Staffordshire council and Forestry England have teamed up to bring new mountai bike trails to Cannock Chase in the midlands.

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The funding has been found thanks to Cannock Chase being the venue for the mountain biking at the 2022 Commonwealth Games which ar enominally being held in nearby Birmingham. The total investment for the new trails is estimated to be around £900,000.

The new trails are part of the required Commonwealth Games’ ‘Legacy Project’. This legacy will require that there be a new blue grade trail built at Cannock Chase to act as an introduction to mountain biking for locals as well as visiting tourists.

Quoted in The Express & Star, Councillor Christine Mitchell: “This is a great opportunity for the district and we are pleased to be supporting this partnership project which is being led by Forestry England.

“The tracks are currently well used, and this investment gives us the potential to capitalize on the Commonwealth Games profile. It will provide more opportunities for residents and visitors to exercise outdoors, as well as delivering additional tourism benefits for the district.”

Forestry England’s Andy Harvey-Coggins: “For some time we’ve had aspirations to improve our cycling trail offer for mid-level cyclists at Cannock Chase Forest.

“This funding will not only allow us to build that provision, it will also mean that we can create a bike play trail to inspire and help improve the cycling skills of the next generation of off-road cyclists, and also add more technical features to our popular red graded – difficult – mountain bike trails. This will mean we can provide a true ‘novice to expert’ off-road and traffic free cycling offer on Cannock Chase – away from the ecologically-sensitive areas of the Chase that we want to help protect.”

Staffordshire council’s Victoria Wilson: “It’s great news that Cannock Chase will host the mountain biking trials for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“With a unique blend of stunning scenery and amazing wildlife, Cannock Chase is one of the jewels in the Staffordshire crown. And with some of the best mountain bike trails in the region, this is a great opportunity to show off our amazing county to a global audience.”