Where to Ski And Snowboard - Skiers petition to save Brentwood Ski Centre

Skiers petition to save Brentwood Ski Centre

22nd June 2017, by Abi Butcher

Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre is home to a thriving race club

An online petition is gaining support to stop the demolition of Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre in Essex. Set in 52 acres of woodland, Brentwood has four dry slopes — a 200m main slope, a wide teaching slope, a nursery slope and a tubing slope.

An application for planning to demolish the site and build 13 new houses has been lodged with Brentwood Council. There are currently just over 2,300 signatures on the petition and Brentwood supporters are looking for more.

The charge.org petition says the demolition “would result in the loss of four leisure businesses, including Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre. There are limited outdoor ski slope facilities in the UK and we need to ensure that these are kept for the future of snowsports and the wider community.

“If the application is successful then not only will Brentwood lose vital outdoor leisure activities but it will lead to significant job losses. With your help we can show the Council how important Brentwood Park is to Brentwood, Essex and the wider community.”

Snowboard coach Chris Higgs told Where to Ski and Snowboard: “We’ve lost at least three dry slopes over the past couple of years in the UK which is crazy given we’re beginning to do so well in the Olympics.”

Brentwood Park Ski and Snowboard Centre offers skiing and snowboarding for all ages, including a thriving race club, and three members of the current Snowsport England U14 and U16 national alpine race squad train at the facility.

Tim Bingham, chairman of Essex Ski Racing Club and father of two young skiers is among 135 people who have written to the council with public objections: “The ski slope is home to Essex Ski Racing Club, a growing club with approximately 50 members. In addition to Essex, two other race clubs with membership totaling 80 people use the facilities on a weekly basis. The slope is also used by 130 schools and 10 university clubs. The slope hosts races for the Eastern region and London and South East region snowsports associations, as well as university ski races, and it has been the venue for the Kent Schools Championships since 2015.”

The planning consultation closes on 7 July so register your support for the petition here and view the planning consultation document and public comments here.