A retrospective planning bid for Maes Loonskie, the private jump spot built by Sam Hodgson and Vero Sandler near Llanfyllin, has been refused by Powys councillors after a committee hearing that focused on the scale of the already-built earthworks, the impact on the surrounding landscape and the fact the track had been constructed before permission was in place.

The case has drawn wider attention because Maes Loonskie is not an unknown local build. The site has featured in riding edits and in public discussion around Back Yard Battle, but its planning status has now become the story. According to local reporting, councillors unanimously rejected the retrospective application after officers recommended refusal.

This is also a separate site from the newly opened Llwyn Woods MTB Trails, Llanfyllin. That community project opened behind Ysgol Llanfyllin this month.

Why councillors refused it

Planning officer Kate Bowen recommended refusal, saying the track had a negative impact on the setting of the nearby listed buildings at Plas Nant y Meichiaid, around 150 metres from the site. The officer report described the bike track as creating an “alien topography” that sat in stark contrast to the existing landscape.

Committee discussion, as reported locally, also touched on the absence of prior permission, questions around local consultation, ecology and access, and concerns raised by residents over earthmoving and runoff during periods of heavy rain. Local reporting said 20 objections had been submitted against the application.

Why riders may already know the site

While the planning documents describe the development in formal terms, Maes Loonskie has had a higher public profile within riding media. Pinkbike’s follow-up on the refusal said the jumps had featured in recent video projects and that the site had hosted Monster Energy-supported Backyard Battle events. Public local reporting also referred to Back Yard Battle having taken place there last summer.

That leaves Maes Loonskie in an unusual position. It is a private riding spot already familiar to a lot of riders online, but it is now also a refused planning case.

What happens next

At this stage, what is clear is that the retrospective application has been refused. What is not yet clear is whether the decision will be appealed, whether revised plans will be submitted, or whether changes to the site will now be required.

The reporting trail on this one began with Elgan Hearn for the County Times / Local Democracy Reporting Service, and the story has since been picked up more widely in mountain bike media.