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Bath golf club set to be transformed into bike park

Golfers previously claimed that a consultation on the plans were 'taken over by a cycling lobby on steroids'...

A golf club in Bath is set to be transformed into a 30 acre mountain bike park.

Cycling group Pedal Progression announced last night it has won a 'lengthy tender process' to create Bath Bike Park, on the site of the former Entry Hill golf course.

Golfers previously campaigned to save the two loss-making golf courses after Bath and North East Somerset Council revealed that each round played cost taxpayers £8.

One golfer complained that a consultation on the future of the Entry Hill site was taken over by a ‘cycling lobby on steroids' after 78 per cent of respondents expressed support for turning it into a cycling centre.

Last night however Pedal Progression announced they had been succesful and were beginning work to transform the golf course. 

The  30 acre site will be crisscrossed with 5km of purpose built, feature rich mountain bike trails. 

It will also have a new cafe building, toilets, a bike shop selling parts and bikes and offering bike hire, repair and coaching services.

Matt George, founder, said: "We are all about getting people on bikes, giving really positive experiences and making sure people form healthy habits around exercise and cycling.

"It has always been a dream of ours to design, build and run our own bike park so when the opportunity came for us to tender for the Entry Hill site in Bath we got super excited."

He added: "So not only has the bike park got a full wealth of trails from blue trails red trails, black trails, it will also have a pump track facility and dirt jump lines.

"It is going to have a learn to ride park where balance bikes can be ridden and people can learn to ride bikes for the first time."

Pedal Progression say they hope the park will be complete by Spring 2022.

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10 comments

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Jenova20 | 3 years ago
1 like

Why is the taxpayer subsidising the golf course? A golf course isn't exactly the most accessable amenity for the local taxpayers. Even a basic park would have been better, and would have been used by more people.

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Hirsute replied to Jenova20 | 3 years ago
1 like

All council activities are subsidised by the tax payer with perhaps car parking being the exception.

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Jenova20 replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

All council activities are subsidised by the tax payer with perhaps car parking being the exception.

It's a council owned golf course then? That explains why they were subisidising it...

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mdavidford replied to Jenova20 | 3 years ago
1 like

Presumably it was being used by more people, and was more viable as a result. But the numbers have since fallen, increasing the subsidy needed - hence the decision to repurpose it.

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Hirsute replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
2 likes

Previous article https://road.cc/content/news/golfers-outraged-course-could-be-turned-bik...

Entry Hill has had a continued decline in visitors for more than a decade and now operates at a loss to the council of around £80,000 per year.

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David9694 | 3 years ago
1 like

Whatever next?! 70 year olds will be allowing e-scooters out on the roads!  
 

Great news.

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eburtthebike | 3 years ago
3 likes

Is cycling the new golf?  And will cyclists be subsidised by the tax payers?  At least they could pay for a few bike routes to it.

Best wishes to the management and I'm sure it'll be a roaring success.

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hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
18 likes

Another success for Evil Cycling Lobby™

We don't play a round.

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Captain Badger replied to hawkinspeter | 3 years ago
5 likes

hawkinspeter wrote:

Another success for Evil Cycling Lobby™

We don't play a round.

Played that gag to a tee!

Avatar
glp replied to Captain Badger | 3 years ago
5 likes

par for the course comment.

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