The Forestry Commission has been blamed for wrecking a £1.5 million plan to extend bike paths in the Carron Valley Forest, forcing the Carron Valley Development Group (CVDG) to give up and disband.

The CVDG, whose local volunteers saw the development of more than 10km of bike trails in Carron Valley, which have attracted over 25,000 visitors since they opened in March 2006. have now handed back a £35,000 grant, and resigned from the partnership with the Forestry Commission.

Cathie Craigie MSP has now written to Mike Russell MSP, Minister for the Environment, demanding a full inquiry.

Cathie Craigie MSP said:

"I believe there needs to be a full inquiry into the conduct of the Forestry Commission, their handling of recent partnership projects in the Carron Valley and their actions which have alienated the Carron Valley Development Group. I've now called on the Scottish Government to initiate such an inquiry."

"I am extremely concerned by the attitude of the Forestry Commission at a management level. It appears to me that local Commission staff, volunteers and representatives of partner organisations have had a good working relationship and have been able to make progress on the ground."

"The trails at Carron Valley are now three years old. The volunteers were the driving force behind that development from gathering funds, preparatory planning works and the final development of the trail. They were built to the highest standard in a most challenging terrain and have required very little maintenance an example of the quality of decision making and early planning taken by the group."