NRW to Open Cwmcarn Forest Drive Site to Private Sector Tender.

Ministers and local councillors have opted to look for private sector organisations to run the Cwmcarn Forest Drive site.

The legendary Welsh riding spot of Cwmcarn is under threat from a ‘lack of long term financial viability’ according to reports.

Back in January 2023, Daz of CwmDown fame ended a 16 year run of uplift provision at the site, citing a lack of financial viability of providing an uplift service at Cwmcarn.

Read the full press release on Caerphilly County Borough Council’s website here.

Cwmcarn Forest Drive and its associated infrastructure that includes its MTB trails will be open to development plans from the private sector. The south Wales destination joins the likes of Coed Y Brenin and Bwlch Nant Yr Arian in their uncertain future. It’s unclear as to whether NRW will maintain responsibility for the MTB trails or not.

Steve Morgan, the head of South East operations for NRW, said members of the public will also be invited to have their say on the plans “over the coming weeks”.

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Robin Grant, Chair, UK MTB Trail Alliance, had this to say about the news:

The UK MTB Trail Alliance will do all it can to support the Cwmcarn MTB Trail Crew and the Risca Riders, to try to ensure the outcome of this process is as positive for mountain bikers as possible. Keep your eye out for a call to action to help when the public consultation happens in the next few weeks.

It’s worrying that Cwmcarn now faces an uncertain future, alongside Coed y Brenin and Bwlch Nant yr Arian, and let’s face it, all of the NRW-run mountain biking facilities in Wales. This comes at a time when there are volunteer groups the length and breadth of Wales ready and waiting to take more responsibility for their local trails, but with NRW currently seemingly organisationally incapable of working with them.

The Welsh Government, with input from stakeholders, including the UK MTB Trail Alliance, need to urgently address this, by promoting change in NRW’s internal processes which would enable them to work better with volunteer groups, to help bridge the funding gap for trails.

You can read the full press release on Caerphilly County Borough Council’s website here.


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