Always on
This project successfully funded on 5th August 2023, you can still support them with a donation.
CafesideMTB Bike Park Setup
Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Aim: We are working to open a mountain bike trail centre on the Cafeside site near Exeter, Devon.
Us
CafesideMTB has been set up by Andy, Ben, James & Jake:
We're a group of mountain bike riders and trail builders, who are working to open a new bike park on the Cafeside site on Haldon Hills near Exeter, Devon.
History
There has been an established network of progressive mountain biking trails on the Cafeside site for over 20 years, maintained by a group of volunteers working in cooperation with Forestry England. The trails feature jumps, drops and technical sections that distinguish them from other trails in the area and are aimed at riders with advanced mountain biking skills and abilities.
These trails have an excellent reputation amongst mountain bikers, attracting visitors by word of mouth, from across the South West and beyond and hosting competition events run by South West Enduro.
Future
CafesideMTB will establish these trails as an official pay-to-ride trail centre by acquiring a licence from Forestry England and running the trail centre as a staffed and fully insured site.
Trails
We are aiming to provide one of the best progressive trail centres in the region, suitable for advanced riders as well as those who are looking to improve their bike riding abilities. We will continue to build all of our amazing trails and features by hand, maintaining the reputation that Cafeside has acquired to date. We will add new trails once the site has opened, with a target of doubling the length of the existing trail network within the first couple of years.
Community
We will keep the unique community feel of Cafeside, by encouraging everyone to be able to support and grow the venue - whether it's listening to rider feedback, encouraging volunteering, or physical support of the trail building process. We want people to be able to continue to contribute to the future of Cafeside, and be rewarded for their effort - such as free riding for volunteers contributing their time and effort on dig days. We will endeavour to provide a safe and attractive venue for riders of all ages and backgrounds.
Business
By running the business as a Social Enterprise, we will be continuously re-investing in the site and wider community - whether it’s adding new features, better facilities, or encouraging events and building relationships with our neighbours and local businesses. We will also look to offer advice and support to other trail centres who are going through a similar process themselves, and we are working with individuals looking to establish a national trail association, the first of its kind in England.
Present
Planning & Ecology
In order for us to run the CafesideMTB site as an official trail centre we are in the process of preparing a full planning application for the site. We are seeking planning permission for a car park, start ramps, and for the existing and future mountain bike trails.
As part of this planning application we are required to submit an ecological report in order to ensure that we are protecting the biodiversity of the site. To this end we have instructed a local team of Ecologists to undertake the required wildlife surveys. They will also be presenting us with a list of best practices in order to minimise the impact on the ecology of the site going forwards, which we will use in combination with Forestry England's own ecology guidelines.
Why we are fundraising
This first round of fundraising will cover the costs of the ecology report and planning application, allowing us to take the first important steps to getting Cafeside re-opened. We can't get Cafeside re-opened without these, and they are also a key part in talking to contractors, potential sponsors, and a lot of other things that are going to be keeping us busy over the next few months!
Thank you
Cafeside could never have got to where it was, and where it will be without the ongoing support of it's amazing community, so thank you!
Andy, Ben, James, Jake.