If you ride at Innerleithen or Glentress then please take some time to read this and see you there.

Public Consultation on World Class Bike Park and Innovation Centre in Innerleithen, Tweed Valley.

“Views are being sought to help move forward an exciting project for the development of Europe’s only mountain bike innovation centre located alongside a world class bike park in the Tweed Valley.

A public consultation will be held on 24th January at 7pm in the Innerleithen Memorial Hall, Leithen Road, Innerleithen, EH44 6HZ.

During the evening, Select Contracts, leading consultants in the leisure and adventure industry (based in Whistler, Canada) and award winning Scottish architects, Oberlanders, will present and capture the communities’ views on the bike park, whilst innovation experts, Urban Foresight, will be consulting on the innovation centre. This research is being funded by Scottish Enterprise.”

Link: http://www.dmbins.com/developing/news/public-consultation-on-world-class-bike-park-and-innovation-centre

This is your chance to have your say about what type of trails you would like to see in Innerleithen. It’s not just about an amazing building with facilities including a nursery and climbing wall but also a bike park built by a whistler company.

We would love to see anyone who comes here to ride make the midweek trip to Inners and be part of the consultation and help shape the trails how you want them. How often do you hear people saying “Why don’t they just spend the money on new trails?” Well, this could be your chance to have your say.

All sounds good…although the cynic in me sees FC diverting more money from other forest locations to support this, which isn’t great.

We would love to see anyone who comes here to ride make the midweek trip to Inners and be part of the consultation

Am I reading that wrong … or does it say “we’d love to hear your views if you are local, work in Edinburgh and drive, or are the right side of Glasgow to get here for 7pm on a dark winter evening; but those of you who come from further afield, have jobs in the wrong place or don’t take a car into the most congested city in Scotland (if not the UK) everyday can keep their views to themselves?”

Build a railway up the hill. It’s the only thing that makes sense!

Yes Poly ..I think you are reading that wrong ..given the lead in time to the actual meeting I think it gives ample opportunity for anyone who really wants to be present the opportunity to get there ..

Sounds like another overpriced building, oh joy. A nursery? crikey.

I only go a few times a year, so not really aimed at me anyway, best of luck, and hope it’s great though.

@Poly, you read what I said completely and utterly wrong. Sorry for the confusion.

If you can’t make the meeting I am sure there are ways to express your views. I’m lucky in that I live just up the road from the town hall but yes I get it that others aren’t quite as fortunate to live here.

What I don’t want is the silent majority to miss out and the usual retired vocal minority to fill the hall and spend the entire meeting moaning about Mountain Bikers and their pesky bikes making a mess, stripping off in the streets yada yada.

This could be massive for not just the town but everyone who rides here and that’s a lot of people.

I’m sure if you wanted to express your views and couldn’t make the meeting you could make a representation in writing via the link I included. It’s as easy as writing an email. I’m sure everyone can manage that before next Thursday?

@NoBeer. It’s a large building (old mill) and there is opportunity for not just MTB but the community as a whole. Ok, you may not need a nursery but I’d love a climbing wall there and short lease business space would also help drive innovation. Just look at what Napier/DMBINS have done at the Peel in Glentress.

But this isn’t just about a building. It’s a building plus world class Bike Park.

Just look at what Napier/DMBINS have done at the Peel in Glentress.

Managed to create a building with no view of the surrounding countryside in a hole beside a smelly pond?

Managed to create a building with no view of the surrounding countryside in a hole beside a smelly pond?

Wrong building.

DMBINS are in the building further up the hill from the Peel. They have a view

I’m assuming this Inners plan is part of something wider that I overheard discussions about when I was having a post ride coffee a few months ago…

Basically, some people (I wont say who) are looking to build the valley up as a “destination” resort to be mentioned in the same breath as Whistler, Morzine etc. A concerted effort to pull all the riding spots in the valley together as one destination: Cademuir, Glentress, Innerleithen, Caberston & Thornielee.

From how the discussions went the people concerned are applying for permissions to do this. Sounds like a very positive move.

Sounds great Bob.

Come on people, be fair, DMBINS is not just a building, they have created clusters and centres of practice all over Scotland. I am sure somebody will be along soon who know what that means.

This is a copy of the requirements that were issued at Tender Stage:
Scottish Enterprise is seeking to appoint a supplier to test demand for, review and refine the business case for the creation of an innovation and business hub to maximise the opportunity for the South of Scotland to grasp economic growth opportunities and community benefits connected to Mountain Biking. This should be a new and innovative approach to delivering innovation centre services under a sustainable model which has strong and inclusive community and local business linkages and builds on the success of the current mountain bike innovation project hosted by Edinburgh Napier University.
Borderlands partners have been reviewing and scoping out an Outline Business Case that seeks to invest 25million GBP (public and private) in Mountain Biking over a 10-year period into the Tweed Valley. If successfully implemented this could create a world-class destination for research and development, innovation, tourism and an attractive place to invest. The objective of this commission is to test demand for, review and refine the business case for an innovation hub for Mountain Biking.
A final report from the successful consultant should present back to the steering group their assessment of four related tasks:
A – Demand and Usage
B – Location Options
C – Governance and Ownership
D – Financial Modelling

So, what are DuMBiS doing up in the house on the hill then?.

amatuer – The uplift has definitely been improved by businesses working together, Adrenalin, iCycles, No.1 cafe etc, Though the new building at the uplift car park may take some of that away.

That says South of Scotland, I’d be amazed if anywhere other than Vegan Valley is given any consideration.

“Vegan Valley”

Haha!!

It does all sound a bit super (for the aforementioned area at least).

It’d be beyond-amazing to see even just a fraction, a smidgeon of that thinking and funding shared to the other ‘Stanes.

@Nobeerinthefridge

So, what are DuMBiS doing up in the house on the hill then?.

Supporting businesses, driving innovation, providing work space for local companies including MTB guiding courses, helping trail building & maintenance, the list goes on. More info on their website: http://www.dmbins.com/

amatuer – The uplift has definitely been improved by businesses working together, Adrenalin, iCycles, No.1 cafe etc, Though the new building at the uplift car park may take some of that away.

Not sure I understand. The new building is being proposed by Adrenalin Uplift.

That says South of Scotland, I’d be amazed if anywhere other than Vegan Valley is given any consideration.

Not everyone here is a bloody Vegan! But it does seem to be a bit of a fad just now. And yes I agree, only so much funding to go around so not everyone can benefit.

But at least something is happening to help progress our sport. Seems to be a lot of negativity here about what could be an amazing project. Maybe they should just scrap it and spend the money on something else.

The uplift has definitely been improved by businesses working together, Adrenalin, iCycles, No.1 cafe etc, Though the new building at the uplift car park may take some of that away.

On a purely selfish note… Good. Getting a seat in no.1 is a nightmare. 😁

I fink this would be better in the <<<<< other forum, like.

Good luck.
Although I’m in a grump as our project received a reply from a large gov supported group which said we wanted to build a rolls Royce facility when a Mondeo would do. In other words wrong part of the country.

Not sure I understand. The new building is being proposed by Adrenalin Uplift.

I’d imagine that they will use this building for check in, and selling coffee and food, so withdrawing away from icycles and no.1.

Unsure what DMBiS do other than go to various bits of Scotland to tell everyone how great Tweed Valley is…
Unsure where any of these hubs/centres are…

Sounds good. I only ride park!

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/innerleithen-mountain-bike-centre-plans-about-to-move-up-a-gear-1-4856459

The meeting is tonight. Look forward to seeing you there if you can make it.

Best of luck, keep us posted on anything that sounds vaguely like it may happen.

Hope the meeting sheds some light on the potential developments.

I read the opening paragraph and thought “Select Contracts, that sounds familiar” and yes – they developed the Christchurch Adventure Park over in NZ.

I’m not going to witter on about the riding in Worsleys forest there, because it was potentially a very different situation, but I’d be interested if they could say what lessons were learned from that development?

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/business/mountain-bike-businesses-in-borders-set-to-benefit-from-185-000-1-4919877

Build a railway up the hill. It’s the only thing that makes sense!

Unfortuatly this makes no sense from a financial point of view. None. Zero. ziltch.

Cause you researched it and done all the costings? Give it a rest TJ.

Steven = a while back I looked at the numbers produced by aimup and they were obvious nonsense.

You can make an amenity / utility case for a fixed infrastructure uplift. Financial case is not possible