THE ongoing quest by BMX group Tavi Riders to get a BMX track built in Tavistock has finally been given the go-ahead.

After submitting a proposal to construct a BMX dirt jump trail in Tavistock, the group has now secured land — and received a grant to fund the project.

Tavi Riders, with support from Tavistock Youth Café, have recently been awarded £30,000 from Devon County Council's Youth Capital Fund. The grant, together with the group securing a site for the project just before Christmas, means work on the track can begin.

It will be built on the former putting green in the Meadows. The town council, which owns the land, has drawn up a nine-year lease for the site, and the trails will be owned by Tavistock Youth Café.

Jacob Gibbins, also known as Milky, was one of four riders at the heart of the campaign.

He said: 'It's going to be great to have somewhere for riders to go. We've worked really hard, meeting once a week, talking on the phone a lot and going to council meetings. Riding is my life-long passion and I'll be doing it until I can't walk.'

Tavi Riders, which has more than 40 members, have previously been using Tavistock's skate park or secluded wooded areas to ride their bikes.

Vicki Lloyd, from Tavistock Youth Café, thinks the new BMX track will be much safer.

'At the moment we've got a lot of BMX riders in Tavistock and they use the skate park which is not built for BMX riding,' said Vicki.

'If not on that, they go to wooded areas out of town which are unsafe, and inaccessible to ambulances.

'We wanted to push to have the track in a public place where they can learn skills in a safe place.

'A big thank you to Steve Wilson from Lifer BMX, Derek from Dartmoor Cycles and Steve Tonkin, who have been behind us all the way.'

Vicki said it has been good for the riders to run the campaign and feel like they have had their voices heard and achieved something.

Steve Wilson, owner of bike shop Lifer BMX, has supported Tavi Riders from the start of the campaign.

He said: 'I think that what Tavi Riders have done is something that most riders around the country want to do.

'It just shows what you can do when you put your mind to something.

'A big credit to the council for being such a forward thinking body. It will be good for the town because it will bring people into Tavistock. We're going to be right behind it.'

The track has been designed by BMX rider Steve Tonkin, who owns a popular BMX track in Portreath, Cornwall. Steve will work with Tavi Riders as it is being built, to teach them how to maintain the track.

It is hoped the track will be constructed as soon as the worst of the winter weather is over, probably in March.