National Highways want to close 417 bike park!!

Watched that earlier, I don't think that they 'want' to close the park, it's just the new management of the missing link project aren't any good at communication with the business. Cirtainly seems like highways have formulated their own plans without any up-to-date consultation or discussion.

That's a properly rubbish situation for them. I completely accept that the road needed sorting, it was/is a complete disaster for getting traffic through. But this doesn't sound like the ideal soultion.
I've got a lot of time for 417 bike park for many reasons, whilst i don't go there much any more, it's a cracking place for people/youngsters.

I drove through the Air Balloon (as was) roundabout yesterday for the first time in a long time, and by christ there is a LOT of work going on around there. I did wonder what effect it was having on the bike park, clearly not a good one.

I can't watch the video (at work), so what exactly are NH doing and what are they closing?

Can we get a link - I can't see this at work :o)

Long story short - NH were supposed to put in remediation so the park could remain open whilst the work is being done, but they aren't going to do what was originally agreed, what they're now proposing to do instead won't work and they've gone into radio silence.

its proper rubbish for FU417, I live local and its a great spot and does a lot to encourage younger riders as well as fat old blokes.

@danposs86 as I understand it and paraphrasing hugely as I don't have the detail:  plans had been agreed that would allow the impact to the park to be mitigated and allow the park to remain functional but that has been reneged on and the new proposals decided without consultation with the park put the park in a situation where they won't be able to get insurance - and there is no engagement from NH on the reasons for the changes or  newmitigations for the additional impacts

I was just about to start a thread about this.

It seems a poor show how the Highways Agency have handled this. I hope something can be done to help them. I’ve only been a few times, but we had good fun when we went and they seem to be a nice bunch of people there. It would be a shame to see it close.

plans had been agreed that would allow the impact to the park to be mitigated and allow the park to remain functional but that has been reneged on

I watched the video but as others I don't understand what is going on.

Is it access that Highways Agency are restricting during their work - because it looks like the entrance to the park is off a country lane, not directly off the A417.

Or are they taking their land to build new infrastructure?

I watched the video but as others I don’t understand what is going on.

Is it access that Highways Agency are restricting during their work – because it looks like the entrance to the park is off a country lane, not directly off the A417.

Or are they taking their land to build new infrastructure?

I also watched the video and don't fully understand. It sounds like the issue is the park will now become insurable, not sure the detail on this.

The thread title is a bit clickbaity, it doesn't sound like highways want to close the park. it sounds like some of their plans impact the park and they wont engage on how to resolve it (unless I am mistaken).

I'm not sure what the issues are.  looks like NH have to maintain access to the park through construction.  something more detailed though.

As with any large projects.  not a lot of resource and many interested parties so probably struggling with the comms rather than an a sinister plot.

Are 417 the landowners?

I'm going over to the royal George at Birdlip tonight, apparently there's a public consultation van til 6:30pm so I'll ask them the question about the park ....

I’m not sure what the issues are. looks like NH have to maintain access to the park through construction. something more detailed though.

The project to date had been all above the 417project though To date the works have been mainly been across open farm land and around the roundabout itself. So, as far as I'm aware, there has been relatively little impact on the park - the next phase over the next year or so will be digging out and widening the partial dual carriageway that goes from brockworth upto the air balloon. Along with the creation of a land bridge across the road for wildlife and public access.

Wasn't there an application for a new visitors centre at FU417 at the beginning of the year?

As a direct result of the roadworks, they couldn't use the current one so rather than the disruption of building/using a temp one until the works were finished the bp had put in planning for a new one. Might be something to do with that.

My understanding when I spoke to them was that the farm road up to the visitor's centre/parking was going to be closed/unusable by the public, and possibly the car parking too, and so they were planning to relocate all the car park and suchlike down near to the site entrance, and so all traffic could come and go via Witcombe and then come up through the farmland to the trails, and the uplift route likewise could be redirected so it doesn't run along the side of the A417 any more. (pretty sure this is all their land) I thought that meant bringing it to the other side of the woods so it runs across the edge of the trails field, and then up between the trails and the outdoor jumps, but I could be wrong about that, I'm not great at directions. (ie pretty much where the pushup is).

Back then it all seemed relatively positive and "some of this stuff we wanted to do anyway but weren't allowed to so it could be a good opportunity". They obviously struggle a bit with the size/shape of the venue as it stands, stuff that worked really well the first time I visited has become limiting.

It doesn't seem like it'd take an awful lot to make that practical, but then the way they tell it, it seems mostly about incompetence and bad comms and needless conflict.

@monkeyboyjc did you manage to find anything out at the consultation?

Google-fu failed me. I just did a thread, oops.

Bloody sad state of affairs that they're not being engaged with creating unnecessary stress and ambiguity.

Just got this. There's a link in to email comments to highways agency

https://mailchi.mp/flyupdownhill/new-future-flyers-sessions-5427655?e=3df8b69b6f

So National Highways gave an assurance that they would build for them a new car park and temporary building at the bottom. 417 have a planning application in for a permanent building which is pending. So are National Highways refusing to build this permanent building for them and trying to stick to the original plan of a temporary building? Is that's what is causing the issue? or are they refusing to build the car park and temporary building as per the original assurance making running the business impossible? I'm struggling to understand from that what's changed for National Highways to now want to close the park?

Watched the video, still not really sure what is going on. Is it jsut down to insurance with the new plans that HA are wanting to force on them?

I feel like this really needs a diagram/map explaining exactly what was proposed and what the plan currently stands at.

https://a417missinglink.com/

Unfortunately I didn't make it over to the  public consultation site last night. Looking at the development web site it seems that the phase that would start affecting fu417 starts in early summer this year, with the construction of the Cotswolds way overpass and works to the dual carriageway that will directly affect the carpark and facilities.

With no plans of how highways intend to keep the park open during the construction process I guess fu417 need all the help the can get.

I've emailed the park with support, but also the public email for the construction project quiring how they will support and keep the park open  in the upcoming phases of the works.

A417SchemeEnquiries@kier.co.uk

I can't figure out how to join my news story to this thread, but hopefully I've answered some questions here.

https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/the-government-the-new-road-and-flyup-417-bike-park-whats-happening/

all sounds very underhanded by NH…..

That's pretty much their normal mode of operation.

See also the ridiculous and costly mess they made of infilling various bridges only to then be told to remove it all following public outcry . Total utter waste of public money. NH had basically decided that they wanted to do the work that way and screw anyone who said otherwise.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/national-highways-unanimously-ordered-to-remove-infill-from-beneath-100-year-old-congham-bridge-02-10-2023/

And if you don’t sell us the land we want then we’ll just get the govt to make you sell it to us as a compulsory purchase.

See also the ridiculous and costly mess they made of infilling various bridges only to then be told to remove it all following public outcry . Total utter waste of public money. NH had basically decided that they wanted to do the work that way and screw anyone who said otherwise.

Infilling with 1000 tonnes of concrete as a temporary measure! They are arses here, I assume getting it passed as temporary and then once done getting it accepted as permanent, was the plan all along. What was the council expecting when approving that as a temporary measure?

Seems like protection of the park was not properly and formally written into the DCO.

Well done @stwhannah for doing the article and adding a bit more information

417 posted a video last night saying that NH had agreed to a meeting today, so hopefully some progress can be made.

Myself & Daughter are booked in for 21st April and 19th May - so hopefully they'll still be running.

Best of luck to Simon and his crew at FU417. Such a nice guy. Doesn’t deserve a lot of heartache over his way of making a living.

Hope to hear an update as soon as is possible - 417 is a great setup

I had this email back from the highways team yesterday.

Dear

Thank you for your email of the 21 March regarding Fly Up A417 Bike Park.

We completely understand that you would be interested in the discussions with Fly Up and the need to support your local business. As I am sure you’ll appreciate, we cannot disclose any information regarding the conversations taking place between Fly Up and other parties at this time.

At a time when dialogues have been completed, we’re confident that all the information being discussed, will be made available.

Once again, many thanks for contacting us.

A417 Communications team

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-68657520?at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_medium=social&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_campaign_type=owned&at_format=link&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_link_type=web_link&at_link_origin=BBC_Gloucestershire&at_link_id=321081E0-EB4D-11EE-AB67-3332AAF30DC0&fbclid=IwAR2Bhl5QRhtMU-N-bpfbYGIzR6CL4HqnYfAndGTWKwPK-zFqKumzxsodo5s

417 have just posted an update on Facebook:

Following a meeting with the regional director of National Highways on 28/03, we are now in discussions regarding a short-term plan which we hope to have in agreement by next week. That will enable us to continue to operate while initial works on hoardings begin on the 417 Bike Park.

But the long-term plan is still unclear, and we are in ongoing dialogue with National Highways to understand more fully the impact that this will have on our business.

On behalf of all the team here at the Flyup 417 Bike Park we’d like to say a big thank you again for all your continued support – we’ll keep you posted on any developments

Fingers crossed they can get the long term plans sorted.

I drove past there in the week, the environmental devastation is horrendous, with the Bike Parks trails all exposed and seen easily from the road surround by tree stumps.    The area looks devastated.

Right at the roundabout there’s an omnimous looking 50ft bank now with all the trees removed looking ripe for land slip onto the road.  Whilst im sure the engineers involved know what they are doing, it looks dangerous to me.

Whilst I’m sure the engineers involved know what they are doing

Speaking as a civil engineer, I wouldn’t guarantee it!