Salisbury City Council has removed rider-built jumps and ramps from Chiselbury Grove Woodland, off Old Blandford Road, and is asking whoever built them to stop.

In a notice published on 23 October, the council, which manages the woodland, said unauthorised ramps, jumps and tracks had increasingly been built there. It called mountain biking "a fantastic outdoor activity for young people and adults", but said the features sat on steep slopes with no formal safety assessment, that walkers, runners and dog walkers could cross a rider's path unexpectedly, and that the routes are not designed for emergency access.

Trees have also been cut down without permission for building material, the council said. It has asked the builders to get in touch so it can explain the legal position, but no one has come forward. It believes the size of some structures means adults are involved too, and has asked parents to talk to young people about the risks. The woodland's natural features can still be ridden responsibly, it added.

Annie Riddle, the independent councillor for Harnham West, told the Salisbury Journal that the council "could be sued if it did nothing" and that the woods are managed "for peaceful enjoyment and for wildlife, as part of the wider Harnham wildlife corridor". She also said: "I'm happy to help campaign for a more suitable site to be provided for young people in the south of our city."

What riders are saying

Replies to the council's Facebook post ran heavily the other way. Many agreed that felling trees went too far, but asked the council to work with the builders on a designated riding area, with signs to keep riders and walkers apart, rather than keep taking features down. A smaller number backed the council, pointing out that a landowner who knows about features and leaves them can be held liable if someone is hurt. Some said the woods had been ridden for years.

Where to ride in Salisbury

The city's purpose-built jumps are at Bemerton Heath Pump Track off Western Way, a free, floodlit asphalt track with a dual jump line, owned and looked after by the city council.

Photos: Salisbury City Council.