB page, might generate some responses

Legend! Thank you

I can remember racing CX at Allestree Park. Wasn’t a very good course from memory!

Some bike trails would be good though- it’s amazing what you can do in a relatively small space – take Hicks Lodge and the Snibston trails for example…

Exactly, its very large park. There is plenty of room. Hell, they could shove us right in the corner.

I live there. Can’t really see how it can be done. Only the Woodland Road area near Quarndon has any elevation.

Nice idea for the kids but Nimbyism and the two bob millionaires living around the park will thwart it.

What do you mean? The whole park is on a massive hill? It has tonnes of elevation. I hear what you mean about nimbyism but we can but only try.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this so far. We have had a great reaction.

Well done for starting this off on here, I’ve chipped in my idea to the letstalk site.

I’m sure the area has enough height, I walk my dog around and its a decent size and I’ve also ridden my snowboard there some years ago. There is plenty of room to generate a variety of trails there at the very least.

Nice idea for the kids but Nimbyism and the two bob millionaires living around the park will thwart it.

Some of the houses backing on to it are occupied by keen cyclists…..

Similar thing was recently approved for Leamington spa on a previously council run golf course (Newbold comyn) RLSCC might be able to give you some pointers to get it through. There was (and still is) plenty of nimbyism against it. Going to be built by bike track (parkwood builders) I believe

Thanks for supporting it mate, yeah we have had quite a good reaction so far. Of course, there are some people who are just scared of the idea as if the park will be full of adrenaline junkies tearing up the park. I think they forget that most bikers are drawn to the sport because they enjoy being out in nature!

Regarding the hill, when you see what Northampton is doing to turn one of their old golf courses into trails, Allestree Park is like Everest in comparison to their project.

Great idea!

the OS maps suggest that there’s something in the order of 40-50 vertical metres to play with.

maybe not enough to host the EWS, but that’ll do for a swoopy descent in the order of 700m. that’s 90seconds – 2mins! do that twice and you’ll have a great local trail.

Good luck getting this going – fingers crossed!

A vision of Leeds Bike Park might scare off the Wildlife Trust, if they’re looking to re-wild, but Parkwood Springs doesn’t seem (to me) incompatible…

It sounds like the door is open – they’re already talking about bike trails – it would make sense that they’d want to talk to bikers about that – they may be pleased to hear from you!

Things to talk about :
Corners slow people down (they’re also fun, but lead with the safety angle).
A small trail (2km) will not attract hundreds of visitors, dozens, but not hundreds.
It’ll be great for kids, what a way to get them involved with conservation!
Bikers are a great resource for litter-pickers, tree-planters, bird-box putter-upperers, etc (See Ride Sheffield).
trails don’t have to be wide – they may be thinking about 3m wide ‘roads’ – they could well be happy to hear that they can do *less* work.

Thanks mate. I will make sure to make those points. Please feel free to add to the consultation and make them yourself too though. Every voice helps.

Email info@peakdistrictmtb.org

Might be able to help

Cheers mate. I will drop them a line.

Sorry to be cynical but this is Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we are talking about. The organisation which blocked the closed cycling circuit at Pride Park because it would disturb a pristine nature reserve (the bit of land where they buried the most contaminated waste they collected when they cleared Pride Park).

It would be great to believe DWT have widened their focus and they could accommodate lots of different interests and users at Allestree but on their previous track record I suspect the rights of harvest mice will be placed well above recreational users.

Yeah it is the council in partnership with the wildlife trust. Hopefully that means there will be more of a chance to get something. It is worth a try eh.

Sorry to be cynical but this is Derbyshire Wildlife Trust we are talking about. The organisation which blocked the closed cycling circuit at Pride Park because it would disturb a pristine nature reserve (the bit of land where they buried the most contaminated waste they collected when they cleared Pride Park).

DWT, whose insurers paid out a large sum of money to me when they put a rope across a bridleway at the bottom of a hill with no warning signs…..