The first ‘trigger news’ this week is that Forestry England are planning to introduce a fee of up to 20 percent of income on anyone using their land for commercial purposes. As mountain bikers, that’d primarily concern people like coaches or event organizers and it would be an absolute disaster for them. From comments I’ve seen on forums and social media, losing 20 percent would basically completely erase any hope of turning a profit from their businesses. Because it’s a charge on turnover rather than a fixed price annual license, for example, there’s no incentive for them to grow their work either, because the more they earn the more they pay.
We’ve already seen the PMBA enduro series shift mostly north of the border to Scotland where fixed events costs are more reasonable, and organizer, Kevin Duckworth, can still eke a living out of crafting much loved tracks while living in a caravan in the woods most of the season. Are we soon going to see all the MTB coaches and other commercial forest users in cycling heading to the Highlands, to private commercial sites, or illegal trails?
