Plans approved and timetable now in place for £19 million+ Mountain Bike Innovation Centre in Innerleithen

Thursday, 4 September 2025 Jonathon Harker

The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre project has moved significantly forward with a plans now approved for the facility and a timetable published, including the key date of 2027 – when it will open its doors.

The long gestating project had a planning application submitted in June for the new Centre at Caerlee Mill in Innerleithen. This week, (3 Sept 2025) the Scottish Borders Council gave it the green light.

The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre will be funded by a £19million investment from the UK Government as part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, including £4m to be allocated towards the Tweed Valley Adventure Bike Park and Trail Lab. South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) will now press ahead with its plans, beginning with removal of the main building on the Caerlee Mill site, which will be replaced by a new building to house the Centre.

The £350m investment in the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, from the UK and Scottish Governments, is made up of £150m for Scotland (£85m from the Scottish Government and £65m from the UK Government) and up to £200m for England from the UK Government. This will be supported by over £100m of funding from local partners.

Artist impression of the approved Mountain Bike Innovation Centre

The demolition and enabling works are due to begin in October 2025, which will be led by delivery partner Hub South East Scotland and its main contractor Morrison Construction, which will undertake all building works. Construction of the new building is then due to start in March 2026, with the aim for the new Mountain Bike Innovation Centre to open its doors in 2027.

Contribution to local economy: £100m-plus & hundreds of jobs

Cycling’s contribution to the economy is too often overlooked, but the SOSE – with support from Scottish Borders Council and Edinburgh Napier University – has the Innovation Centre is predicted to contribute £138m in Gross Value Added and create over 400 jobs in the Scottish Borders over ten years.

The Centre will offer a place for businesses – both local and international – to showcase their innovative products in the heart of the UK’s leading mountain bike destination. That sounds like an opportunity for the cycling industry. The project will also host academics and research by Edinburgh Napier University across the cycling sector. The Centre will include bike engineering workshop space, brand experience units, events space, offices, meeting rooms and teaching space.

Regular updates and FAQs on the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre project are available at www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/mtbcentre.

An aerial image of the current Caerlee Mill site

It includes a safety warning to local people not to enter the Caerlee Mill site, with a series of additional safety measures added over the summer.

Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of SOSE, said: “With planning permission and a proposed timetable now available, the local community and mountain bike industry can now start to see how our plans are going to become reality. We know it has not been a straightforward process, and we thank local people, the mountain bike sector and partners for their patience and support. SOSE, with support of partners, will now press ahead to create the new facility, which will allow high value jobs to come to the South of Scotland and maximise the value of mountain biking to the area by getting more products and services designed and made here.”

UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill added: “I welcome this major step forward towards the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre in Innerleithen opening for business, bringing jobs and investment to the region and attracting riders from across the country and beyond to a world-class facility.

“The UK Government is supporting the project with £19million investment as part of our £65million contribution to Scottish projects in the Borderlands Growth Deal.

“In all, the UK Government is investing £1.7 billion in dozens of important local growth projects and programmes across Scotland over the next 10 years. Working with partners, we will deliver a decade of national renewal in our Plan for Change.”

Professor Nazira Karodia, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Given the academic opportunities the new Mountain Bike Innovation Centre will offer, we are excited by the prospect of work getting underway. Having access to world-class mountain bike facilities will strengthen Edinburgh Napier University’s cycling expertise and help our research to have an even greater impact. We welcome this step and look forward to our continued collaboration with partners in this significant project for Scotland’s cycling sector.”

Councillor Scott Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders, said: “This partnership project will deliver significant benefits to the Tweed Valley and wider Scottish Borders, including hundreds of jobs and further inward investment. Approval of the revised plan is a major milestone, allowing work to restart on site, and it will be exciting to see the redevelopment of this brownfield site in the heart of the Innerleithen community into a thriving, vibrant and innovative space for business, technology and learning.”