Velodrome for Hereford

[megilleland]

Just received the report of the Velodrome Meeting held in October. Lots of information to peruse and digest:

 

File attached 

HV Velodrome Meeting 17 October 2013.pdf

 

Photo attached 

[Glenda Powell]

Belmont Haywood Country Park cannot be considered because it is still in the hands of the developer, where the Academy is the land ajacent is to narrow from the gardens of the residents,( some of which are elderly people) to the railway lines, and the other land to the left belongs to Herefordshire Housing, not forgetting the traffic on the A465 which is very congested! So south of the city would not be a viable options.

[megilleland]

Glenda, I think that's what came out of the meeting that south of the river was not viable. It would be ideal to have it close to the Holmer Road Leisure centre and skatepark where there is some space for a circuit track initially and than a Velodrome later.

[Jim Kenyon]

Hi guys it was a planning for real meeting so all ideas were listened to written down and considered we will be forming a small working group to explore possibility's moving forward we have a plan but we need to keep out cards close to our chests for a little while this project is going to happen Hereford needs something like this so please input positive thoughts and ideas.

[Colin James]

I agree with Martin, somewhere near to the Leisure Centre or Racecourse would be ideal or even on the back of Roman Road where the new cattle market is now.

 

As for south of the river, Somewhere near to the Swimming Baths or even Rotherwas!

[Frank Smith]

I agree with Martin, somewhere near to the Leisure Centre or Racecourse would be ideal or even on the back of Roman Road where the new cattle market is now.

 

As for south of the river, Somewhere near to the Swimming Baths or even Rotherwas!

 

All of these sites Colin would be fine in my opinion especially the Roman Road idea. 

[megilleland]

Here is some encouraging news regarding cycling which could put Hereford on the map and raise interest in a circuit cycling track and Velodrome for the city.

 

From the Hereford Times

Thursday 28th November 2013

 

Hereford's John Wood launches new NFTO (Not For The Ordinary)

professional cycling team

 

SOME of the biggest names in UK cycling have signed for a new Hereford-based professional team.

 

Sean Yates, who helped Bradley Wiggins to an historic Tour De France triumph, has joined.

 

English sprinter Adam Blythe, a former WorldTour rider, is another leading name.

 

Team owner John Wood believes NFTO Pro Cycling will ‘put Hereford ‘firmly on the sporting map’.

 

“It is going to be the biggest thing that has ever happened for cycling in Herefordshire,†said 44-year-old Wood.

 

“In footballing terms we are now in the Premiere League and we will be looking forward to races around the country including The Tour Series and the Tour of Britain,†he said.

 

“The team will be one of the top UK UCI continental tour teams and we are certainly putting Hereford on the cycling and sporting map.â€

 

Wood is a successful businessman who has lived in the Herefordshire since 1992.

 

He says NFTO Pro Cycling will be based in Hereford and is named after a newly-created clothing brand called Not For The Ordinary.

 

The team have been seeking a UCI Continental licence and will be looking to compete in both the UK and in the mainland Europe next year.

 

Wood said: “We will be the first professional cycling team in Hereford and race in domestic and international races.

 

“The team launches in January and next year is going to be very exciting for the city and the sport.â€

 

"There are some big names involved – and it will get some major exposure on television and in the media.â€

 

“Sean Yates is our race director and he was Team Sky’s sports director when Wiggins become the first British rider to win the Tour De France.â€

 

NFTO held a training day in Hereford earlier this month and have also recruited Britain's Russell Downing from NetApp-Endura and brother Dean Downing from Madison Genesis.

 

Wood said: “We have a full team of professional riders including some really good talent from Brecon and a couple of local riders.

 

“We have Sam Williams, from Hereford, and I will also be racing.â€

 

Wood grew up supporting Leeds United and has back a host of local amateur cycling in Herefordshire.

 

He said: “I have owned a number of businesses in Hereford and have always had a passion for cycling.

 

He added: “This is good news for the city in a year that will be bringing the Tour De France to the UK.

[twowheelsgood]

Note that the NFTO team has been set up without the 'lure' of a velodrome. Lets hope that none of them end up in hospital whilst out training on the county's grid of potholes formerly known as roads.

[Jim Kenyon]

Note that the NFTO team has been set up without the 'lure' of a velodrome. Lets hope that none of them end up in hospital whilst out training on the county's grid of potholes formerly known as roads.

Hi two wheels John the owner is very interested in what we are trying to achieve and attended the initial meeting he is also getting involved moving forward as we need as many sharp business minds as we can get to make this happen.

[Aylestone Voice]

This is great news

Can someone ask Sean Yates why he left Team Sky??

[megilleland]

 

From Council website 3rd December 2013

 

Greenway set to open

 

Walkers and cyclists wanting to cut their journey times from Hereford and the north of the city to the Hereford Enterprise Zone can do so by using the eagerly anticipated Greenway Bridge, the traffic free crossing over the River Wye, from 3pm on 10 December 2013. The Greenway will be open from the afternoon of 10 December from High Town to Thorn Business Park, with the rest of the route to Chapel Road open by 20 December.

 

The Greenway runs from the eastern gate of Hereford Cathedral, through St James and Bartonsham across the River Wye into Rotherwas. Once across the river, the route is traffic free via the railway underpass into Thorn Business Park, largely following the line of the dismantled Hereford to Ross railway. It is hoped to continue the route along the former railway line to Holme Lacy, opening up access to the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the future.

 

The route offers a quicker, healthier and more environmentally friendly alternative to driving through Hereford and provides a valuable link into the Hereford Enterprise Zone. At just under three miles from the city centre, most cyclists will be able to travel the full length of the Greenway in less than 15 minutes. There will be graded ramp approaches on both sides to help access for disabled users and cyclists.

 

Cllr Price Cabinet Member Infrastructure said “I am delighted that this project is nearing completion. It will make the lives of those regularly travelling to and from Rotherwas easier and the journey to work quicker and more enjoyable. With a comparable journey made by car taking significantly longer I am confident that the route will attract new walkers and cyclists switching on to the health, wealth and environmental benefits of this alternative way of travelling into Rotherwas.â€

 

Henry Harbord, Sustrans’ Area Manager for the West Midlands, said “this project is all about giving people the opportunity to make ‘everyday’ journeys by bike or on foot and, with the high level of support we’ve seen from the public all the way through the project’s development, I’m certain that once open, it will help us towards delivering our ambition to double the number of journeys under 5 miles made by foot, bike or public transport, from 2 out of 5 to 4 out of 5.   

 

The Greenway is one of 84 Sustrans projects across the UK to benefit from the £50 million Big Lottery Fund for the development of sustainable routes for everyday journeys for people travelling by foot or bike and has attracted external funding too. Every Herefordshire Council pound has secured £1.75 of external funding into the county. The bid was originally made under Sustrans' Connect2 project.

 

More good cycling news. This should get more people onto a bike. Lots of photos taken during the construction to view here.

[megilleland]

And some more good news!

 

From The Hereford Times

Thursday 5th December 2013 in Sport

 

Herefordshire cyclist Paula Moseley retains her British Best All-Rounder title

 

HEREFORD cycle star Paula Moseley has retained her National Best British All-Rounder title.

 

The reigning Herefordshire Sport Sportswoman of the Year dominated the event which is made of three distances of 25, 50 and 100 miles.

 

Moseley returned the fastest times in all of the disciplines, winning the 100-mile event in Braithwaite, Cumbria, and following up by winning the other two, all within the space of a month.

 

"It was all a matter of pacing and I did that very well," said the Climb on Bikes rider.

 

Picture here of Paula in action.

 

[twowheelsgood]

More good cycling news. This should get more people onto a bike. Lots of photos taken during the construction to view here.

Note that the HT report in the printed edition says it will open on Sunday - this is wrong - it it Tuesday. They have now corrected the online version.

[dippyhippy]

Good Grief!

An error in the HT's report?

How extremely unusual!!!

[Jim Kenyon]

Great meeting today regarding the closed circuit cycling track "one step closer" a few more to do then I can brief you all on how it's going.

[Colin James]

Great meeting today regarding the closed circuit cycling track "one step closer" a few more to do then I can brief you all on how it's going.

 

Well done, good news by the sound of it.

[megilleland]

New road bike racing circuit to open in North West

 

BikeRadar | Friday, December 27, 2013

 

A new road bike racing circuit named after team pursuit Olympic gold medallist Steven Burke is to be built in the North West.

 

The £300,000 closed circuit has been funded by a consortia that includes British Cycling, Sport England, Pendle Council and Cycle Sport Pendle.

 

Work on the facility will start in January and it is expected to open in August. The new circuit will be built around five miles south of Barnoldswick, where component manufacturer Hope Technology hopes to build a self-funded velodrome.

 

Like similar closed circuits that British Cycling has part-funded, such as a facility in Bath, Somerset, and York, which opened in 2014, the circuit will be used by cyclists of all levels, from beginners through to elite racers.

 

British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake said: “British Cycling is very pleased to partner with Pendle Council and other funders to build this fantastic new cycling facility.

 

“The new circuit will allow many more young people in the North West to participate in cycling and help develop the sport in the region even further." 

 

The new circuit, will be situated at Swinden Playing Fields, close to Nelson, Barrowford and Colne, from where Burke hails.

 

Proof there is a market for this type of facility.

[Jim Kenyon]

Thanks "meg"I've been doing some research myself as well as having some outline plans draw up if you google city of York cycling they are halfway through what I am trying to achieve so again proof of a sound idea that we will make happen another step closer!!

[flamboyant]

Manchester's Velodrome, was built in the mid 1990s as part of the city's Olympic bid and was initially not successful nor did it attract members of the public . However, it has since enjoyed a revival as the home of British cycling as the National Cycling Centre and with the recent addition of a dedicated BMX facility is currently the training facility for Team GB's Olympic team. When the Velodrome first opened it was a white elephant, it only enjoys a revival because Team GB use it as their main training facility and because Manchester spent millions on a BMX circuit. 

 

What will attract people to a velodrome in Hereford or will it be a white elephant , like Manchester was previously? Without team GB the Manchester Velodrome would still hold that title? 

 

Where is the statistical analysis that shows this is a sound project for Hereford? How does our higher than average elderly population utilise a facility such as this? What on earth attracted these developers to Hereford?

[twowheelsgood]

Given Jim's reassurance that no Herefordshire Council money will be spent on this initiative, does it matter? Private funding will be forthcoming if its viable - that's for them to determine. The Swinden Playing Fields circuit that mgelliland quotes from BikeRadar above is part funded by the Council.

[flamboyant]

Sorry TwoWheelsGood, you have me confused with someone else, I don't trust the word of our Councillors and yes it matters, otherwise I wouldn't have asked. 

[flamboyant]

 

Where has the 'need' for this facility come from when the Council are shutting down the most basic of facilities through a lack of funds? Manchester Velodrome cost £10m over 10 years ago, and has since had a new floor at a cost of £400k. Manchester has a population of about 1 million, and a much wider catchment area. Velodromes cater for a very specialist sector of cycling and, whilst I'm 100% in favour of encouraging cycling, I want to see the basics sorted before a penny is spent on this project, and that includes the inevitable expensive 'feasibility study'. I don't car if Halo do it or whoever, it will inevitably involve officer time and councillor time.

 

Having spent two weeks cycling in Wales in the summer, the contrast with Herefordshire couldn't be greater - their roads are nigh on perfect (I didn't see a single pothole), there is an open public toilet in every village and more in the towns, there is free or cheap parking, proper tourist info points and, most noticeably, there is almost no litter (whereas our verges are knee deep in the stuff). They know the value of tourism in Wales - and its huge - and there is no reason why it can't be the same here. I've been told by a City Guide that Hereford is now on national black list as a place to avoid because of inadequate toilets and parking. 

 

There is no doubt we have been badly short changed by Amey, and Balfour Beatty have got off to a very bad start - no phone contact until mid-October! - and the County has never looked more shabby and run down, but Amey were very badly managed by Council Officers and they in turn by Councillors. Whether things will change under Balfour Beatty remains to be seen.

 

The best boost to our tourism industry would be to invest in the basics, pull this County back from the brink and concentrate on the wider picture before going off on a tangent such as this. It's not glamorous and you won't get your picture in the papers for it Councillor, but it's what you were elected to do.

 

 

TwoWheelsGood I'm confused are you for or against a velodrome?

[twowheelsgood]

I'm not against a velodrome per se. I am against a single penny of public money being spent on it, in whatever form. If the County purse was bulging and everything was running at 100%, the roads were perfect and the elderly and disadvantaged had no worries about their care etc, etc, then, and only then, should the Council be looking forward to invest in new facilities. As we're unlikely to be in that position for the foreseeable future, leave it to the market. 

[jane1968]

Great meeting today regarding the closed circuit cycling track "one step closer" a few more to do then I can brief you all on how it's going.

 

I think this is a neat idea and will help promote the sport and cycling in general.   

[Glenda Powell]

My concern if this gets off the ground, where is the money coming from and also the land, because the latter will probably belong to the council. As said in previous posts here the council is financially in dia straights and what money we have should be going to front line services, the budget for 2014/15 is already looking to reduce the money going into social care for the elderly and childrens welfare services.

[Glenda Powell]

there is no guarentee it will be privately paid for or they would pay for the maintainance of the velodrome afterwards, if  that is guarenteed I have said before I have no problem with it. But because of the financial difficulties within the council, if I had to choose between funding for frontline services for our elderly and children then they would come first!!!

[Bill Thomas]

 

 

Two wheels read the HT report there is no money coming from Herefordshire council it would be privately funded I listen to to much negitive crap I am not in the administration so I have no real input into the problems you mentioned that is the cabinets job I will go as far as I can with this I hope to see you at the meeting

 

there is no guarentee it will be privately paid for or they would pay for the maintainance of the velodrome afterwards, if that is guarenteed I have said before I have no problem with it. But because of the financial difficulties within the council, if I had to choose between funding for frontline services for our elderly and children then they would come first!!!

There is NO MONEY coming from Herefordshire Council CVP, read Councillor Kenyon's post.

 

So it can ONLY be privately funded so it is guaranteed!

[megilleland]

Interesting article from The Guardian, Friday 21 March 2014 12.25 GMT by Richard Williams

 

Historic Vigorelli velodrome rescued by volunteers who fought off inertia

 

How an ageing velodrome has been saved by enthusiastic Italian volunteers who learned from English counterparts

 

Mark Cavendish will set off on Sunday in search of a second victory in the Milan-San Remo classic, to go with the one he took by less than a tyre's width in a thunderous finish five years ago. If the Manx Missile has an hour or so to spare on Saturday, he could do much worse than feed his appetite for cycling history by taking a short taxi ride to Milan's Vigorelli velodrome, which is open to the public this weekend as a prelude to the restoration with which it hopes to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

 

The wooden boards of the Vigorelli – once known to cycling fans as the pista magica, or magic track – have a matchless tale to tell. Opened in 1935, and distinguished by the Futurist architecture of its external structure, this was the site of several successful attempts on the one-hour record, track cycling's blue riband, first by the immortal Fausto Coppi in 1942. Countless epic two-wheeled battles, including the world championships of 1939, 1951, 1955 and 1962, were fought on its bankings.

 

But no cyclist has raced on the 397m track since 1999. In recent years the only sporting activity to take place within its precincts has been American football, on a pitch laid out on the infield, where the world's greatest riders once checked their chain tension and warmed up on their rollers. The board track, last relaid in 1992, is warped and rotten in places where the roof above the grandstands and the track has not kept off the rain.

 

Its history acknowledged only by the existence of a rather nondescript Vigorelli café on an adjacent street corner, the place became an embarrassment to the city. Plans for demolition were frequently announced, with offices and shops scheduled to spring up on the site. Last year those schemes nearly came true. But then, thanks to a group of energetic local enthusiasts who formed the Comitato Velodromo Vigorelli, an effective pressure was finally brought to bear.

 

This week's announcement that the municipal authorities had approved the renovation represented the final removal of a long-standing threat. The Vigorelli will retain its location, adjacent to a new development of three spectacular towers, whose developers will fund renovation costs estimated at around €5m.

 

The campaigners have stepped back from a relatively lavish original plan, which envisaged scrapping the old surface and building a new 250m track to Olympic standards. Under a more realistic Plan B, there will be a renovation of the existing track. The Vigorelli will be used not just for cycling but for boxing, and the gridiron footballers of the Milan Rhinos will be invited to stay, having played a part in keeping the place at least partially open. Other sports may eventually join them.

 

Those who visit this weekend will also see a plaque commemorating the Beatles' concert in the summer of 1965, the first date of the group's final European tour. The open days are sponsored by Italy's equivalent of English Heritage, an acknowledgement of the velodrome's value. They will also feature an exhibition of historic racing bikes, including the one on which Coppi set his record more than 70 years ago.

 

That bike has a special connection with the Vigorelli, since its steel frame was hand-made by a former racer named Faliero Masi in a workshop beneath one of the grandstands. Faliero is long dead, but his son Alfredo still maintains the premises, commissioned by collectors to restore his father's creations and occasionally using the old methods to satisfy an order for a new machine. The committee hopes that Masi, now 69, will stay on to greet visitors anxious for a glimpse of traditional skills that are once again in demand.

 

The efforts to preserve the Vigorelli were inspired by a similar campaign in recent years at Herne Hill, the velodrome used for the 1948 Olympic Games. Unlike the Milan track, South London's shallow-banked 450m concrete bowl, opened in 1891, never fell completely silent, but its continued existence was in doubt until a group called the Friends of Herne Hill stepped forward four years ago and devised a programme aimed at ensuring its survival in tandem, rather than in competition, with the new indoor Olympic velodrome a few miles north. Now the organisation has 600 members, the track has been resurfaced with the aid of a £200,000 grant from British Cycling, and planning permission is awaited for a new pavilion, designed by the architect of the 2012 Olympic velodrome, and already awarded £1.5m of funding from Sport England and the London Marathon Trust.

 

This week Herne Hill learned that its annual Good Friday meeting, first held in 1903 and attended by crowds of 10,000 in the days when the greats of cycling competed there, is being moved by its promoters to Stratford. There the racing will be safe from the Easter weather, the cause of cancellations in recent years. But if an open-air track of non-Olympic dimensions will never again be a centre for elite racing, that does not mean it cannot establish a new relevance.

 

Representatives of the Friends of Herne Hill and the Comitato Velodromo Vigorelli told me this week that their shared emphasis on community engagement is forming a basis for future co-operation. Plans are already advanced for the creation of a Network of Historic Velodromes, a project in which the Italian and English tracks hope to be joined by the Roubaix velodrome in France, a concrete bowl opened in 1895 and the scene of the finish of the annual Paris-Roubaix one-day race. Eventually they would like to be joined by other stadiums with similar histories and needs.

 

The secret is to identify a new role amid the explosion of interest in cycling. The romance of the past is fine, but only if it can be turned into a platform for a real engagement in the present. If Olympic medals and world records are no longer at stake, then these tracks remain ideal for giving newcomers their first taste of track racing. There will still be a Good Friday meeting at Herne Hill this year, but it will be a showcase for inter-schools races, for a disability cycling group, for women-only groups, for under-eights and over-40s, and others.

 

Imagine a future in which generations of young riders, having gained their initial experience at Herne Hill, the Vigorelli and Roubaix, travel to each other's tracks to compete for individual and team trophies. The volunteer campaigners who pursue this vision, using their commitment and imagination to fight off profiteers and overcome municipal inertia, are on to something very good indeed.

 

Good job Herefordshire Council aren't involved - it would turned into another car park.

And another letter regarding local skate park in Hereford Times - Your Say March 20th 2014: 

 

Skatepark is a project

 

I’M not sure if Darren Rees(Readers’ Times , February 27) realises that Hereford skatepark is a community project, not a local authority facility.

 

Although we are extremely grateful to the local council for its contribution towards the total cost so far of £550,000, it’s about 12% of the total.

 

Most of the funding has been generously given by other UK organisations that support charities, including the £5,000 Darren mentions.

 

We are all volunteers – we even cut the grass – and our project has been running now for ten years.

 

BRIAN STEPHENS Trustee and Treasurer

 

Wheeled Sports 4 Hereford Ltd, Park Street, Hereford

 

Does that mean the total costs are going to be around £4,583,333 or have I got my maths wrong? You could easily of had a Velodrome for this sort of money. Or is it £550,00 total cost - not clear.

[dippyhippy]

I read it that the council have donated 12% of the £550,000 - and that £550,00 is the total cost so far.....doesn't mean I have read it right though Megilleland!

My "council maths" skills, still need a lot of work!

[Aylestone Voice]

Jim

If HUFC goes into liquidation and lose their leases on Edgar Street would there be a case for trying to get the velodrome with other sports in there?