Economic Appraisal Update

[andyh]

Since the May 2005 economic appraisal of the CAAN Off Road Cycling Strategy was published, and issued to all the stakeholders, CAAN has been trying to arrange a meeting with ALL the stakeholders. IMBA were invited as a key stakeholder.

The initial date for the meeting was postponed becasue Forest Service hadn't had time to study the document.

We are now aware that Forest Service organised a meeting with all the stakeholders, that took place in the last few days. The subject of the meeting we believe to be The Off road Cycling Strategy and the Economic Appraisal.

Excluded from this meeting were IMBA, Sports Council, and CAAN

It would be wrong for us to go into detail on behalf of the other excluded bodies, however we believe them to be very disappointed. What we can say however is that we (IMBA) object most strongly to being excluded, and not being given an opportunity to represent the Mountain Bike communitiy.

We are currently trying to get a meeting with the Forest Service Chief Exec to find out what is going on and what they propose to do about the Conclusion of the Economic Appraisal, which clearly favours development as laid out under the CAAN strategic review.

Compared to our friends in the rest of the UK and Ireland the mountain bikers of Northern Ireland are being treated like third class citizens by Forest Service. We will not stand for this any more.

We are seeking to get more information direct from the bodies or if necessary getting details through the Freedom of Information Act.

As soon as we know you'll know.

Enjoy the ride,

AndyH

[gor]

the original thread and comments are here- http://www.pcgamesonline.com/mtbr/showthread.php?t=2083&page=1&pp=10

for those who wish to look through and see comments ;)

[Steveb]

Seems incredibly odd to have a meeting and not involve the key players. Unless of course you had a hidden agenda.

More odd considering Mr. O'Boyle started very clearly and publicly at the recent "Proposals for Forest Service" meetings that they would wish to work very closely with CAAN on ANY off road cycling proposals. I wonder why Mr. O'Boyle didn't invite them then to this meeting?

Perhaps he simply forgot about them? Yes, I'm sure that's it. He forgot about the organisation he was so keen to work with to implement some sort of off road cycing strategy. Oh ya, and IMBA, the body that represents the very people for whom the whole Economic Appraisal would benefit.

I'm 100% sure that these bodies didn't get left out because he knew they wouldn't let FS once again ignore a document that tells them to stop wasting everyones time and start managing OUR forests for the good of the people of NI, not just in such a way as they can have an easy life and not have to worry about pesky members of the public gaining access to what they think is their land.

[andyh]

Not to mention Sports Council, who wouldn't fund an approach that wasn't Strategic and of benefit to all areas of NI

[big stu]

hi Andy on the above post do you have an email address for the forestry guy why dont all the members mail him and ask him why there chosen representitives were not allowed to atend the meeting make sure everyone asks for a personal reply.
if you havnt already get a pertition not just of mtb riders anybody get steve to do you a picture board showing trails in UK, Scotland let joe public no what there missing out on over here dont just stick to people you no get names off everyone the more the better
Get it into as many papers , tv radio ect as you can even local free papers then when you have loads make sure you try to get them to cover it when you take the pertition to the fc try it it does work we stopped a developement in the uk people like this hate bad press

[andyh]

yeah we are firming up the information we have right now and looking for a personal meeting with FS to find out what is going on.

I wouldn't Publish their email addresses here myself, however I'm sure you can find contact details on their website.

www.forestserviceni.gov.uk

[Steveb]

Regards the media, MTBrider have some interesting media friends nowadays, and these frinds are well aware of what is going on. However as Andy said, we need to get our facts clear first.

[timH]

And it's not like Forest Service will have to pay out the cash themselves, over the water the mountain bking trails that have been built so far have been done mainly using European funding:


7stanes (southern Scotland) so far has received £1.9million and has secured £1.8million over the next two years
Northern Scotland (laggan, wolftrax etc) has received another £1million
Wales has spent something like £3million, which came from the Welsh assembly

Those figure are in Pounds Sterling by the way, and they do not include corporate sponsorship, for example: The North Face (http://www.singletrackworld.com/article.php?sid=1638), Karrimor (http://www.mbwales.com/coed_y_brenin/trail2.htm) and Red Bull (www.redbullprojectdownhill.co.uk) to name but three!

Stena see so many bikers heading to Scotland and see it as such an important market segment for them that they have a special 7stanes offer (http://www7.stenaline.com/servlet/se.ementor.econgero.servlet.presentation.Main?data .language.id=2&data.node.id=21177) to try and keep us using Stena over P&O.

[tankslapper]

Do'nt want to say I told you so but.....................!

'Tick boxing' doesnt mean having to talk to 'appropriate' user groups!

TS :mad:

[andyh]

nice one Tim,

I have asked NITB what they think about that !

http://www.nitb.com/contact.aspx

[Rick]

NITB have always been positive about developing mtb trails -

shame Forestry so negative

Interesting though that a DARD person told me, in all seriousmess (sic) that if approached outside of CAAN proposal forest service were willing to develop trails -
which would mean them funding them and taking on maintenance - bizzare when the CAAN strategy brings in funding to get them up and running and Forestry keeps using excuse about not having money for future maintenance!!

[big stu]

I agree get all the facts
But are you getting the public involved the impresion i get is NO . I get an impresion in some of the posts on this site is if your not into down hill your opinions dont count and its not just me who thinks this i gave the link to mates who race world wide mtb and moto x who think the same you have genuine lads and others who just come on to pull the piss and no there are other members who agree no need to reply ive give up on the site il only be on to contact reac

[Hollywood]

For info; To request information from FS re mtbing in NI through the freedom of information act you must send your request in writing to their chief exec, Malcolm Beattie at their HQ in Dundonald House.

[Steveb]

I get an impresion in some of the posts on this site is if your not into down hill your opinions dont count

My god, so now we get accused of being all grumpy old men who are all XC jeyboys and only interested in DH!

Some you just can't win! :(

[tankslapper]

http://www.dup.org.uk/

The my drum's bigger than your drum party.

http://www.uup.org/

David Who?

http://www.sdlp.ie/

SDLP's website imaginatively states Northern Ireland has lots too offer!!! Yip its called the HSS mate.

http://sinnfein.ie/

We've got it and we might use it party.

http://www.allianceparty.org/

Let's all be friends - stop Vietnam peace party

http://www.niwc.org/

Forest Service Party.

Latch on to links or 'our team' (team chuky in the shinner's case) and get writing!

or alternatively

www.portadownnews.com

[mickd]

For info; To request information from FS re mtbing in NI through the freedom of information act you must send your request in writing to their chief exec, Malcolm Beattie at their HQ in Dundonald House.
That's
Malcolm Beattie (Chief Executive),
Forest Service
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3SB

Tel: 02890 524480

I've e-mailed in the past and received no response, so perhaps paper is best. (More trees used up I guess).

Some other useful adresses:
Pat Toal (Permanent Secretary)
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
Dundonald House
Upper Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 3SB
Ph. 028 9052 0100

Northern Ireland Tourist Board,
St Anne's Court,
59 North Street,
BELFAST,
BT1 1NB
Ph. 028 9023 1221

[graeme]

Think everybody should get writing letters.
Rather than a set letter everyone should have slightly differing letters.
But what about a list of facts to add to letters?
Such as health benefits, economic benefits, tourism benefits etc
For example Glentress has already brought over 3 million quid into the local economy.
Useful links here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3765247.stm
http://www.7stanes.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-68QHX8

[graeme]

http://www.carronvalley.org.uk/
near stirling
they got a 30k grant for trailbuilding

http://www.blairadam.com/ are also building trails in fife

[Bern]

We are now aware that Forest Service organised a meeting with all the stakeholders, that took place in the last few days. The subject of the meeting we believe to be The Off road Cycling Strategy and the Economic Appraisal.

Excluded from this meeting were IMBA, Sports Council, and CAAN

Andy

You refer to a meeting but who exactly WHO did attend the meeting if the above were excluded?

The thread is taking a negative view of something when clearly you are not in possession of the full facts (or perhaps it appears that way) - how do you know it is all negative? If we knew who they met with then we might be able to make an informed judgement.

Make an FOI request to see their (FS) files on MTBing in NI and ask to see the minutes of the meeting (who, what where?).

Only then will we know precisely what is going on.

[andyh]

You refer to a meeting but who exactly WHO did attend the meeting if the above were excluded?

The thread is taking a negative view of something when clearly you are not in possession of the full facts (or perhaps it appears that way) - how do you know it is all negative? If we knew who they met with then we might be able to make an informed judgement.

Make an FOI request to see their (FS) files on MTBing in NI and ask to see the minutes of the meeting (who, what where?).

Only then will we know precisely what is going on.

Bern,

Surley it's important that a major funding partner and the architects of the strategy were excluded. Yes I want to know who was there and what was said, and up until this recent meeting we were supposed to be in a position (by having IMBA represented) to know and feedback to all mountain bikers.

When we have more information we will tell you. I wonder how may mountainbikers knew there was a meeting recently held to discuss mountain biking?

re. FOI request See Hollywoods earlier post, we're on the case.

[Bern]

Cheers Andy - I guess we'll have to just watch this space - but we should be considering some type of mass protest action - i'm thinking about the publicity the taxi drivers got ealier in the year when they brought the city centre traffic to a standstill - if this issue doesn't galvanise MTBer's nothing will and as Steve says in an earlier post - maybe some good might come out of it.

[Mr Black]

Critical Mass mtb ride, anyone?

[Murphdiver]

Great! I can use my new weapons grade plutonium frame.

[baz]

Critical Mass mtb ride, anyone?I like it. We could start at city hall some busy morning and ride around it for a bit very slowly, then cycle up to Malcolm Beattie's office on the Upper Newtownards Road and ride very slowly in front of him all the way home. We could tell him we wouldn't have to ride on the road and slow him down if he build trails we could ride on.

I can see a slogan already...

[Mr Black]

I love the idea of a MTB escort for his car http://www.ap0calypse.com/images/smilies/twisted.gif

[Pete 36]

I agree a peacful protest might make these people sit up and listen

[tankslapper]

Cheers Andy - I guess we'll have to just watch this space - but we should be considering some type of mass protest action - i'm thinking about the publicity the taxi drivers got ealier in the year when they brought the city centre traffic to a standstill - if this issue doesn't galvanise MTBer's nothing will and as Steve says in an earlier post - maybe some good might come out of it.

Bern

That's an excellent pro-active idea. I certainly would make the trek over for it. Perhaps some form of petition too.

Shane a.k.a TS

[mickd]

Critical Mass mtb ride, anyone?


Have one in an interesting place this weekend (http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/What%27s%20On/2005/tollymore_50th.htm)! ;)

[Rick]

NO demand .................................

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[Rick]

customer.forestservice@dardni.gov.uk

you can always email the above and ask them in which Northern Ireland forests you can mountain bike!!