Another ramp falls foul of department

TALENTED BMX riders said yesterday they were being let down by the States. They were speaking after the Environment Depart-ment forced another ramp to be taken down.

The Xtreme Sports Association has been storing its display ramp in a Vale garden for the last two years.

But at the end of last month it received a letter from the department threatening legal action if it was not removed.

Association member PJ de la Mare, 32, said that there were some very talented riders in the island. But their potential was being hindered because they had nowhere good to ride.

'It would have been nice if this letter had come after we had sorted something out for certain at Beau Sejour,' he said.

'At least then we wouldn't have had to dismantle this one and we would still have somewhere to ride.'

He said that the only alternative - the ramps at Delancey Park - were not up to scratch.

'They've been designed on a low budget and the quality of the equipment is poor,' he said.

'It was made by the same company that make children's swings - they've got no expertise. We need proper facilities to make our riders better.'

Fellow ESA member Russel Torode, 19, whose parents let him store the 5ft tall, 32ft long 'mini ramp' in their garden, said that the ruling by Environment came out of the blue.

There had only ever been one complaint about the ramp, he said, and that had been more than a year ago.

'They 'the Environment Department' have gone back on their word,' said Mr Torode, who is studying at Portsmouth University.

'They told us at the same time as Phil 'Guille, whose garden ramp also has to come down' that it was OK here as long as it was temporary.

'Then the letter arrived on the same day as Phil's saying that it had to come down.

'We can't see why we have to move it - it's not causing any harm.'

The ramp has been used in lots of displays since it was built by members in 2004, including the Vale Earth Fair and the Green Man bike show.