News / cycling
Approval for ‘state-of-the-art’ cycling centre
A state-of-the-art cycling centre with a 1km track has been approved despite some local opposition.
The £15m development in Lawrence Weston will include a closed-loop cycling track, a 250-metre training track and a car park.
Designed in part to provide a safe, traffic-free space for learner cyclists, the centre will be built on Henacre Open Space, north of Kingsweston Avenue.
“By providing inclusive training — from Bikeability sessions for SEND pupils and tailored support for disabled adults to high quality space for competitive cycling — the hub will help more people enjoy the freedom and independence that cycling brings,” said Green councillor Ed Plowden, who chairs the transport policy committee.
The project is not without controversy, however.
Dozens of locals opposed the application, along with Green councillors and an influential community group, on grounds that the site would not be free and green space would be lost. The impact on wildlife, such as badgers, was also criticised.
Opponents say the development would get rid of open green space and threaten wildlife – image: Bristol City Council
Roger Sabido, from Ambition Lawrence Weston, said the neighbourhood “would welcome a readily accessible cycling centre [but] this isn’t one”.
Sabido said: “The majority of open space would become inaccessible to the general public (and) social cohesion would be damaged.”
Council planning officers said the development would not result in a loss of open space, but actually enhance it, despite the new fences and large car park. Councillors were told that this was “quite a complicated concept”.
Contesting the entry fee of the centre, Green councillor Lisa Stone said: “All this is going to do is create a paywall of £24 (per family) to enter a space and cycle around and learn. It’s happened for many years, free of charge, in car parks.”
“Personally I would prefer my children not to learn to cycle in a car park,” Labour councillor Lisa Durston said. “I wonder where, if not here, is the right place?
“That’s something we hear a lot: ‘We’re not against the idea, it’s just in the wrong place.’ In this case, voting for a cycling centre in an area that really needs facilities is the right thing to do.”
Main image: Bristol City Council
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