Plans for a £1 million mountain bike centre for Carmarthenshire’s Brechfa Forest have been submitted. Bike shop, café, showers, bunkhouse and more.

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The plans are essentially to create a trailhead centre and accommodation, something which Brechfa Forest is very much in need of according to applicant Garry Jones.

Up to 20,000 mountain bikers are thought to use the forest trail centre every year. Speaking to the South Wales Guardian, Mr Jones said “I would not be doing this if I didn’t think it would work”. The estimated £1million venture hopes to create 14 full and part time jobs.

The plans include a large bunkhouse (up to 34 guests), 12 camping pods, café, showers, a bike shop, info area and games room. The plans state: “Our proposed building is set in a secluded setting between the Byrgwm Forest and the tree line to the south of Byrgwm Bach, with the building only in view to those passing the main highway”.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) currently do not object to the mountain bike centre proposal. NRW’s own recent study found that mountain biking was worth more than £23 million per year to the Welsh economy.

Carmarthenshire Council are assessing the application and responses from local people in the are.

Never been to Brechfa?

Brechfa Forest is currently something of a cult amongst trail centres. If you know, you know. And you go there a lot.

There are three waymarked trail centre routes in the forest.

The 19km Gorlech Trail was designed by Rowan Sorrell and bears his trademark flow and fun. It’s not a bitty up and downy trail. It’s three big climbs, three big descents.

The Raven Trail is suitably black and will most visitors turning right around at the bottom for another run back up to the top to do it all over again.

The Derwen trail is a classic Green/Blue route designed for families and newer riders.