Tirpentwys Trails in Pontypool now has planning permission. Torfaen councillors approved the volunteer-built trails and a new 26-space car park on 10 November 2026.

Torfaen County Borough Council's planning committee backed both applications unanimously, Cwmbran Life reports. Both were made by Jason Bullimore for Tirpentwys Trails C.I.C., the volunteer group that builds and looks after Tirpentwys Mountain Bike Trails.

The permission is retrospective. The planning officer's report says the hillside has been used for mountain biking for about nine and a half years. It covers the change of use of the land, the jumps and berms already built, and a new open-sided timber shelter with a grass roof near the bottom of the site. The report counts nine routes of varying difficulty, and describes a free facility that "attracts cyclists, of all ages, from all over the UK".

What it means for riders

After nearly a decade as an unofficial spot, Tirpentwys now has planning permission for its trails. On the ground, what changes over time is how the trails meet the footpath and the road. A public right of way runs through the site, and Track and Trail MTB Trail Consultancy has assessed each point where trails meet the path. Its assessment includes changes to the trails and new fencing where they meet the path, so riders slow down as they approach. Planning officer Justin Jones told councillors that some fencing, stiles and gates are already in place, and that hedgerows are likely to follow.

A new car park is on the way. Riders currently share the Tirpentwys Local Nature Reserve car park. The second approval is for 26 spaces, with bays long enough for vans, on council-owned land off Pantygasseg Road that was a car park until 2001. It is not open yet: the access road still has to be agreed with the council.

The council has also allocated £145,000 from its UK Government Local Growth Fund money to developing the trails at Tirpentwys, with toilets and showers among the plans, according to Cwmbran Life.

How it got here

The group first applied in November 2023 and withdrew that application in May 2024. The application now approved went in that December, backed by ecology, tree and drainage surveys. We reported on the first application in January 2024 and, in September 2025, on the fundraiser that kept the C.I.C. going and helped pay its planning and survey costs.

The crew describes its work as "continuing the legacy of Ryan Bullimore". For its own updates, see tirpentwys-trails.co.uk.

Photo: Tirpentwys Trails C.I.C.