Cambridge velodrome, road circuit and BMX track - Open meeting

Stef

For info, we received the following:

Grosvenor and their development partner Wrenbridge have recently announced a second option for the sporting provision at the proposed Cambridge Sporting Village at Trumpington which includes options for an outdoor velodrome, along the lines of the one recently built at Bournemouth, a closed road circuit and BMX track. Grosvenor and Wrenbridge would be keen to present these ideas to the cycling community and understand their thoughts on what is proposed.

Now is the time to influence the cycling provision being provided and learn how you can help make this happen.

The Cambridge Sporting Village project seeks to address the lack of playing facilities for sports including hockey, rugby, cycling, football and climbing and has the support of Sport England, England Hockey, British Cycling, Cambridgeshire FA and Cambridgeshire RFU.

A presentation and Q&A session is being held at 7 30 PM on Tuesday 21 January at Trumpington Meadows Primary School, Kestrel Rise, Trumpington , Cambridge, CB2 9AY.

All are welcome to attend this open meeting.

Shelton

Harley and myself will be attending this meeting, anyone else???

Shelton

Stef

Yes, I intend to be there, and Martin L hoping to go as well.

Stef

several of us attended this meeting last night, which was given by the developers who own the land between the M11 and Trumpington park and ride.

In brief, their initial plan was to build a new stadium for Cambridge United on the land, but that idea has been more or less rejected, and they are now proposing a Sporting Village, centred around an outdoor 250 m velodrome. There will also be a closed road race circuit, and bmx track. Also lots of astroturf pitches (football, rugby, hockey etc) and an indoor sports centre. Also a country park that has already been developed and will open in the autumn. There is the scope for cyclocross events in the country park. Also possibly a mountain bike course. There will be parking for 200-300 cars.

This is greenbelt land, so the upside for the developer is that if they get permission for the above they will also get to build extra housing as part of the development.

At the moment they are asking for ideas to further improve their plans. For example a triathlon club last night was pushing for a lake suitable for triathlon events. Part of the planning process is to demonstrate the need for these facilities, not just that they are nice to have. So if they can tailor the facilities to what local clubs and the community need they stand a better chance. Apart from proving that these facilities are needed, the other stumbling block will be transport/traffic in an already congested area. Later in the year when this gets to planning approval stage they are asking local clubs to lobby mp's/councils etc.

They will also be developing Cambridge United's current ground in the city centre as part of the same plan, and the whole thing will be managed by a Trust incorporating CUFC and all the sports represented. Mark W was saying last night this is an area of concern for British Cycling.

Obviously if it is managed well this sounds like a fantastic facility to have on our doorstep. Difficult to assess how likely it is to succeed at this stage. We will be kept involved with the process and progress through the local cycling clubs forum.

Senecio [Daniel D]

Do we need another outdoor track, there's our grass track and Welwyn? Surely what we need is a covered track, ie an actual velodrome. This will expand the useage of the facility to being genuinely all year, rather just the summer months.

Jane

Thanks for the update, Stef
I wasn't free last night, so couldn't join you, but it does sound like a fantastic facility to have on our doorstep. Definitely worthy of CCA support, as well as all the support we can muster as individual council tax payers
BTW what is the 'local cycling clubs forum'?

tduckett

Thanks for attending and passing on the info Stef. we'll keep an eye on it.

Stef

Local cycling clubs forum.. is a regular informal meeting and network of cycling clubs across cambridgeshire and peterborough (we are on the fringe but included). set up last year to focus on the TdF visit to Cambridge - in their own words...:

Why? LIVING SPORT is playing a key role in the work to ensure we achieve a Legacy from the Tour de France Grand Depart Cambridge 2014. We organised a Cycling Summit at the start of the month at which a number of clubs were represented and we identified a good number of areas for development for Cycling (and Triathlon) Clubs. We now want to arrange the follow-up to the Summit to try to realise some of the opportunities and propose a Clubs Forum, initially a general one, but after that focussing on key aspects – for example establishing Junior sections, training and developing coaches, linking with Schools and Bikeability, funding opportunities.