Plans for a new BMX and mountain bike track at Folkestone Academy have been approved by Folkestone and Hythe District Council, despite strong opposition from nearby residents who compared the potential noise to “living next to a motorway”, claiming that their “peace” and “privacy” will be under threat from the kids using their bikes at the track.

The £150,000 facility will be built on an underutilised part of the school’s campus, backing onto homes in Grasmere Gardens. It will consist of a 480-metre trail split into two loops, with a free-flowing area including jumps and obstacles.

The planning application was originally submitted in January 2024 and rejected last year, but has now been granted following revisions and an “acoustic assessment” submitted to the council.

One local resident, Kevin Black, who has lived in Grasmere Gardens for 20 years, said in June last year: “I don’t think the impact on the community has been considered — it really is the wrong area for it.

“You might as well build a motorway back there with all the noise it’ll create. This is a very quiet area, but now we’ll have a BMX track 20 metres from our house. Not enough thought has gone into this.”

> “It will be like living next to a motorway!”: Residents oppose school’s BMX cycle track project out of fears that they’d lose their “peace” and “privacy”

Another resident, Emma Black, raised concerns about privacy. She said: “Who are these people who are looking straight into our houses and seeing what we’ve got? When you’ve got a great big bike track on your back fence panel, you aren’t going to be able to sell this place. I’m not against it. Kids need something, but it’s too close to our houses.”

Patrica Hart, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, said the consultation process had been inadequate: “Last time, we felt like we had a voice and could pull them up on a few things. We had lots of consultations about the school, where everybody could ask questions, and we could work out compromises between us all.

“Originally, they wanted a path coming right against our fence, but we argued over why it needed to be so close. We came to an agreement, and they moved it back. But this time, we just had a letter with a QR code, and we had less than two weeks to submit our views. Some neighbours were away. They could’ve come and spoken to all of us.”

Twenty-three letters of objection were submitted to the planning portal, with no responses in support.

Folkestone Academy
Folkestone Academy (Image Credit: Google Street View)

Despite the concerns, planning officers concluded that the development would not have a significant impact following an acoustic assessment, reports Kent Online.

The council’s report stated: “The use of an additional small-scale facility on site is not considered to exacerbate noise and disturbances above and beyond the existing circumstances.

“The proposed bike trail would be relatively small scale and would not unacceptably alter the character and appearance of this part of the site to such a degree as to render the development unacceptable.

“It would utilise an area of the school field that is not currently used, and it is accepted that bringing this facility in closer proximity to the rear of neighbouring properties changes the current circumstances for these residents.

“However, this area can already be used for school-related activities, and whilst the bike track provides a specific purpose for this underused area of the school field, it is not considered to be of significant scale.”

> Parents angry that children are being taught to cycle in middle of lane and other “risky behaviour” by cycling instructors, says Bikeability

The approved plan includes a condition limiting the facility to push bikes only. It will be used by primary and secondary students during supervised PE lessons, lunchtime and after-school clubs, and Saturday morning sessions.

The track will also be open to the public on a booking basis outside term time from 8am to 8pm, and from 9am to 2pm on weekends and bank holidays.

Folkestone Academy, part of the Turner School Trust, also recently became home to a skate park. The trust said in a statement last year: “We are very excited at the prospect of bringing the sport and exercise opportunity this development would provide to our students and the community, encouraging healthy lifestyles and active travel.

“The mountain bike track would be used by both primary and secondary pupils in supervised sessions covering PE lessons and lunchtime, after school and Saturday morning clubs. We also propose that it be made available for managed, wider community use, much like our other sporting facilities.

“The use will also be limited by natural light with no proposed extra lighting; the surface will be constructed from sustainable compacted type 1 stone with additional trees/foliage to be planted around the area.

“Track users will be able to access the same toilet facilities with external access that are currently used by other users, and the Trust is proud of the cleanliness of its current facilities.”

> People used bikes less frequently in 2024 than previous year, with fewer women and children cycling along with lack of funding described as “concerning” by campaigners

Folkestone Academy principal Steven Shaw also previously commented that he hopes that with cycling and skateboarding growing in popularity, the school’s new facilities might one day help produce a future world champion.

Children cycling on Active Travel Street
Children cycling on Active Travel Street (Image Credit: Exeter Cycling Campaign)

> “Don’t leave girls behind”: Calls to address gender gap for children cycling, as new report finds almost twice as many boys ride bikes as girls – and 80% of children want traffic-free routes and pavement parking bans

Recent figures released by the Department for Transport showed that the average number of cycle journeys per person in the year ending June 2024 fell to 15, down from 16 the previous year and continuing a return to pre-pandemic levels after a surge in 2020, with campaigners renewing concerns over the low participation of women and children in cycling.

Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism and UK Programmes at Sustrans, said: “Children want to cycle and expect our leaders to tackle the barriers stopping them. We’re asking policymakers to invest in more traffic-free and quiet cycle paths so that more children, especially girls, feel safe to get on their bike and enjoy the benefits of cycling.”

The pattern is also reinforced by market trends. According to the Bicycle Association, bike sales fell by 2 per cent in 2023, with children’s bikes seeing a particularly sharp drop.

“The continued decline in kids’ cycling participation and kids’ bike sales is particularly concerning, given these are our cyclists of the future,” said Simon Irons, the association’s data and insights director.

In February last year, Bikeability warned that despite record numbers of schoolchildren being taught to cycle in the UK, fewer young people are riding their bikes regularly due to concerns from parents about the behaviour of motorists on the road and the lack of safe, protected infrastructure.

The national cycle training scheme’s chief executive also said that she had received complaints from parents that children were now being taught “risky behaviour” by cycle instructors based on the revised Highway Code, and were teaching them to cycle in the middle of the lane to make themselves more visible to motorists when approaching junctions, traffic islands, or while riding on narrow roads.