Villages youngsters lobby for cycle track
AWE apprentice Shaw Brown, aged 17, and Alex Mace, aged 16, a sixth form student at St Bartholomew’s School, Newbury, both of whom live in Kingsclere, gave a presentation at a recent meeting at Kingsclere Village Club.
Armed with a laptop computer, they told councillors there was not enough for youngsters to do in the village, especially cyclists.
“We don’t feel there’s anywhere specifically cyclists can go,” said Shaw.
He said that they had looked at various possible sites in the village, including part of the recreation ground, but after reading a letter in the parish magazine, The Tower, about a wildflower meadow at this site that is cherished by villagers, they had ruled it out.
“We are thinking about any land not put to proper use, suitable to build a few jumps on, for teenagers, adults and beginners to use,” said Alex.
“There are lots of mountain bike clubs around, but no off-road tracks.”
Comprising dirt tracks rather than ramps, Alex said that a dirt track would not be as dangerous as a skatepark.
“The benefit is that there would be more places for teenagers to go, rather than loitering in parks,” he said.
“It would benefit the village as a whole – the village has good churches and shops, it would be another attraction.
Many people go further afield to use their bikes.”
Alex said that other sites they had considered was an area of unused land on the Holding Field behind a fence that was on a slight hill, and therefore ideal for a dirt track, and another area of land in fields in the village off the Basingstoke Road, which also might be suitable.
They had estimated that initial costs would include around £250 for a digger/earth mover and it was planned to approach businesses in the village, to help with funding for the project.
Councillors commended the youngsters for stepping forward to present the idea, but said that the project would have to be viable in terms of usage, and that further investigation was needed among villagers and local children to establish the level of interest before it could be taken any further.
However, the chairman Alan Denness said, however, that it was a nice idea, which the parish council supported.
