16/08/2021
We wish to reiterate that the intention of the Trail Academy proposal for Dorking West was, from the very start, to turn a little-used, neglected and dangerous piece of land into something that was safe, cared-for, beneficial to the local area and, most importantly, stainable for the future of cycling.
It is, therefore, with heavy heart that the Trail Academy wishes to withdraw from the project at Dorking West.
We remain committed to providing the local area with a bike park that is well-planned, fully maintained, safe, clean, designed and built by an experienced team of local riders that will enable progression, learning and fun to take place. We want to build something special; something that will be used by generations to come. It will be inclusive to all and it will be a real community hub that will benefit the community.
Cycling for some is a hobby, for some a passion and for some a profession: the success of the Olympics only highlights the importance of initiatives such as this.
It has become increasingly clear that the proposals for the Dorking West site will not meet the needs of the community as we wish it to. We do not want to create tension in the local area; our goal is to bring people together. We do not want to compromise the beautiful, natural environment; our goal is to work in harmony with nature and leave minimal carbon footprint. We do not want to compromise our design ideas to placate people who have no intention of using the park: our goal is to build a bike park for riders of all abilities, all ages and all genders. Our goals have not changed.
We have always been open, honest and have purposely refrained from engaging in petty politics and tabloid sensationalism. We always welcome advice, constructive criticism and challenging questions. We have always been transparent with information regarding the site and how we plan to allow everyone to use it. The constant barrage of mis-information has been damaging to this project: the simple facts have always been available online or by simply getting in touch with us.
We wish nothing but the best of luck to group that decides to take up the challenge of turning Dorking West - a space that has sat derelict for the last 15 years - into something that the community deserves. We would, of course, be more than happy to offer our professional advice and to assist where we can – it is sad that this project has been lost within a political battle but we are proud to have pushed this facility to the forefront of community improvements and sincerely hope that a volunteer group succeeds in maintaining it and delivering a site that the community deserves for many years to come.
The Trail Academy appreciates all the people who support Surrey Bike Park and we assure you that we will continue to search for a site that will allow us to create something special.
Watch this space!
