THE OWNER of a motorcycle training centre in Hambrook has accused South Gloucestershire Council of hypocrisy after failing to support his school but launching a campaign to improve bikers' safety.

Terry Phillips, who opened Britain's first training centre for motorcyclists in 1979, says he has faced hypocrisy while trying to move the non-profit making school from Hambrook to Pucklechurch.

The application for UK Motorcycle Training Centres to move to Shortwood Road was unanimously thrown out by the council's planning committee two weeks ago without a word of discussion.

The land is within the Green Belt and development on it would be contrary to the planning policies but Mr Phillips says his school should be supported because it is saving so many young lives.

He told the Gazette: "It is incredible. The council should be proud of us, not at war with us. At the end of the day the region is going to lose its only training centre - why?

"Do councillors not have children or grand-children? We are preventing motorcyclists from dying."

Mr Phillips claims responsibility for a reduction of 68 percent between 1983 and 1993 in fatal accidents in the former Avon area, the highest drop in the country at that time.

He said: "Is the Green Belt now more important than the lives and safety of people in South Gloucestershire?"

Council spokesman Matthew Rees said: "We understand Mr Phillips' position. However, the council is not obliged to provide land in the Green Belt for development."

Massive opposition to the plans from Pucklechurch residents meant the council received 144 letters objecting to the proposal, mainly because of the impact on the village and the amount of development that has already taken place there.

However, Mr Phillips' anger relates to the alleged refusal by road safety officers to visit the current centre in Hambrook, which has to close in the next 18 months due to changes in EU regulations.

He also criticised the council's recommendations to members of the public looking to go to a motorcycling school, which do not include UK Motorcycle Training Centres.

He claimed: "The council is attempting to sabotage everything we have been doing for a number of years now and I cannot understand why."

Mr Rees said: "If Mr Phillips wishes to contact the council's road safety team to discuss his business and motorcycle safety, we will be more than happy to help him. We do have a list of groups and organisation that deal with motorcycle safety on the council website on which we can include his business."

Cllr Pat Hockey, the council's planning and transport supremo, said UK Motorcycle Training Centres was not the only one in the region. She was criticised by Mr Phillips for last week emphasising the importance of education in improving road safety but for not supporting his centre.

However, she told the Gazette: "We have been working closely with other people who provide motorcycle training and have written to all parents of children approaching 17.

"Schools have also co-operated and we have advertised in cinemas. We have been doing a lot of work and hopefully that will come through. We will monitor how successful the campaign has been."

Mr Phillips said he would appeal against the refusal and called for an investigation into South Gloucestershire Council's activities.