RIDERS who are hoping to build a BMX track on a site at the end of Bannawell Street say they hope dialogue between residents and their group will help allay fears about their project.

Tavi Riders have approached Tavistock Town Council to see if they can use the field next to Bannawell Street play park to build dirt jumps so they can practice their sport safely.

The town council, which owns the land, has backed the idea in principle, subject to consultation with residents.

Jacob Gibbins, a member of Tavi Riders, said he wanted to allay fears expressed by residents of Buddle Close, which backs onto the land.

Jacob said: 'We are planning on building some purpose-built bike jumps, ones with no floodlighting, making them unreadable in the dark, so we have a naturally decided curfew on us when riding there.'

Jacob said tyres on dirt made no more noise than children playing and the land was in use as recreational land — he saw no reason why the installation of bike jumps would attract 'yobs or hoodies'.

Jacob said the group had gone to great lengths in their research to find a suitable place to site the track.

He said: 'We have spoken to the council about getting some land on Crowndale, but it's not owned by them so that's out, the school has just used all their land for the new running track, we have been told an outright and categorical 'no' to anywhere in the Meadows and park.

'The plot in question is a perfect size, it has the right gradient, good access, it's central and already earmarked as recreational land so planning permission etc won't have to be sorted out, and it's also owned by the council.'

Jacob said some residents feared motorbike riders might be tempted to use the proposed track. This could be solved by the installation of simple kissing gates,' he said.

'Impossible to get a motor bike through or over a gate, but for a pedal bike, simple as can be,' said Jacob, who also acknowledged concerns about the play park entrance being situated on a busy road.

'Being a driver myself I know the road there is heavily used and also people do speed there. I think the introduction of traffic calming or even a zebra crossing there, just going into the park would be another great thing to consider, both for the play park, people going to admire the stream bikers — if this site ever gets the go ahead — and also would make it safer for the residents. I don't see anyone losing on that plan.'

Jacob said he understood that people walked their dogs on the Bannawell Street site, but said there would still be room for them if the track was built, and there were also alternatives close by, such as the old railway line.

'As for drinking at night, the area is part of the no-drinking zone of town, so we have been told police would happily patrol up there more if these trails where built, something that isn't being done now, even though the play park already attracts drinkers.

'Maybe kids buzzing about on bikes till dark may keep them away? Would you rather people drinking and fighting or kids playing on bikes?'

Jacob said he understood residents would rather look over an empty green field, but he felt there were noisier and less attractive things that could be constructed on recreational land, which had turned out to be the only area available to the riders.