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Updated: Fears for Hadleigh castle and park during 2012 Olympic event
4:10pm Monday 1st December 2008
Comments (13)RESIDENTS fear a historic landmark and much-loved country park will be damaged when Hadleigh plays host to the Olympic mountain biking event in the London 2012 games.
People living in Hadleigh and surrounding areas are concerned the event will cause irreparable damage to the park and heavy traffic congestion to local roads when thousands of spectators flock to watch the event.
They raised their concerns at a public information meeting held at the Salvation Army headquarters, in London Road, Hadleigh, on Saturday.
It had been designed to keep people updated on preparations to turn Hadleigh Farm into a world-class racetrack for the 2012 games.
Stephen Castle, Essex county councillor responsible for economic development and the Olympics, said all efforts would be made to protect the country park and the castle.
He said: “As a lifelong resident of Castle Point, I’m clear how precious Hadleigh Castle and the country park are to local residents, and I wouldn’t do anything to damage them.
“I’m not going to stand here and tell you everything is rosy. There are a huge number of potential benefits, but there are going to be downsides to that.”
Mr Castle said the exact route the race will take around the farmland, which is owned by the Salvation Army, is yet to be decided.
However, it was revealed at the meeting the event is likely to start and finish in the area of farmland next to the reservoir.
Plans on how to transport athletes and spectators to the site are also yet to be drawn up.
Loretta Sollars, Essex County Council’s head of Olympic and sports development, said several options are being looked at. These included shuttle buses running to the park from Leigh and Benfleet stations, park-and-ride schemes and offering bike bays at the park to encourage people to cycle to the event.
Responding to fears decisions surrounding the event would be made without residents’ knowledge, Mr Castle vowed to keep everything transparent and public.
He told the meeting: “I pledge we will communicate and consult with you before decisions are taken, and when they are taken they will be taken publicly.”
Your Say YourEcho
jolly Roger the Pirate, Hadleigh says...
8:30am Mon 1 Dec 08
Will the legacy be a rat run to avoid Hadleigh and then building to infill ?
We were also told the Salvation Army has only known six months it's a great shame as they will be losing 550 prime acres of grazing land for their cattle.
hadleigh dogwalker, says...
8:59am Mon 1 Dec 08
I get the feeling all these "public meetings" will mean nothing,noone seems to be bothered that Hadleigh may lose the one piece that I for one always thought would be immune to changes.
BD, shoeburyness says...
10:23am Mon 1 Dec 08
Parking - the obvious solution qould be to use the station car parks at benfleet and leigh.
Making cycle routes through the Downs - they're there already, you dont have to create new ones, as with the sea wall.
Ive been riding over the downs and the sea wall for over 15 years, theres no need to build widen or destroy anything.
Also if the council think theyre using 1 field and one hill for the olympics theyre going to look pretty stupid. I think its time someone at the council actually found out what a mountain bike race is before they start organising one.
Curbishly, Castle Point says...
11:31am Mon 1 Dec 08
One person admits they didn't attend the meeting yet seems to think the "council" will use one hill and a field. I know for a fact that Steve Castle was out in Beijing looking at the Olympic Mountain Bike races and he and his team will not be making the same mistakes the Chinese made. In fact BD of Shoeburyness I suggest they probably know more about organising Mountain Bike racing than you do.
We have a wonderful opportunity to put Hadleigh on the world map and all these moaners can do is think parochially.
BD, shoeburyness says...
1:25pm Mon 1 Dec 08
My information comes from the signs around hadleigh downs and in the above article, stating they will be using the salvation army field and castle hill. Racing around a field is not and never will be adequate for mtb racing, the full length of the downs from hadleigh through to Leigh should be used to create a world class course, without the need for widening of paths/trails, building or changing what the downs are now.
Why spend money on a cycle route on the sea wall when its been cycled on for the last 15 years or so.
Im not moaning at their being race, Im looking forward to taking part in the test events, my problem is the over complication of things (car parking, transport etc...) and someone saying things needing to be changed for the event when they do not.
Olwyn, thundersley says...
1:49pm Mon 1 Dec 08
Olwyn
Vernon Carter, Basildon says...
5:02pm Mon 1 Dec 08
'We have a wonderful opportunity to put Hadleigh on the world map and all these moaners can do is think parochially' mean? Without being too flippant, it already is on the map I've checked.Or do you somehow think that this event will bring a goldrush into the town? It won't happen, for starters we haven't got the road infrastructure,the A13 into Hadleigh is bad most of the time, let alone when thousands of spectators are mobile.The whole olympics will be a costly white elephant.If we, as a nation partook in the olympic events there would already be the stadiums and arenas in place and in use.
Curbishly, Castle Point says...
5:08pm Mon 1 Dec 08
Vernon Carter wrote:I bet you don't like Christmas either.
Curbishley, what does:
'We have a wonderful opportunity to put Hadleigh on the world map and all these moaners can do is think parochially' mean? Without being too flippant, it already is on the map I've checked.Or do you somehow think that this event will bring a goldrush into the town? It won't happen, for starters we haven't got the road infrastructure,the A13 into Hadleigh is bad most of the time, let alone when thousands of spectators are mobile.The whole olympics will be a costly white elephant.If we, as a nation partook in the olympic events there would already be the stadiums and arenas in place and in use.
The King of Southend, Essex Riviera says...
5:40pm Mon 1 Dec 08
If your next door neighbour had a Ford Cortina and caravan in a similar state of disrepair on their driveway I bet you couldn't wait for them to get rid of them.
Vernon Carter, Basildon says...
8:06pm Mon 1 Dec 08
Curbishly wrote:Humbug!!
Vernon Carter wrote: Curbishley, what does: 'We have a wonderful opportunity to put Hadleigh on the world map and all these moaners can do is think parochially' mean? Without being too flippant, it already is on the map I've checked.Or do you somehow think that this event will bring a goldrush into the town? It won't happen, for starters we haven't got the road infrastructure,the A13 into Hadleigh is bad most of the time, let alone when thousands of spectators are mobile.The whole olympics will be a costly white elephant.If we, as a nation partook in the olympic events there would already be the stadiums and arenas in place and in use.I bet you don't like Christmas either.
evilc, essex says...
1:32pm Tue 2 Dec 08
Can we fix it?
Yes we can!!
Martin_Fisher, London says...
5:21pm Thu 4 Dec 08
http://www.essexlega
cy.org/events/
Interestingly I've just been to this site and it doesn't have a registration link anymore however I can confirm the following details of it I've subscribe to :-
Tuesday 9th December 19:30 hrs Castle Point Borough Council Kiln Rd Thundersley SS7 1TF.
What the council need to be doing is a better job of showing the sucess stories of mountain biking locations alongside other popularly scenic locations in the UK that been managed well and show how land shared usage of land can be achieved such that mountain bikers don't cause damage to the land and don't come in to conflict with other users.
See you at the next event.
Stephen Castle speaking at the meeting
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Grey hair of leigh, on Sea says...
7:07pm Sun 30 Nov 08