PMBA

The planning application has finally been submitted for the new trail head at Lee Quarry. The initial bidding process to find a preferred development partner, issues over the state of the reclaimed land the site is on and all the bureaucracy associated with planning applications has made the journey to formal application a long and hard one. Now it's finally in feels like a bit of a milestone and a good step closer to Lee Quarry getting the trail head it deserves.

Ride On from Rawtenstall have put the plans together to build a full trail centre trail head on plot 4 of Futures Park. The council are leasing the land to Ride On with the funding for the design and build themselves being found by Ride On. Craig Robertson, owner of Ride On and PMBA committee member has been looking to relocate from their current premises in Rawtenstall for a while as the current 

business has out grown the mid terrace premises they currently occupy. Despite already having a thriving cycle retail business Craig is intending to expand what Ride On can offer to mountain bikers at the trail head beyond the retail and workshop services currently on offer. The intention is to provide the full package including a cafe and space for training and support for events and groups using the quarry. It's hoped that Craig's enthusiasm and experience coupled with the loyal existing customers Ride On already has will really lift the profile of Lee Quarry making it one of the mountain biking destinations in England. The proposals submitted for approval will hopefully just be the start as there's plenty of opportunity to expand within the site once the new site is up and running.

Hopefully planning will be approved this year so that work on the site can start in early 2014. Ride On are keen to open in time to capitalise on the Tour De France over the border in Calderdale on the 5th and 6th of July.

The Plans

A two storey building is planned giving a total of 529 square metres of retail, workshop, cafe and classroom space. Situated at the back, southern side of plot 4 the contemporary building will be a welcome development and help to transform the currently empty brownfield site. Along with the main building there will be a car park for 141 cars, so no need to cram in along the access roads any more. As well as car parking facilities the trailhead plans also include toilets and shower facilities, the former something the quarry desperately needs (not withstanding the porta loos currently in place) and the latter a nice touch that will mark the trail head as a cut above many other centres.

The toliets will be on the ground floor and accessible from the outside, separate from the shop and cafe.

Downstairs will be an extensive workshop with it's own reception area (very upmarket) and a classroom for training and functions / events. From here you can choose you route upstairs via the internal lift or stairs or via the outside staircase and terrace. The terrace will give views down the Rossendale Valley and up to the quarry itself as well as providing somewhere to eat outside for those balmy sun drenched Bacup days we all love. From the outside terrace you'll be able to enter the large cafe / lounge area.
With a full kitchen, serving counter and Barista Coffe machine (that's what it says on the plans) finishing a ride hungry should a thing of the past. Just to confirm that the cafe will double as a lounge, there's a large format projector screen included in the plans to screen back to back mtb videos.

Walking through the cafe will take you into the heart of the new 300 square metre shop, a tad bigger than the current one to hold all the new shiny bits Craig will be stocking.

All in it's an ambitious plan that should really benefit both Lee Quarry and Bacup in generally, transforming a patch of land which is a bit of an eyesore which has attracted flying tipping and worse into a fantastic facility worthy of all the effort already put into Lee and Cragg Quarries. Coupled with the PMBA Rolling Boar routes project currently underway with the support of Lancashire County Council and Tony Lund, Lee Quarry should soon be a national level trail centre.

PMBA will be following the application process closely and will report back when the plans are approved.

PMBA Members who want a closer look at the proposals can download the .pdf files by clicking the thumbnails pictures in this article. Not a PMBA member yet, join up online quickly using Paypal to support the ongoing work of PMBA and access members only content on the website. At only a fiver for the year it's not going to cost you more than an inner tube!

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