PLANS to build a BMX track which had been backed by one of Great Britain’s greatest ever Olympians have been rejected.

Sir Chris Hoy, who was an 11-time world champion and six-times Olympic champion in cycling, had supported plans to build a new BMX track on land at Carn Brea.

The proposals had been submitted by Cornwall BMX which has outgrown its current home at Blackwater and was looking to create a new permanent base which it hoped would allow more young people to take up the sport.

However the plans for a site on playing fields off Druids Road, Illogan Highway were unanimously refused by Cornwall Council’s west sub-area planning committee when it met this morning.

The decision to refuse planning permission was greeted with cheers and applause from the packed public gallery with local residents welcoming it.

Planning officers had recommended that the application be refused despite the club saying that Cornwall Council had previously given support for the plans and helped to provide funding for the application.

The report which went to the planning committee recognised that the track would provide social and economic benefits but said the harm to the environment and local area outweighed any benefits.

Objectors speaking at the meeting said they were in support of a BMX track being built in Cornwall but were not prepared to lose open space in Carn Brea for it.

They argued that it was the wrong location for the facility and encouraged Cornwall BMX to look for an alternative site.

Roy Baker, from Cornwall BMX, said the new track was needed to allow for the expansion of the club, which is run not-for-profit and has a team of volunteers.

He explained that the club had already worked with 1,200 schoolchildren in Cornwall but had hopes of getting more involved.

Councillors heard that the club currently has 350 members with 200 of those racing for the club. Mr Baker said the club welcomed about 1,000 visitors a year.

He said that overall the club had about 3,000 visitors a year and he said this would increase if the Carn Brea plans were supported. He said there were “no planning reasons to refuse this planning application”.

He added: “Sports and leisure facilities should be supported. This facility will be built by the community, run by the community for the community.”

Robert Hendry, Cornwall councillor for Four Lanes, said he was concerned that no business plan had been submitted for the track and that there would be increased traffic.

He added: “If this is going to be a BMX track for the whole of Cornwall then it should be in a more central location.”

However Philip Desmonde, councillor for Pool and Tehidy, said he was in favour of the plans and supported the club.

He said: “It will create local jobs. It will create sporting and training opportunities for local schools. It will create economic growth in the area and tourism will benefit as well.”

Cllr Desmonde said the plans would allow a brownfield site to be developed and provide benefits for the local area.

But committee members were united in opposing the plans, with Councillor Sue James saying: “While they have made a reasonable case for a bigger site they haven’t made a case that harm at this site merits that.

“I can’t support this. They should be having more serious discussions about an alternative site.”

Committee chairman Mark Kaczmarek added: “I have to say thank you to the BMX people who have supported youngsters over many years. They do a lot of good work for youngsters and they are struggling to find somewhere to relocate.”

But he said the Carn Brea site was “reclaimed land” which has been adopted by local people as playing fields.

He added: “I appreciate the people who objected to this – it is their open space.”