30,000 visitors a year visiting Ribble Valley tourist attraction (From Lancashire Telegraph)

30,000 visitors a year visiting Ribble Valley tourist attraction

8:30am Saturday 4th June 2011 in Ribble Valley news By Nazia Parveen, Reporter

A NEW visitor centre is set to be built at a Ribble Valley beauty spot after visitor numbers rocketed due to new mountain biking trails.

Staff said they had been ‘overwhelmed’ by the number of riders coming to Gisburn Forest, which is fast becoming one of the country’s top mountain biking centres.

The trails, which opened in September 2009, attract around 30,000 visitors every year.

And now planners at Ribble Valley Council have given the go-ahead for a visitor hub with a 100-space car park to be built on the site to cope with the influx.

Sarah Bruce, marketing boss at the Forestry Commission, said: “The bike trails in Gisburn Forest are increasing popular with bikers travelling from all over the region and further afield to test their skills.

“The plans for the new Gisburn hub are designed to improve the visitor experience for all forest users and bring in new visitors to the area, helping to support local businesses.”

The application for land off Dugdale Lane also shows plans for a new all-ability trail and the construction of cycle trails to link with existing network.

The visitor centre and a cafe could be built on the site of Stephen’s Park – two former Grade II listed barns and a coach house which were renovated by Knowsley Council to create a residential centre for outdoor learning in 1990.

The properties have been unused since 2009.

The Forestry Commission (FC) led a project to revamp the old bike trails that were built in 1996.