Page 0: Page 1: INNERLEITHEN MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK – TWEED VALLEY Presentation of Preliminary Proposals 6th December 2007 at 7pm Page 2: INNERLEITHEN MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK – TWEED VALLEY – PHASE II STUDY      Test the market potential Confirm the opportunity Identify the product Masterplan the site Scope the environmental issues   Develop a business case Identify the costs and funding Show viability  Page 3: THE TEAM International Team of Consultants Tourism Resources Company Gravity Logic Market and Business Consultants for the Tourism, Leisure and Recreation Sectors Whistler Mountain Bike Park Specialists UK‟s Leading Cableway Expert Consulting Engineers Environmental Specialists Quantity Surveyors Environmental Architects Economic Consultants Market Research Specialists Tim Whittome Cruden‟s Land Use Consultants Doig and Smith Dallman Johnstone EKOS IBP Strategy & Research Page 4: THE VISION Page 5: MOUNTAIN BIKING – FIRSTS    The first dedicated bike chairlift in the World First gravity bike park in the UK First fully commercial mountain bike park in Scotland Tweed Valley – first international cycling destination in the UK Tweed Valley – first venue for a cycle festival in Scotland   Page 6: YOUR BENEFITS       Economic spin-off to community – spend in shops, restaurants, hotels etc Creation of local jobs Demand for overnight accommodation Increase the profile of your community Brings international exposure / awareness Brings inward investment to the Tweed Valley     Compliments Glentress and puts the Valley on the international mountain bike stage Provides an exciting backdrop for potential cycling events and festivals The springboard for Tweed Valley‟s wider „adventure sports‟ opportunities Cementing the Tweed Valley as a UK premier mountain biking and cycling destination Page 7: DESIGN MASTERPLAN     Trails Chairlift Top station area Bottom station area      Access and car parking Base building Chairlift bottom station Freeride and “slopestyle” areas Maintenance area   Circular road EIA Scoping Page 8: SITE MAP Page 9: SITE FROM AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY Page 10: EXISTING DOWNHILL TRAILS Page 11: EXISTING CROSSCOUNTRY TRAILS Page 12: CHAIRLIFT LINE Page 13: BOTTOM STATION AREA Page 14: BOTTOM STATION AREA Page 15: “CIRCULAR ROAD” Page 16: THE PROPOSED TRAIL PRODUCT        30km of new trails A network of short interconnecting trails Trails appeal to a wide market Trails to attract novice to competitor Opportunity to play and learn Park design with events / festivals in mind Walking trails to viewpoints, Minch Moor, Southern Upland Way Page 17: NEW TRAILS Page 18: Page 19: STRATEGIC MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL – DEVELOPMENT PLAN Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV Upgrade Existing Black and New Blue and Red New Black and Race Course Base Area Play Training Skills and Teaching Development Page 20: CHAIRLIFT      “Quad” chair 1,100 riders + bikes/hour Pedestrian use – sightseers and walkers 85 chairs – garage storage 11 towers – up to 17 m high Page 21: CHAIRLIFT LINE Page 22: CHAIRLIFT STATION DESIGN Page 23: Page 24: CHAIR FOR MTBs Page 25: TOP STATION AREA    Chairlift top station Basic toilet facilities Pedestrian access  Viewpoint  Walking routes and SUW Page 26: PEDESTRIAN ACCESS Page 27: ACCESS AND CAR PARKING    Access from Traquair-Walkerburn road Car parking for ~ 420 cars Existing car park for additional parking for events Page 28: SITE ACCESS Page 29: BASE AREA Page 30: BASE BUILDING     Single building housing all facilities 2-story – set into slope Each floor approx 300 m2 Lower floor –  Tickets  Shop  Bike hire  Toilets + showers  Upper floor –  Catering  Bike wash Page 31: SERVICES  Electric power – mains  Top station supply – underground cable along line of chairlift   Water supply – from public supply Waste water and sewerage – Primary “aerating” system  Polished in reed bed  Page 32: CIRCULAR ROAD    Short term – vehicular uplift Long term – service access to top station Re-routed forest haul road to avoid crossing MTB park Page 33: CIRCULAR ROAD – NEW SECTIONS Page 34: ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES  Environmental work undertaken to date:  Desk based research and mapping  Consultation with Scottish Borders Council and Scottish Natural Heritage  Ecological and landscape site visits  Preparation of Scoping Report for the Environmental Impact Assessment Page 35: OPERATING PERIOD  255 days per year:  April to October – full opening Weekends and holidays – remainder of year Closed January for essential maintenance Summer 10am-6pm    Lift operation:   Winter 10am-4pm (light permitting)  Extended play to 8pm/9pm on two summer evenings per week Page 36: COMPREHENSIVE MARKET RESEARCH PROGRAMME     500 spectators at World Mountain Bike Championship 100 downhill riders at Innerleithen 150 in-depth interviews and questionnaires at Glentress 200 day visitors and tourists in the Tweed Valley       100 visitors to Traquair House 300 Tweed Valley local residents 100 local residents – Newcastle 100 local residents – Edinburgh 1,550 in-depth interviews and questionnaires 5,150 people approached Page 37: KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS – MOUNTAIN BIKERS         7% of the population undertake mountain biking Within four hours drive, there are 1.3 million mountain bikers On average, mountain bikers cycle once per week More than 64 million trips per year On average, each mountain biker makes 11 day trips and three overnight trips away from home 73% of mountain bikers interviewed will definitely use the bike park Downhillers will use the bike park on average 23 times per year Other cyclists will use the bike park 2 / 3 times on average Page 38: KEY FINDINGS – SIGHTSEERS  70% of Traquair House visitors said that they would use a chairlift 85% of day / overnight tourists said that they would definitely or might use the chairlift 40% of local residents said they might use a chairlift, particularly if friends are visiting   Page 39: WHO WILL COME?     95,000 mountain bikers 30,000 sightseers Mountain bike enthusiasts, clubs Downhill specialists, competitors, event spectators Families, beginners / novices Schools, outdoor activity providers, mountain bike trainers Local residents Day visitors      Overnight tourists Page 40: WHERE WILL THEY STAY? VFR 8% Hotel 9% B&B 25% Tent 38% Selfcatering 10% Caravan 3% Hostel 7% Page 41: HOW MUCH WILL PEOPLE BE PREPARED TO PAY?  Market Research:  Average sightseer single ticket – £6.64  Average mountain bike day ticket – more than 70% would pay £20 per visit  Benchmarks:     Current Uplift £30.00 per day (downhillers) Whistler Glencoe £23.50 per day £25.00 per day Nevis Range £19.00 per day (mountain biker) Page 42: TICKETING STRATEGY     Drive day tickets and weekend tickets Limit number of season tickets sold Maximise midweek demand Offer midweek season tickets – discounts off summer weekend visits Attract novices and beginners, single tickets and children / youth  Page 43: BIKE PARK TICKET TYPES – PRICING Summer Single / Return Day Weekend Season Winter £7.00 £23.00 £40.00 £185.00 £7.00 £25.00 £45.00 £235.00 Extended Play £15.00 N/A Plus Child / Youth, Concession and Groups Page 44: WHERE WE GO FROM HERE – OVER NEXT TWO MONTHS      Firm up technical issues Confirm preliminary masterplan Confirm trail design Design base area in more detail Prepare capital cost estimates   Firm up operating costs / confirm viability Consider funding requirements Assess environmental scoping requirements  Page 45: TIMING   Study to be completed by Additional detailed work required to support planning application:  detailed architectural design  traffic impact  environmental assessment  final business case Submit for planning Planning permission granted Operator identified and engaged Chairlift developed and bike park open Late February 2008 Summer 2008     Summer 2008 2009 2009 2010   Trail development phased over 4-year period Bike park fully operational 2010-2013 2013 Page 46: COPIES OF PRESENTATION AVAILABLE From Tuesday 11 December on www.tourism-resources.co.uk/innerleithenbike park   Hard copy available from Scottish Enterprise Borders Page 47: