A GROUP of volunteers said the decision to close mountain bike trails near Taunton that they run for 17 years was made “without consultation”.

Mr Andrew Hughes, chair of Wych Lodge Bike Club, said the popular site about three miles to the south of Taunton has been a positive part of Taunton community life for the last 17 years.

But on May 31 the group had to take out all the properties and tools that were on site.

Mr Hughes said the group maintained the trails with the permission of Forestry England but its new area forester, David Lloyd, “has broken contact with the Wych Club” until he said “he would be destroying the trails without any consultation”.

Mr Hughes also claimed that “in response to an FOI request, Forestry England have been unable to provide any evidence to back up the vast majority of the claims made in David Lloyd’s letter”.

He added: “David Lloyd’s letter came as a complete shock and represents an overnight change in Forestry England’s attitude to these much-loved community trails.

“Historically, Forestry England has been very supportive of the trails, and it seems unfair that the trails could be destroyed with no discussion or consultation.

“Wych Lodge Bike Club have made it clear to Forestry England that we will happily address any concerns they have about the trails, including modifying or removing any features they’re unhappy with.

“However, our offer is currently falling on deaf ears, with David Lloyd not responding to our emails and the trails currently scheduled for destruction.

“It’s completely unreasonable for Forestry England to be treating the citizens of Taunton with such disdain by behaving in this way.”

Mr Hughes said Mr Lloyd did offer a face-to-face meeting with the group, but when Wych Lodge said they “would like a face-to-face meeting” they “had no reply at all”.

Wych Lodge has been trying to find another land on which they could continue their activity but “there is nothing as close as that venue,” Mr Hughes said, which is widely used by young people too.

He added: “We are a bit stuck. If the closure does happen, the other option is to try to put money together and buy some land, but I don’t know how feasible that is.”

A Forestry England spokesperson said: “Although Forestry England’s strategic plans for Wych Lodge do not include formal cycling facilities, the local forestry team has tried to work with the individuals leading trail building in Wych Lodge for around 18 years so that mountain biking can continue in a way that is safe for all forest users and appropriate to the woodland and its rich ecology.

“We have considered all the options available to us to work with the trail builders to accommodate their activities in Wych Lodge.

“However, group organisers have demonstrated only occasional willingness to co-operate with our team over many years and have continued to build and promote unsafe and unsuitable trails and features without permission.

“We are not satisfied with the safety or suitability of the unauthorised trails and features that have been built in Wych Lodge and, sadly, we feel that we have no remaining option but to remove them for the safety of riders and other woodland users, and the health of the woodland - which includes irreplaceable veteran trees and European Protected Species, such as dormice.

“Our decision to remove built trails and features is not the action of one member of staff but a collective, considered approach in line with Forestry England’s practice guide to managing unauthorised cycling trails.

“This has been reached over a period of time during which we have tried – unsuccessfully - to bring the trail builders along on a journey of improvement.

“We understand that this is a disappointing outcome for some visitors to Wych Lodge, but illegal trail construction has continued at an accelerating pace to a point that we are no longer able to accommodate.

“At Forestry England, we aim to be open and honest in our communication and to respond to enquiries and complaints within 20 working days wherever possible.

“Where a query is complex, it might take us longer to give a full and considered response. We are responding to all contact from the trail builders at Wych Lodge within this timeframe.

“In terms of Freedom of Information requests, the main principle behind the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) legislation is that people have a right to know about the activities of public bodies unless there is a good reason for them not to.

“The legislation promotes transparency and accountability with the public but it is not there to satisfy a question.

“FOI/EIR legislation exists for the disclosure of recorded information held at the time a request is received (unless an exception is engaged).

“Documents are disclosed (subject to any redactions) ‘as held’, which means that there is no requirement to create information or put information into context in order to answer a question.”