But critics say it’s in the “wrong place” and are concerned about fees
A CGI of how the Bristol Regional Cycling Hub in Lawrence Weston would look(Image: Bristol City Council/Arcadis)
A state-of-the-art new regional cycling centre with a one-kilometre racing track has been approved for a left-behind Bristol neighbourhood. Councillors have voted to permit the plans for Bristol City Council to build the new cycling centre in Lawrence Weston.
The £15-million plans include a closed loop cycling track, a 250-metre training track, a building and a car park. The training track will provide a safe, traffic-free space for people to learn how to ride bicycles, however this was opposed by Green councillors because the new centre won’t be free.
The exact fee structure has not yet been decided. The centre will be built on Henacre Open Space, north of Kingsweston Avenue.
The application was opposed by dozens of locals, including members of an influential community group, partly due to the fees people would have to pay to access the site. They implored councillors on the planning committee B on Wednesday, April 1 to refuse permission, citing concerns about the loss of green open space. The impact on wildlife, such as badgers, was also criticised.
Roger Sabido, from Ambition Lawrence Weston, said: “Lawrence Weston has high levels of deprivation but would welcome a readily accessible cycling centre. This isn’t one. The majority of open space would become inaccessible to the general public, i.e. local residents day to day. Social cohesion will be damaged. The fencing is needed in order to monetise access.”
Public footpaths would be diverted around the perimeter. While people will have to pay to access the site, discounts will be available for some groups.
Council planning officers said that 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”.
The cycling centre will provide a safe space for children to learn to ride a bike. However this was criticised by the Greens, as parents will have to pay to use the centre, when they could instead teach their children how to ride a bike in a car park for free. They also said that the centre was “in the wrong place”, due to the loss of free-to-access open space and impact on wildlife.
Green councillor Lisa Stone said: “Learning in a very safe environment does not help you learn to cycle on the roads in Bristol. The roads in Bristol aren’t very safe, they’re quite dangerous. 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.”
Labour councillor Lisa Durston added: “Personally I would prefer my children not to learn to cycle in a car park. 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.”
Voting in favour of the plans were Labour councillors Durston, Fabian Breckels and Don Alexander; Conservative councillor Richard Eddy; and Liberal Democrat councillor Sarah Classick. Voting against the plans were Green councillors Stone, Al Al-Maghrabi, Mohamed Makawi, and Guy Poultney.
After the meeting, Green councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the transport policy committee, said: “The regional cycling hub will offer children, families and adults of all abilities a safe, welcoming space to learn to ride a bike, build skills and grow their confidence.
“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.”
Helen Godwin, the Labour mayor of the West of England, added: “We are committed to get people in the West of England moving and encouraging more people to cycle is a big part of that. We are already investing in safer cycling infrastructure across our region, working with Active Travel England and local councils.”