Monday March 14, 2005 at 12:00am
New Trade Association for the Off Road Practice and Training Track Industry
A new Trade Association has been launched to represent the interests of the Off Road Practice and Training Track Industry.
A combination of pressure from Health and Safety and Environmental Health along with ever increasing risk of litigation has persuaded a number of existing facility operators that the time is right to form a Trade Association.
The Off Road Facilities Association (ORFA) has been launched to represent the interests of the industry and create a set of guidelines that can be used by Local Authorities and Planning Departments to assess existing facilities and evaluate new applications.
Eddie Sloane, one of the driving forces behind the new Association, believe that a Trade Body like ORFA is long overdue,
“Every day, our industry comes under increasing pressure. Noise, environmental, Health and Safety and Planning, all are increasingly interested in our legitimate activity,” explained Sloane.
“I believe that it is now imperative that the industry comes together to write its own set of Operational Guidelines – a ‘Best Practice’ document, before one is forced upon us by those from outside our industry,” said Sloane.
Sloane, who is acting as Chairman of the new Association until a more formal arrangement can be found, has been supported by Ed Bradley and John Welsher. All three men have held talks with the Governing Body of Motorcycle Sport in the UK, the Auto-Cycle Union, and have secured ACU endorsement for both the Association and the proposed Guidelines.
Dave Luscombe, Chairman of the ACU Training & Development Panel is delighted that the ACU are able to assist and support the new Association,
“A formal Trade Association will allow the ACU to support the industry as a whole rather than trying to work with individual facilities” explained Luscombe.
“With growing pressure on Land Access and the Health and Safety concerns of Local Authorities, a set of Best Practice Guidelines for permanent facilities is fundamental to the industry’s long term future”
“I am confident that with the support and endorsement of the ACU as National Governing Body of the Sport, the ORFA Best practice Guidelines for the Operation and Management of an Off Road Facility will quickly be accepted by HSE and Local Authorities as the new ‘Industry Standard’” said Luscombe.
The next step for the Association is to invite more facility owners and operators to find out more and join ORFA. To move this forward, ORFA have organised an open meeting on 18th April for anyone in the industry to find out more, meet those involved both from ORFA and ACU, and join up. A charge of £25 per delegate is being made to help ORFA cover the costs of the day.
The meeting will be held in the Crows Nest Room at the National Motorcycle Museum on Monday 18th April 2005. Coffee and sandwiches will be available from 12.30 with a presentation starting at 13.00. The presentation will outline the reasons behind the creation of ORFA, some of its aims and most importantly, what the Best Practice Guidelines will cover. This will be followed by a coffee break, and then an open forum for guests to question both ORFA and ACU. The meeting will end around 4.30.
During the day there will be opportunity for operators and owners to join ORFA. New members will have the opportunity to join a working group to shape and develop the new Guidelines as well as take up Committee posts within ORFA.
The ACU is also keen to play its part and has organised a free noise test training day in 24th May for all ORFA members. Details will be made available after 18th April.
For more information on ORFA and the Public meeting, and to book your place on the day, please contact Eddie Sloane on….