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| The site plan |
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| The BMX track |
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| The scooter track |
The initial deadline for comments is November 20th 2013 and the planning officer is Matthew Harvey: matthew.harvey@brent.gov.uk
Only two comments so far appear on the website. One is a simple objection while the other states:
Support: I currently live in a neighbouring borough and would be prepared to cycle 3 miles here to use this facility. I have grown up riding BMX in East London and moved to North London recently I have seen the benefits first hand of what places like this can do for local kids and communities. I've seen kids from all kids of backgrounds become friends, avoid turning to crime and help stay healthy because they had somewhere to go and something to do on the weekends.I hope there will be similar positive comments from local residents including children.
This is a summary of the facilities from the Planning Application:
Family Cycle Trail
The Family cycle trail
will be a ‘Green Grade Trail’ based on the International Mountain Bicycling
Association’s (IMBA) grading of routes/trails. The difficulty level of the
proposed trail equates to ‘Leisure and Easy’ and will be built to IMBA Standards
for Green Grade Trails.
The Family Trail (Green
Trail) will snake its way around the Sports field as indicated on the design.
Boulder stones will be placed to add features to the trail and help create a
natural segregation from riders and pedestrians. Best possible use will be made
of existing land forms and features onsite. All aspects of the trail will be
integrated into the exiting land forms as much as possible for example
elevations and deviations of the existing parkland.
BMX Track
The proposal relates to
the creation of a BMX Track facility to The Royal Society for the Prevention of
Accidents (ROSPA) and British Cycling standards. Further, a post installation
inspection will be carried out before the facility is handed over to ensure it
meets the standards and safety parameters set by British Cycling and ROSPA
The proposed design has
been created to suit all abilities of riders from beginners to experts as all
obstacles are to be 'rollable', meaning not so confident riders can roll over
each obstacle and still carry sufficient speed for the next. The nature of the
obstacles and angle of the berms will allow more experienced riders to carry
further speed and negotiate the obstacles in a number of different ways. Each
element of the track will be progressive and allow riders to increase their
skill level during each visit.
The Start Hill has been
positioned to be easily accessible from the entrance to the area. This helps to
reduce conflict between riders as well as other users of the sport ground as
the easiest way to the track
start it the most desired
route.
The position of the Start
Hill also helps to reduce the possibility of riders crossing the track as the
Start Hill is the area riders congregate and when positioned as close to the
entrance as possible riders are magnetized towards the correct starting position before riding the track. The
Track start slope is low to help control the speed of riders entering the first
straight. This will give less skilled riders the confidence to try the track as
they will not be entering th e obstacles at great speeds. The obstacles have
also been designed low. This keeps the speed controlled by not allowing riders
to gain lots of speed from long down slopes which high jumps would allow.
Inexperienced riders can
roll each obstacle safely whilst still carrying enough speed to negotiate the
next. The track will also be of interest to more experienced riders as they can
try to ride the track in different combinations and carry extra speed round the
berms.
Scooter Track
The Scooter Track will be
placed at the end of the asphalted access path to the area to allow for ease of
access by the users such as young children and families.
These asphalted access
paths will allow users of scooters and other small wheeled bikes ease of access
to the Scooter track as they will be of a smooth finish.
The access path will cross
over the start or return of the family cycle trail. this will be negotiated
with the use of stone boulders to slow both riders on the family trail and
users of the scooter track by means of a squeeze area.
The Scooter Track itself
will consist of small low obstacles linking from one to another. There will
also be a low start hill to allow riders to gain sufficient speed to negotiate
the obstacles along the Track. The entire Scooter Track will be finished in
asphalt to allow a smooth finish for the small wheeled Scooters and Bikes. The
smoother the finish the easier smaller wheels will be able to travel over the
surface.
Storage Container
The storage container will
be supplied to provide a future cycling club valuable storage space for
equipment such as bikes, helmets and other safety equipment.
Floodlighting is not
proposed and the lack of this provision should minimise recreational noise
during the hours of darkness.
