Support builds for Tayinloan pump track as funding nears £200k

The proposed facility, which would be built next to the village’s playpark, is currently under consideration by Argyll and Bute Council following the submission of a planning application earlier this year.

Youth leader Marilyn Shedden said the project had made significant strides over the past 12 months and was now nearing the point where work could begin, subject to approval.

“I can see it now in my mind’s eye – our ‘field of dreams’ with the first state-of-the-art pump track in Argyll,” she said. “It’s been quite a year of excitement and so much has happened.

“We’ve had the site visit done and all satisfactory, the topographical inspection has been completed, and ground investigations are finished – we are almost shovel ready.”

The project has secured major funding from West Kintyre Community Fund (£100,000) and West Kintyre Windfarm Trust (£50,000), alongside further contributions from the National Lottery (£13,320), East Kintyre Windfarm Trust (£10,000), Hugh Fraser Foundation (£10,000), Robertson Trust (£3,000), Balure Trust (£800), Byers Contractors (£600), Kintyre Hire (£530), Versatile (£500), Iona Argyll Family Group (£300), West Loch Shores (£50), and £520 of community fundraising through a Crowdfunder campaign.

Additional support has come from Gordon Bennie of Argyll Signs, who has designed a new logo for the pump track and has agreed to produce a funders’ sign for the completed track free of charge.

Organisers have also successfully gained charitable status, becoming a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO), which will help them access further funding as they work to close the remaining gap.

Marilyn said: “We are really excited about this project and have had tremendous support from many people in the community and beyond who are very keen to experience the challenge and the fun.”

She also highlighted the backing of Kintyre and the Islands councillors Anne Horn and Dougie McFadzean, as well as Margaret Pratt, convener of West Kintyre Community Council, for their ongoing support and advice.

Thanks were also extended to the Maxwell Macdonald family of Largie Estate, who granted permission for the use of the land and supported the project by making a generous donation, and to Argyll and Bute MSP Jenni Minto, who visited the site and later provided a letter of recommendation to support funding applications.

Plans for the facility include a main pump track of around 110 metres, alongside a separate beginner loop, designed to cater for riders of all ages and abilities, as well as an advanced jump line for more experienced users.

Planning documents state the track will cover around 1,800 square metres and will feature a series of rollers and banked turns, designed so users can generate speed through body movement rather than pedalling.

The facility will be free to use and suitable for bikes, scooters, skateboards and other wheeled sports, with the aim of providing a safe, traffic-free space for young people and families in an area where such facilities are currently limited.

As part of the design, turf and wildflower planting will be used around the track to enhance biodiversity and help it blend into the surrounding landscape, while sustainable drainage measures will manage surface water on site.

Fellow youth leader Emma Byers said: “We’ve been absolutely delighted by the level of enthusiasm for the pump track project so far and we’re very grateful to everyone who has helped us reach this stage.

“It’s been amazing to see how excited people are about what this could bring not just to Tayinloan but to the whole of Kintyre and Argyll.

“Now that the planning application is live, we would encourage everyone who would like to see the project happen to submit an official comment to the council, as every message of support will help strengthen our bid.”

To view the plans and submit feedback, visit the council’s planning portal at www.argyll-bute.gov.uk and use the reference number 26/00259/PP.