Bosses at a popular cycle park have moved to reassure users it is "business as usual" after the land where the site is based was sold at auction this week.

The Cyclopark site in Gravesend is leased to Kent County Council on a 50-year tenancy and run by a charity on the authority's behalf.

Simon Jones, chief executive of the Cyclopark Charity Trust, said after news the freehold of the land had been sold for £1.2 million was confirmed they were in talks to extend its own lease with KCC for a further 10 years.

The park is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year since opening in 2012 and Mr Jones said a programme of exciting events are being planned with further details set to be released alongside "exciting plans to develop the site to offer more activities and innovation".

In a statement, the charity said: "The Cyclopark Charity Trust is currently in the process of finalising the planned renewal of the agreement with Kent County Council, which provides for the Cyclopark Charity Trust to continue to manage the park for a further 10 years from 2022 as was always intended.

"As part of this process, the Cyclopark Charity Trust will be launching a new strategy this spring outlining our key business and charity objectives plus a year of events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cyclopark opening."

With KCC having 40 years remaining on its lease for the land, signed in 2010, the charity says this will provide "long term security for Cyclopark".

The charity's statement added: "We would like to thank all of our customers for their support over our first 10 years and look forward to seeing you at one of the many 10th anniversary events planned during 2022."

In a message to followers and customers, Mr Jones set out the charity's ambitions for the future and reflected on the challenges during the Covid pandemic.

He said: "What became clear to us through this period is how highly valued Cyclopark is to our communities - this has given us increased appetite to continue to evolve what we offer our valued customers and volunteers and continue to listen to their suggestions, much of which has made it into our 2022 plans.

"Please also let me take this opportunity to update you on our plans for Cyclopark in 2022, which marks our 10-year anniversary.

"We are very proud of how Cyclopark is developing, serving the varied needs of our local community, whilst at the same time becoming a World renowned cycling venue.

"To celebrate the 10-year anniversary we will soon launch a series of inclusive events to celebrate this fantastic achievement, which will run right through to January 2023.

"In addition, we will be doing much more as a registered charity, communicating this more and will also encourage you our valued customers to get involved.

"This charitable work will range from supporting local children in learning to ride a bike through to encouraging people of all ages and abilities to improve their fitness and wellbeing."

The land was sold at auction under instruction from former landlords, the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust and fetched almost three times the guide price of £480,000.

A bidding war ensued at the auction with Gravesham council attempting to take on the freehold but was forced to bow out.

Council leader John Burden said despite bidding "well above the guide price" the sale reached a point where it would not represent value for money for taxpayers.

A spokesman for KCC said the sale of the land included the lease to KCC and the council's sublease to Cyclopark and the authority is "looking forward to working with the new landlord on this important facility".

The BMX track has welcomed Olympic champion Beth Shriever, who competed there in the run-up to her gold medal in the Tokyo games last summer.

Tom Pidcock, who took gold in the mountain biking event in the Olympics, has also graced the track at Cyclopark winning the national cyclocross championship hosted at the Wrotham Road complex in 2019.

The multi-sport open air centre includes bike tracks comprising a 2.9km tarmac course for road bikes, a 330m BMX race-track and a 6km track for mountain biking.

It also features a skate park, children's play park and holds a variety of fitness classes.

The park is next to the A2 and is rented to KCC for £30,600 per year.