News / planning
Decision due on giant new cycling centre in Bristol
A decision is due on building a giant new cycling centre in Bristol with a one-kilometre track meeting standards for regional competitions.
A 250-metre training track would also create a traffic-free space for people to learn how to ride bicycles.
Bristol City Council is applying to itself for planning permission to build the new Bristol Regional Cycling Hub in Lawrence Weston.
The plans include a closed loop cycling track, a training track, a building and car park.
The centre is replacing the Bristol Family Cycling Centre in Whitchurch, which is earmarked for housing development.
Councillors on planning committee B will vote on April 1 on whether to permit the development.
A CGI of how the Bristol Regional Cycling Hub in Lawrence Weston would look – image: Bristol City Council
Council planning officers warned the plans include removing trees and restricting public access to the space, and local residents are concerned about road safety.
But getting more people cycling and creating jobs would bring benefits that might outweigh these issues.
The site covers six hectares to the north of Kingsweston Avenue, and is currently a green open space on a former landfill.
Several public footpaths and a cycle route run through the site at the moment, but a new one would be created around the perimeter of the cycling centre. The not-for-profit centre would be managed by the council.
Objecting to the plans is the Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Forum.
Writing to the council, a forum spokesperson said: “The proposed car park would remove a patch of open green space currently used by nearby residents – particularly those in adjacent flats – for dog walking, informal cycling, and family recreation.
“There’s no clear offer of replacement public space or open-access amenities to compensate for this loss. To ensure this is a genuinely inclusive and equitable facility, the plans must incorporate some level of free public access.”
Local residents have been campaigning to save the base of the Bristol Family Cycling Centre from development – photo: Save Whitchurch Athletics Track
Concerns also included increased congestion and parking pressures. There is a free-to-use skate park and BMX track already on the site.
The closed-loop cycling circuit could serve as a venue for regional competitions, fostering more participation in sports cycling.
And the training area would provide a safe, traffic-free space for developing bike skills and education.
In planning documents, architects said: “The project’s goal is to implement a diverse programme of inclusive cycling activities, including sports cycling, skill development, social prescribing, physical rehabilitation, and teaching people of all ages to cycle confidently.
“The Bristol Regional Cycling Hub will include a safe, traffic-free zone for inclusive cycling education and aligns with Bristol City Council’s Transport mission to encourage cycling as a sustainable and practical transportation choice, supporting the city’s broader objectives for a more accessible urban environment.”
The cycling centre was previously estimated to cost £15m to build.
This will be funded from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, a huge pot of money from the Department for Transport given to the West of England region, which aims to get more people walking, cycling and travelling by public transport.
Alex Seabrook is a local democracy reporter for Bristol
Main image: Bristol City Council
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
