THE BIGGEST STORIES ACROSS BRISTOL IN YOUR INBOX SIGN UP Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Bristol Council has backed a team refurbishing hundreds of old bikes for underprivileged children after they discovered the effort while investigating the organiser due to a complaint made by a neighbour.

Ian ‘Scotty’ Scott, 48, from Lawrence Weston, has been riding BMX and other bikes for as long as he can remember, and started refurbishing them around six years ago when he found himself with spare parts of a number of different bikes.

Out of a desire to get children away from their digital devices and to encourage them to take up cycling, Ian set up L-Dub Community Bike Project in the back garden and an area of disused land behind the council house he grew up in, and has since given away hundreds of bikes.

However on September 7, Ian was served with a notice from the council informing him that there would be an inspection of the property after a neighbour complained about the number of bikes being stored behind the home in a breach of the tenancy agreement. This led to fears the project could be shut down.

Ian said: “When I received the letter I couldn’t believe it - everybody around here knows what we do and we have managed to make a difference in so many people’s lives.

“The thought that somebody would report us using land that has laid untouched for decades to run something that is trying to make a positive impact in the community is shocking to say the least.”

However to Ian’s surprise, after the inspection by the city council’s housing services the project was not shut down, but rather was fully supported by the authorities who stated that they would be assisting with procuring the permission for the site which Ian had recently applied for in order to build a more permanent workshop.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “We are working with organisers of the bike project to help it continue to operate with the necessary permissions required.

“It is currently running from the back garden of a council property and we are in discussion with the occupants to safeguard the future of this community scheme.”

The team behind L-Dub had already developed plans for a workshop, including a bike store, maintenance and education area, and a shop and office space, and had applied to the council for funding to support the mechanics.

Ian said: “It’s ironic really, because in trying to get us shut down by complaining they have actually sped up our application by quite a few weeks. Although we have been operating well for the past few years on our own, to have that backing would be a massive help and allow us to reach so many more young people who really need it.”

Ian and his team of mechanics offer bikes for children between two and five-years-old for free, with children up to the age of 16 paying £30 and adults paying £50, however these costs can be spread out over a number of weeks to allow as many young people as possible the opportunity to get out and cycle.

They also allow children of all ages to return to the makeshift shop with their old bike once they have outgrown it, and swap it for a new refurbished bike better suited to their size.

Ian’s passion for the project is rooted in his experiences as a child growing up in Lawrence Weston, when he was given a rudimentary makeshift bike which went on to inspire his love of cycling alongside his work as a DJ and artist.

He said: “There is something so freeing about having a bike, especially as a kid on an estate who might not have much of a chance to get out or explore - it’s like a passport to all these new experiences.

“I find it really depressing to see so many kids sat on their iPads or game consoles, getting no exercise in body or mind, when there’s so much for them to do outside with a bike.

“I feel really lucky that I was given that opportunity as a child, and now it’s great to be able to pass that on to other kids in the area - it feels like paying it forward in some way. We receive a lot of pictures and videos from parents of their children just loving their bikes and that makes it all so worth it.”

Bristol Waste 'thrilled' to support this project

The project has been supported by a large number of donations of unwanted bikes or bike parts, including Bristol Waste who supply several cycling initiatives across the city such as Bristol Bike Project, with bikes dropped at their tips.

A spokesperson for Bristol Waste said: "Every day, fit-for-purpose items are brought to our Household Waste Recycling Centres to be recycled. We have the unique opportunity to redirect these items to be reused instead.

"Pre-loved bicycles are often brought to us in excellent condition and can be reused with only minor tuning. It’s a no-brainer for us to provide these items to our partner organisations to be refurbished and redistributed, often at affordable prices and targeting to those who may not otherwise be able to afford a brand-new bike.

"Since we began donating bicycles this spring, we have donated over 550 to our partner organisations, including Life Cycle UK, APE, the Bristol Bike Project, Twin Wave CIC and L-Dub Community Bike Project who joined us this past August.

"We’re thrilled to be supporting reuse in Bristol and the various organisations who work hard every day to ensure we’re throwing away less and wasting nothing."

Help from scaffolding companies needed to keep out the rain

With a more permanent structure for the workshop still a way off, Ian is urgently appealing to scaffolding companies to help cover the yard during the upcoming inclement weather in order to protect the bikes and give the mechanics somewhere to work out of the rain. Without this the entire project may be forced to close its doors.

He is looking for scaffolders to cover an area around six metres by three and a half metres, at around the height of a single storey, for the autumn and winter period free of charge, though has stated that any willing company would be permitted to advertise freely on the covering.

If your, or somebody you know, is able to help, call Ian on 07561836923.