Great MTB Track Demolition

The Great MTB Track Demolition Fiasco: A Masterclass in Bureaucratic Nonsense

In the sleepy village of Audlem, where spotting a teenager in the wild is rarer than a sunny Bank Holiday, one of the few places young people could actually enjoy themselves--a modest, self-built MTB track--has now found itself in the crosshairs of Cheshire East Council's bureaucratic bulldozer.

In a plot twist worthy of a Kafka novel, not one, not two, but three layers of contracting were apparently required to destroy this patch of joy. Cheshire East Council subcontracted Equin, who subcontracted Countrywide, who presumably subcontracted someone's nan to bring the biscuits.

But here's where things got interesting, when two Countrywide workers--Simon, a tree surgeon, and John--turned up to carry out the demolition, they did something unheard of in council drama they listened. Faced with baffled but reasonable parents, they heard the full story and promptly stopped the work. Not only that, but they both confirmed, without hesitation, that 'the trees were fine--there is no evidence of damage to these trees at all.' Which is odd, given that supposed tree damage was one of Cheshire East's primary justifications for flattening the track?

The men were polite, professional, and clearly as confused by the council's logic as the rest of us. These are the kinds of level-headed individuals we should be applauding--not the desk jockeys who rubber-stamp demolition orders with no grasp of local context.

Because let's face it, if you remove the few positive outlets left for our youngsters, what exactly do you think they're going to do? Knit or kick doors?

Audlem isn't exactly teeming with arcades, skateparks or youth clubs. A handful of kids take the initiative to build something, keep themselves active and outdoors, and the response is to destroy it? At enormous cost?

Of course, some have raised the issue of liability--who takes the blame if someone falls off a bike and scrapes a knee? But the parents already have a solution, they're more than willing to put up a clear, visible sign reading something like, 'Ride at your own risk. No liability accepted for injury.' Many are even prepared to sign personal waivers accepting full responsibility should any accidents occur. The real risk here isn't bruises and grazes--it's the slow erosion of trust, opportunity, and common sense.

Surely someone at Cheshire East should be asking: is this really a good use of public money--or just a textbook example of red tape throttling common sense? Maybe next time we want to spend a fortune tearing something down, we could start with the mountain of paperwork instead.

We would love local residents to stand with these youngsters by uniting in support--signing a petition to stop this pointless demolition and protect one of the few spaces they have left. These kids deserve encouragement, not eradication.

Until then, here's hoping no one tries to build a treehouse--sounds like a four-contractor job at least!

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