A BID for a 'skills area' has been submitted as one of the final parts of the Glentress masterplan.

The £6 million development at the Peeblesshire forest includes a multi-user path, a new network of trails, expanded infrastructure, and holiday accommodation.

This week Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) filed a fresh planning application with the council to develop the skills area.

The proposed design includes features such as a mini mountain bike space, roller area, cornering section and 'drop and tech' zones.

Martin Page, FLS’ south region visitor services manager, said: “This is one of the final elements of the Glentress masterplan and is one that will further broaden the appeal of this fantastic, multi-use destination.

“From its inception, this has been a high-intensity project that set out to reinvigorate this amazing south Scotland attraction and to significantly improve the offering for visitors, including the free-to-ride mountain bike trails.

“The exciting skills area design was developed following consultation with local riders and a range of regional and national stakeholders. Submission of this new planning application marks the completion of an important milestone and another step towards completing our development work at Glentress. The skills area will round off this section of the project nicely.”

The latest application submission follows advice from the planning authority that the final revised design, developed following consultation with local groups, could not be accommodated in the previous bid.

The aim of the skills area is to provide riders at all levels the opportunity to practice and develop their skills before exploring further into Glentress Forest and its 72km of networked mountain bike trails.

FLS said it anticipated that, following planning approval and weather permitting, the area would take around 12 weeks to construct.

It added that it was carrying out planned maintenance work on two of its newer Glentress trails. Regular health and safety inspections revealed that the trails had been affected by far higher than anticipated usage due to 'exceptionally high' visitor numbers throughout the summer.

An FLS spokesperson said: "Any disruption will be kept to a minimum with the required works expected to be completed within a few weeks."