Bike 'pump track' plan for Harrogate Valley Gardens

The council said the existing golf course at the Valley Gardens in Harrogate was not well used

A pitch and putt golf course in a landmark Harrogate park could be replaced with a "pump track" for bikes.

The track at the Grade II-listed Valley Gardens would be a circular loop with slopes and bumps for BMX riders and others, North Yorkshire council said.

There had been a "significant drop" in people using the nine-hole pitch and putt course over the last decade, according to the authority.

A six-week consultation into the proposal was now under way, it added.

North Yorkshire Council took control of the park, which dates back to the Victorian era, following the abolition of Harrogate Borough Council in April.

Pump tracks feature slopes and bumps for riders of BMXs and other bikes

Karl Battersby, the authority's director for environment, said the consultation would reveal "what people think of the idea of a 'free of charge' compressed hardcore beginners' pump track as an addition to our popular Valley Gardens".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Battersby said efforts to increase the popularity of the pitch and putt golf course at the Valley Gardens had not succeeded.

Pump tracks are designed to maximize momentum and encourage movement with minimal pedalling.

It was expected the bike track would cost around £2,000 to install, with work being carried out by council staff, according to the authority.

Unlike the golf course, it would also be accessible all year.

"We do not want to close an activity in the gardens without replacing it," Mr Battersby said.

"A pump track would lend itself to the existing slopes and bumps in this area."