Community demands chair lift project now

Kate Smail • Published 6 Aug 2010 09:30 Comments 1 Comment

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IT has been on the drawing board for years - and now Innerleithen locals are taking the fight to get a bikelift into their own hands.

The downhill mountain bike track in the town is one of the most famous in the country, and for several years there have been discussions about installing a ski style chairlift to serve the trail.

The system, now used in many European bike resorts, would be the first of it's kind in the UK and experts forecast it could significantly increase the 400,000 cyclists who already visit the Tweed Valley annually.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) carried out a feasibility study into the chairlift in 2007, but three years later the project appears to be no further forward.

So the town's residents have decided to try and highlight the plight by writing to SBC.

Steve Davis, who runs the Caddon View Guest House in the town, said: "Myself and a number of like-minded individuals have written to the council to see when this proposal is likely to next be discussed by councillors.

"We are encouraging people who support the campaign to write to councillors, display a poster we have created in their windows and come up with other ways to promote the chairlift.

"We want the council to realise that the people and the businesses of Innerleithen are behind this project."

And a Facebook page set up to promote the project has gathered over 700 supporters in just a couple of weeks, whilst another page on the same topic has over 900 members.

Steve, who is also the Treasurer of the Visit Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium (TVTC) says the response is hardly surprising, given the benefits the service could bring to the region.

In his letter to SBC Leader David Parker, Steve described the economic boost the service would bring to the town.

"The Phase 2 evaluation of the project conducted by Tourism Resources on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland in 2007 concluded that the project would create 139 gross jobs at a cost per job of £6900.

"After the demise of the Ballantynes cashmere mill, an investment such as this would help reverse the inevitably negative impact on the local economy.

"Skills such as electrical and mechanical engineering, catering, guiding and coaching would be required. In turn these jobs would help maintain the local communities and stop them becoming almost solely dormitory towns for Edinburgh.

"The evaluation also estimated 222,000 additional visitors, with a large non-local market (80% of this figure). The estimated yield across the South of Scotland was £9.29m expenditure."

And local champion downhill mountain biker Jaymie Mart says that the chairlift is needed if Innerleithen is to stay at the forefront of mountain biking.

"This project has been around for years without any real progress being made. It's about time the council stopped talking and put their money where their mouth is.

"The Tweed Valley has produced some world-class bikers over the years and has an international reputation for being at the forefront of the sport.

"The footfall that Glentress alone attracts brings a massive financial boost to the whole area. The chairlift would be the first of its kind in the UK and would attract thousands more riders every year.

"If the council don't get their act together soon, another area in the UK will and a golden opportunity will have been missed."

Local MSP Jeremy Purvis is also backing the campaign, he told the Peeblesshire News: "Both Innerleithen and Walkerburn need an economic stimulus - this chairlift could provide the biggest financial boost in years.

"I'm absolutely convinced that this represents the chance to make the Tweed Valley the best biking facility in Europe, if not the world.

"The Whistler resort in Canada, who this year hosted the Winter Olympics, sent over some of their managers to see the Tweed Valley - they said they were incredibly envious of the potential we have here.

"All that is needed to get this chairlift off the ground is the collective will to make it happen."

Despite repeated requests for information, Scottish Borders Council refused to comment on whether the matter was scheduled for discussion.

This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 06 Aug 10

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Richmtb
Unregistered User
Aug 20, 16:13
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You've more chance of seeing wild haggis while doing the Black Route at Glentress than this project ever seeing the light of day.

Shame it would be great, but I can't see how it could ever wash its own face.

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