Bike park plans On Track for completion this summer

Construction work on the new Northampton Bike Park is progressing well

Contractor On Track has made great progress on the new Northampton Bike Park as we reach the halfway point of the build.

The £725k project will deliver a range of facilities for all ranges of ability, from a skills area usable by children on balance bikes, right up to the most demanding trails for experts in the sport, all of them free to use.

Mountain bike enthusiast and amateur competitor, Tony Skirrow, has been part of the project from the outset and he’s very excited by the plans.

"I was really pleased when it was announced that we had the funding for a bike park and while I had an idea of what was needed, this is beyond my wildest dreams," he said.

"This will allow people of all ages and abilities to take part in the sport and as well as being a fantastic facility for the people who live here, it will be a major draw for the area.

"Mountain bikers currently have to travel around an hour and a half to reach the closest facility but soon they’ll have one of the best of its type in the country right on their doorstep."

Completion is expected during August and, once complete, the new facility will comprise:

• A multi-user green trail – an easy, dual-direction cycle route across the site, connecting Houghton Hill to the underpass for the A45
• Blue (moderate), red (difficult) and black (severe) off-road mountain bike trails for different abilities - dual tracks will allow head-to-head riding
• Five gathering spots where riders can meet to discuss the next section of track, and coaching can be provided
• A mountain bike skills area

Cllr Adam Brown is Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure at West Northamptonshire Council. He said: “We’re so excited to be delivering a facility in partnership with Sport England and British Cycling that will benefit people of any age and ability, and which might one day produce some stars of the sport.

"It’s incredibly important that we try and boost leisure opportunities for people in our area, and everyone in West Northamptonshire can benefit from this huge asset.

"If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it’s how precious our physical and mental health are, so we need more developments of this type."

The total budget is made up of £250,000 from Sport England, on behalf of the Places to Ride programme – a partnership between British Cycling, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) – with the rest from the council.