Graham, Tom and Ian

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Cheadle to get competition standard BMX Track with £300k investment

by Lib Dem team on 28 January, 2013

We’re absolutely thrilled that a project councillors worked on last year has come to fruition and Bruntwood Park is to see it’s BMX track upgraded to competition standard.

Stockport Council have the full story:

BMX track

Stockport’s popular BMX track has secured Olympic legacy funding from Sport England’s ‘Inspired Facilities’ fund.

The BMX track in Bruntwood Park in Cheadle will be upgraded to competition standard in a major project which also includes improved facilities, new coaching sessions, a BMX Club, and bike hire with improved routes into and through the park.

The £303,610 cost is being met by Sport England funding and funds from S106 Planning Agreements and Stockport Council’s Formal Sports Sums.

Sport England today revealed that more than 1,000 local sports projects across the country received National Lottery funding through Inspired Facilities which is part of the £150m ‘Places People Play’ legacy programme. Every sports facility receiving funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating the link to the Games.

All providers of sport in Stockport were invited to submit expressions of interest for inclusion in Stockport Council’s bid. The Council’s Greenspace Team worked with several partners – including Life Leisure, North West Mountain Bike Centre, British Cycling and other Council teams – to submit the successful bid. The project is also financially supported by The North West Mountain Bike Centre.

Over 400 people responded positively to the consultation last year via the Council website, school and park surveys, a Facebook page, and standpoints.

The BMX track improvements are set to be completed by the summer.

Councillor Kevin Hogg, Executive Member for the Public Realm, said: “The funding award is excellent news. I would like to thank all those involved in the bidding process for their hard work. The improved track will not only attract more BMX enthusiasts, but also people who are new to this exciting sport.

“During the consultation, there was so much enthusiasm and buzz for the BMX bike scheme around the success of the Olympics. People said it was a great idea which tapped into the current love for cycling and was something for all the family to do within the park.”

Sport England’s Chair, Richard Lewis, added: “The National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Stockport from the successful Olympic and Paralympic Games. With so many clubs in Greater Manchester having benefitted from this fund and building on the success of last summer, this is the legacy people want for their local community.”

   9 Comments

9 Responses

  1. Ros says:

    what a shame to use such a beautiful country park. we have not got much green left around Cheadle area. I suppose lots of those beautiful old trees will be cut down also.
    I won’t be wanting to have a nice stroll any more.

  2. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Ros – the BMX track is already there but it’s old and in disrepair.

  3. richard horsnell says:

    What a result! Good effort Iain & team.

  4. Jean Skitt says:

    Sorry to sound sour – Manchester Harriers didn’t benefit from the fund at Scholes field !!!

  5. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Jean – you’re right. The Council did a lot of work on that and felt that Sport England were unlikely to fund a second running track in Stockport.

    That’s not anything to do with the track there or the club, but simply the guidelines they work to say that somewhere the size of Stockport only needs one quality running track.

    A decision had to be made, and the belief was that the BMX project was far more likely to succeed in getting funding. I’d love the running track to get money too, but I’d far rather prefer to have a £300,000 investment in local sport than get nothing at all.

    Of course, those weren’t the only two possibilities: the Council had to pick one project from around five (from memory) right across the borough. The reality is some were always going to lose out, but I think it’s absolutely right for the Council to pick the one most likely to succeed.

  6. […] recently announced cycling boosts in our area include the £300,000 BMX track scheme for Bruntwood Park and the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road, which will have a separated cycle path running along […]

  7. Jono says:

    Think this was slated for being finished by summer but when I was at the park a few weeks back it hadn’t even started. Is there any kind of update?

  8. Iain Roberts says:

    Hi Jono,

    I don’t think it was aimed to finish that early, but I checked a week or two back and I’ve been told that there have been some issues which have caused delays. Those have now been sorted, so we’ll have the planning application shortly and construction completed by the end of the year, all being well.

  9. Jono says:

    Thank you Iain

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