Rotherham Trials Park Ordered to Close by Council

Rotherham Council has refused planning permission to a motorcycle trials facility at Hooton Lodge.

As a result of the absence of planning permission, the trials park has been ordered to remove its obstacles and close. Obstacles must be removed within three months, and the park must be closed within one month from the date of the decision (29 March 2024).

The decision came after paperwork for planning permission was originally submitted in 2020. In the intervening period, Hooton Lodge Trials Bike Park says it “heard almost nothing” from the Council.

A petition has been started in objection to the council’s decision. The campaign’s Change.org page reads: “Rotherham council have declined the planning permission for the trials bike course which is currently open at Hooton Lodge, ordering that it be closed within one month and all obstacles removed within three. 

“The trials course is a fantastic amenity for the local area, bringing communities together. It is a sport for the young and the old, with riders varying in age from around 10 to 70. It gives people a chance to ride their bike in an area which is safe, legal and supervised rather than joy riding in woodlands which aren’t designed for this use. 

“This area is completely secluded and on private land and the noise from these bikes is minimal and affects nobody. 

“Trials bikes are often confused with motocross bikes which are noisy, but trials bikes could not be further from this.

“There could be 50 bikes in the woodland and you would not hear them from the surrounding areas. As for the ‘damage’ they cause: riders stick to the designated trail leaving plenty of woodland untouched for wildlife. To get rid of this community venue would be a mistake and lead to more illegal riding of bikes within this area.”

You can sign the petition on Change.org, and find all the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.