.co.uk BGA-EO1-S2 Bike fans of all ages blaze a Exercise ... · Thorndon Country Park in Brent-wood...
1
Gazette, Wednesday, November 4, 2015 25 brentwoodgazette .co.uk BGA-EO1-S2 News Bike fans of all ages blaze a trail for park off-road riding First cycling event for youngsters as well as weekly adult sessions For all abilities TrailNet holds off-road health rides every Tuesday and Thursday at Thorndon Country Park. On Tuesday the event is aimed at advanced riders and it runs from 10am to noon. On Thursday an event is held for intermediate riders between 10am and noon and for beginners between 1 and 2pm. Beginner rides stay within the parks and are on mostly flat, relatively even surfaces and last around an hour. Intermediate rides are between 90 minutes and two hours in length and are designed for those that are confident riding on off-road terrain and want to build up their strength and endurance by riding with people of a similar ability Advanced rides last more than two hours and include more difficult terrain, both in technical terms and in the steepness and length of the hills. Exercise the goal ■ TrailNet was founded by Geoff Fletcher and David Porter in 2006 ■ In July 2009 it became a community interest company and changed its name to TrailNet CIC ■ The group’s goal has always been to increase the number of people taking part in outdoor exercise A £3.2 MILLION office block as well as a children’s playground could be built on “overgrown” land near North Weald Airfield. Epping Forest District Council is set to submit a planning applic- ation for a new repairs and main- tenance hub in Blenheim Way, which would involve lorries going to and from the site. Part of the plan includes an area of land set aside that could be made into a play area paid for by North Weald Bassett Parish Coun- cil. Councillor David Stallan, who represents North Weald on Epping Forest District Council, as well as sitting on the parish coun- cil, said “everyone is a winner”. “The district council gets a new depot, residents get some land cleared up and the parish council gets a play area,” said Cllr Stallan, who is portfolio holder for hous- ing on the district council, the department submitting the plan- ning application. “The repairs unit is an import- ant part of the housing service and we have been looking round the district for somewhere to relo- cate to for a while. “We were fully aware of the parish council’s previous desire for the land near Blenheim Square to be considered for a play area. “Hence our offer to the parish council for them to have a piece of land for a play area.” The district council needs to relocate its housing repairs ser- vice to enable the proposed redevelopment of the St Johns Road area in Epping to go ahead. Plans for the three quarter acre brownfield site, formerly part of the RAF Parade Ground on the airfield, includes desk space for as many as 82 office workers. Being technically part of the airfield, the land is owned by Epping Forest District Council and was previously earmarked to be used for a health centre, although plans never came to fruition. “There have been anti-social behaviour issues in that area – signs of fences near Blenheim Square being pulled down, rub- bish and discarded furniture,” added Cllr Stallan. “It’s overgrown so the area needs tidying up. “The depot will be designed so vans will come in from Blenheim Way and delivery lorries will not be coming through York Road and will be avoiding residential areas.” The plans, which suggest a budget requirement of £3.2m, are recommended for approval in a report that will be discussed by Epping Forest District Council’s cabinet tomorrow, Thursday. Office block planned for part of airfield Piers Meyler [email protected] EIGHTEEN youngsters honed their off-road biking skills at Thorndon Country Park in Brent- wood during half term. It was the first time TrailNet had held its popular BikeKlubz holiday cycling event at the coun- try park. BikeKlubz is for children aged between eight and 13 and helps them improve their cycling through a mix of individual activ- ities, team games and group rid- ing. After a morning learning basic bike mechanics and developing riding techniques, the group headed for a ride around the park where they put their newly-learnt skills into practice. While the youngsters were hav- ing fun, 11 adult riders took part in the regular Tuesday morning health ride. Geoff Fletcher, director and co- founder of TrailNet, said: “We had a good turnout and all the chil- dren had a really good time. “We try to promote all outdoor activities but we mostly do cyc- ling. Mechanics “We do it for all ages and abil- ities and have regular rides for adults and a group for people with disabilities on specialist equip- ment. “We have schools that come along. All kids like riding bikes and having a controlled environ- ment where they can ride in a group, play some games and learn some skills.” Five disabled people joined in TrailNet’s inclusive ride last week, taking part with their fam- ily and carers. Mr Fletcher continued: “In the afternoon we took the BikeKlubz youngsters for a ride in the park. “We don’t take the disabled people in these sessions because the rides would be too hard. “Most of the adapted bikes don’t go very fast either so are limited. They are hard to ride and so you can’t get as far.” Mr Fletcher said most young- sters brought their own bike to BikeKlubz. “We had a morning session primarily focused on skills and games at the centre and then after lunch we took them off to do a ride around Thorndon,” he said. The next BikeKlubz session is scheduled to take place next Feb- ruary half term. ■ For details of activities visit www.trailnet.org.uk or call 01277 811012 WOODLAND FUN: BikeKlubz youngsters enjoy getting out in the fresh air on their bikes at Thorndon Country Park CMAP20151027A-123_C LEARNING SKILLS: The TrailNet inclusive ride cyclists CMAP20151027A-125_C
Transcript of .co.uk BGA-EO1-S2 Bike fans of all ages blaze a Exercise ... · Thorndon Country Park in Brent-wood...
Gazette, We d n e s d a y, November 4, 2015 25b re n t w o o d g a z e t t e .co.uk BGA-EO1-S2 News
Bike fans of all ages blaze at r a i l f o r p a r k of f-road ridingF irst c y c l i n g ev e n t f o r youngster s a s we l l a s we e k l y a d u l t sessions
For all abilitiesTrailNet holds off-road healthrides every Tuesday andThursday at ThorndonCountry Park.
On Tuesday the event isaimed at advanced riders andit runs from 10am to noon.
On Thursday an event isheld for intermediate ridersbetween 10am and noon andfor beginners between 1 and2pm.
Beginner rides stay withinthe parks and are on mostlyflat, relatively even surfacesand last around an hour.
Intermediate rides arebetween 90 minutes and twohours in length and aredesigned for those that areconfident riding on off-roadterrain and want to build uptheir strength and enduranceby riding with people of asimilar ability
Advanced rides last morethan two hours and includemore difficult terrain, both intechnical terms and in thesteepness and length of thehills.
Exercise the goal
■ TrailNet was founded byGeoff Fletcher and DavidPorter in 2006■ In July 2009 it became acommunity interest companyand changed its name toTrailNet CIC■ The group’s goal hasalways been to increase thenumber of people taking partin outdoor exercise
A £3.2 MILLION office block aswell as a children’s playgroundcould be built on “overg rown”land near North Weald Airfield.
Epping Forest District Councilis set to submit a planning applic-ation for a new repairs and main-tenance hub in Blenheim Way,which would involve lorries goingto and from the site.
Part of the plan includes anarea of land set aside that could bemade into a play area paid for byNorth Weald Bassett Parish Coun-cil.
Councillor David Stallan, whorepresents North Weald onEpping Forest District Council, aswell as sitting on the parish coun-cil, said “everyone is a winner”.
“The district council gets a newdepot, residents get some landcleared up and the parish councilgets a play area,” said Cllr Stallan,who is portfolio holder for hous-ing on the district council, the
department submitting the plan-ning application.
“The repairs unit is an import-ant part of the housing serviceand we have been looking roundthe district for somewhere to relo-cate to for a while.
“We were fully aware of theparish council’s previous desirefor the land near BlenheimSquare to be considered for a playa re a .
“Hence our offer to the parishcouncil for them to have a piece ofland for a play area.”
The district council needs torelocate its housing repairs ser-vice to enable the proposedredevelopment of the St JohnsRoad area in Epping to go ahead.
Plans for the three quarter acrebrownfield site, formerly part ofthe RAF Parade Ground on theairfield, includes desk space for asmany as 82 office workers.
Being technically part of the
airfield, the land is owned byEpping Forest District Counciland was previously earmarked tobe used for a health centre,although plans never came tofr uition.
“There have been anti-socialbehaviour issues in that area –signs of fences near BlenheimSquare being pulled down, rub-bish and discarded furniture,”added Cllr Stallan.
“It’s overgrown so the areaneeds tidying up.
“The depot will be designed sovans will come in from BlenheimWay and delivery lorries will notbe coming through York Road andwill be avoiding residentiala re a s. ”
The plans, which suggest abudget requirement of £3.2m, arerecommended for approval in areport that will be discussed byEpping Forest District Council’scabinet tomorrow, Thursday.
Office block planned for part of airfield
Piers [email protected]
EIGHTEEN youngsters honedtheir off-road biking skills atThorndon Country Park in Brent-wood during half term.
It was the first time TrailNethad held its popular BikeKlubzholiday cycling event at the coun-try park.
BikeKlubz is for children agedbetween eight and 13 and helpsthem improve their cyclingthrough a mix of individual activ-ities, team games and group rid-ing.
After a morning learning basicbike mechanics and developingriding techniques, the groupheaded for a ride around the parkwhere they put their newly-learntskills into practice.
While the youngsters were hav-ing fun, 11 adult riders took partin the regular Tuesday morninghealth ride.
Geoff Fletcher, director and co-founder of TrailNet, said: “We hada good turnout and all the chil-dren had a really good time.
“We try to promote all outdooractivities but we mostly do cyc-ling.
M e ch a n i c s“We do it for all ages and abil-
ities and have regular rides foradults and a group for people withdisabilities on specialist equip-ment.
“We have schools that comealong. All kids like riding bikesand having a controlled environ-ment where they can ride in agroup, play some games and learnsome skills.”
Five disabled people joined inT railNet’s inclusive ride lastweek, taking part with their fam-ily and carers.
Mr Fletcher continued: “In theafternoon we took the BikeKlubzyoungsters for a ride in the park.
“We don’t take the disabledpeople in these sessions becausethe rides would be too hard.
“Most of the adapted bikes don’tgo very fast either so are limited.They are hard to ride and so youc a n’t get as far.”
Mr Fletcher said most young-sters brought their own bike to
BikeKlubz. “We had a morningsession primarily focused onskills and games at the centre andthen after lunch we took them offto do a ride around Thorndon,” hesaid.
The next BikeKlubz session isscheduled to take place next Feb-ruary half term.■ For details of activities visitwww.trailnet.org.uk or call 01277811012
WOODLAND FUN: BikeKlubz youngsters enjoy getting out in the fresh air on their bikes at Thorndon Country Park CMAP20151027A-123_C
LEARNING SKILLS: The TrailNet inclusive ride cyclists CMAP20151027A-125_C
