A leisure facility affected by works to the A417 has submitted a planning application to Tewkesbury Borough Council.

The FlyUP 417 Bike Park on Crickley Hill, opened in 2016, is one of the biggest privately owned mountain bike facilities in England and offers a variety of bike riding disciplines. The business is affected by the current works on the A417 Missing Link Scheme.

Use of FlyUp's existing car park is required during the construction stage to enable construction of the A417 mainline, as well as undertake drainage works for the carriageway and to realign Norman's Brook.

The Missing Link Scheme includes provision for a number of works at Flyup, including a new access road, utilities diversions and a temporary car park.

National Highways has been working with FlyUp on mitigation measures to support the business during the A417 works.

FlyUp's owners felt that moving into temporary premises, operating from those temporary premises and then moving back into their original premises would cause such substantial disruption to both their business and family life for years that they would like to apply for planning consent to make the temporary car park permanent, and provide new permanent premises for their business.

On behalf of the bike park's owners, agent Mark Chadwick of Howard Cole Ltd is applying for permission to construction a timber clad building at the leisure facility.

The proposed new building will have 548sq m of internal space, an increase of 208sq m of internal space from the current building on site. The planned building will have 162sq m of tradable floor area.

The ground floor of the proposed facility will include a café, with kitchen and seating, toilets, a reception area and staff offices.

The mezzanine floor will include a large store and workshop, as well as a staff room and meeting room.

The application also covers the formation of a car park with space for 95 vehicles. 

Supporting the proposal, landscape architects, MHP design, said the proposed development will introduce very limited changes from those already being introduced by the approved temporary scheme of works on the A417.