A SMALL band of mini-bikers has put out a plea this week for the right to ride on town council- owned open space. The enthusiastic group of four to 13 year olds are desperate to ride their bikes safely and in a controlled off-road environment on Alton Town Council's Greenfields amenity site, alongside BMX riders who already have a designated course there. But in considering the revision of bye-laws for council-owned open space at last week's town council recreation committee meeting, members spoke of their intention to clamp down harder on the mini-bikers, by making it illegal to ride on the land at all. A lone voice of support for the bikers was raised by Alton Youth Council chairman Daniel Andrews, who suggested that rather than saying "no" to the youngsters, it would be more constructive to suggest an alternative venue for their sport. And this, the young bikers believe, is the way forward. They would very much like their own designated area - a dirt track either around the BMX cum kick-around area at the top of Northanger Close, or on an area of land adjacent to it which is currently unused. The sport appears to have taken-off big time in this area of the Greenfields estate, with ownership of a 49cc pit bike being the coolest thing since BMX and skateboarding. The youngsters, mostly boys, spend hours tinkering with their bikes, cleaning and maintaining them, learning the mechanics and about the cost of keeping £150 worth of equipment in good running order. They are extremely safety conscious and wear protective gear such as helmets, goggles and even body armour. But first and foremost they enjoy the sheer fun and competitive nature of a relatively inexpensive sport that, they say, takes courage and develops balance, physical fitness, endurance, concentration, co- ordination and self-confidence. The young bikers' views were reflected by Lee Westbrook, 11, who told The Herald: "Riding the bikes keeps us out of trouble - it gives us a sport where we have to use our muscles. The bikes are only small but they go quite fast (up to 35 mph) so we wear all the safety gear and we can compete against each other. It is just fun." Their parents are very supportive, preferring to see their children participating with enthusiasm in a sport which teaches them a sense of responsibility rather than getting up to mischief in other ways. Alan Green values the experience being gained by his boys through learning to ride, maintain and fix their bikes - a hobby that can be enjoyed in particular by boys and their dads. The children, he said, know that it is illegal to ride their bikes on the highway but are desperate to have somewhere they can ride which is not miles away from home and difficult to get to without parental assistance. According to the youngsters, many of them have BMX bikes and were in the habit of using the BMX track but this is in the throws of being reconfigured and is now unusable. The towering mountains of rubbles, cavernous gaps, lose boulders and poor layout has rendered the area out of bounds because it is now considered too dangerous to use. At the recreation committee meeting, councillors alluded to the current state of the BMX track. In expressing extreme concern about the result of what should have been a makeover for the three-year-old track, local councillor Allan Chick pointed out that it was not in a suitable state for riders to use. He also said that there had been a lot of local concern expressed about the mini-bikers using the site, with complaints about the noise of the bikes. Mr Chick said that while children as young as four were using the BMX and kick-around area and the track leading up to the top fields to practice their riding skills, older children with bigger dirt track bikes were riding around the meadow at the top of the hill which is currently being used to graze cattle. Councillors were not happy, particularly with the effect the noise and close proximity of the bikes might have on the cows, many of them in calf. They were concerned, too, about the noise pollution and about the safety aspect of youngsters riding motorised bikes on their land. Head groundsman John Sadler said he had spoken to some of the parents about the fact that it was illegal to ride motorbikes on town council-owned land without the owners' consent, but his advice appeared to have been ignored. The police, he said, had implied that this was a council matter and one which would have to be dealt with by byelaws. There was talk, therefore, of putting up a sign, warning that it was an offence to ride a motorbike on council property. The youngsters, however, claim that their mini-bikes are not noisy, likening the most vocal to the sound of a strimmer, and they say they would comply with time restrictions if necessary. "We don't ride non-stop. We do three laps and then bring the bikes back in to clean and things," explained Jake Lota, 13, who only obtained his bike this summer. He feels, like the others, that if they had their own track to ride on the mini-bikers would be prepared to adhere to a cut-off time, possibly around 6 pm. It is a request that these children hope Alton Town Council will be prepared to consider.
