Update: the petition worked!

UPDATE 21/12/16: Black Mountains Cycle Centre awarded retrospective planning permission.

A great bit of news, broken by Black Mountains Cycle Centre on their Facebook page…

Here’s the original “under threat” story from last month…

Original story

Black Mountains Cycle Centre in south Wales is under threat unless retrospective planning permission is granted.

>>> Sam Pilgrim grins his way down Full Moto trail at Black Mountain Cycle Centre

With this in mind the owners have started an online petition on the 38degrees website to try and raise as many signatures as possible. At time of writing the petition was well on the way to its target.

Let’s help tip it over the top!

As and when (not if) the petition reaches its conclusion, Black Mountains Cycle Centre will present the results to the Brecon Beacons National Park Planning Agency.

The rapid success of the Black Mountains Cycle Centre has taken everybody by surprise. It only started up a couple of years ago. It’s this success and fast expansion that is actually part of the problem. The owners say in the petition description: “The centre is now faced with having to apply for retrospective planning permission due to the unforeseen growth and success of the business in the last 18 months.”

It’s popularity has no doubt been aided by the frequent footage of the Centre in various pro mountain bike riders’ videos as well as the tracks being used frequently by various mountain bike magazines and websites as prime testing terrain.

The full text from the petition

“The Black Mountain Cycle Centre has become one the country’s leading downhill mountain biking destinations in the short time it has been open. What initially started out as a few friends building some tracks through newly planted woodland has evolved into a place that attracts visitors from all over the world. The centre is now faced with having to apply for retrospective planning permission due to the unforeseen growth and success of the business in the last 18 months.

“The bike centre has been a positive farm diversification in which existing woodland has been transformed to provide enjoyment to thousands of mountain bike enthusiasts as well as stimulating the local economy with local pubs, shops and B&B’s profiting from the extra people in the area. The bike centre also creates jobs within a community that is finding it increasingly difficult to make a living from agriculture in the local area.

“If planning permission is not granted there is a possibility that the centre will be forced to close resulting in a loss of jobs as well as a significant loss of income to the local economy.

“BMCC has quickly established itself as one of the best riding spots in the UK, World Champion riders have used the centre and it’s trails as preparation for international events and competitions. As well as catering for the needs of elite riders, the centre offers younger, up and coming riders the opportunity to use BMCC as a training facility to practice and develop their skills. There is a risk that all of this will be lost if planning permission is not granted.

“If you want BMCC to remain open and feel that it is having a positive effect on the Brecon Beacons National Park please sign the petition. Thank you.”