Bike park plans approved after mum's campaign

The bike park would be on a four-acre plot near the Green Howards Trading Estate

A new community bike park is set to be built in North Yorkshire after council planners approved the scheme.

Louise Raine launched a campaign for the park in Richmond after she had to travel for 45 minutes to find a suitable one for her three children to use.

North Yorkshire Council approved the proposal for the free-to-use facility, which will see a network of graded bike trails built in fields off Green Howards Road.

Although planning officers said the development would affect the heritage of the town, they agreed any harm would be outweighed by the benefits to the local community.

Ms Raine told the meeting: "Because Richmond has no safe and purpose-built space at the moment, kids are riding on the pavements, in car parks and at Richmond School, where there's fencing going up currently, which will put that out of bounds as well.

"I started having conversations with the community and this was a snowball effect.

"I got so much positive feedback from families, from local children, from parents, and then from the town council, local groups, organisations and businesses."

She said she was grateful to members of the local community who had offered their help to get the scheme off the ground.

'Tremendous opportunity'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Richmond division councillor Stuart Parsons praised Ms Raine for doing a "magnificent job" in getting the community to support the scheme.

Clive World, from Richmond Town Council, also spoke in favour of the project at the meeting.

He said: "We are unanimous in supporting this application and delighted that the officers have also recommended granting it.

"This is a tremendous opportunity as there are no similar facilities within approximately 35 miles.

"Backing for this scheme has been overwhelming."

He said there had been concerns about the availability of parking and the existing car park on Whashton Road would therefore be extended by 15 spaces.

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