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Track Plan Progress
5 March 2008
Three months on and nothing more as emerged from Cycling Ulster, Cycling Ireland or the Northern Ireland Assembly regarding the proposed Irish velodrome. I could say “watch this space” but then you may want to find better things to do for the next decade or two! You may think this is a cynical, even defeatist, view but then ...
How about this classic from a review published by the local Council in Harlow, Essex - “Wheeled sports are very popular; these include cycling, BMX, mountain biking, roller-skating, roller-blading, roller hockey, scooters, skateboarding and go-karts. Development or change of use to create a new facility, particularly located indoors, is required. The Harlow Velodrome was developed for offices in the early 1990’s, it has proven very difficult to identify an acceptable site for the location of a new facility within the town. Any new facility should aim to be multipurpose for many types of wheeled sports. Although an indoor multi-use facility is sought, this may be difficult to provide so outdoor facilities are acceptable to help meet this sport deficit.”
To summarise a complicated story, Harlow lost it’s track to developers in 1993 and the Council seem to claim that they are looking for alternatives. Given that these are “very popular” sports and that 15 years have already passed I can only assume that the distinction between finding a new track site “sometime” rather than “never” is academic. Heaven help any potential sports stars of Essex. More in the Harlow Velodrome Story ....
New Track Plans for the British Isles
November 2007
 October saw the announcement of plans for a wide range of new sports facilities - including velodrome - for Leicester; the host city for the World Championships in both 1970 and 1982.
However the press release’s rather surreal drawing of the structure does not help a lot. The drawing has the track raised 1 to 2 m above the track centre but no stand. The blue “waterway” is in fact a very bright “cote d’azur” and the glass fronted stand (complete with BC logo) is for the motor bike speedway track next door. So is the track going to be an open-air velodrome, a training only indoor track or a full-function indoor venue? With only four staff in the region who else will be using the airport style building in the drawing?
Hopefully the planners and architects will arrive at the conclusion that an all-year round, fully covered indoor track with seating for around 3,000 is a viable model for the future; both for the riders and prospective promoters.
 If another open-air track like the one demolished at Saffron Lane is planned then our enthusiasm could be short lived.
The UCI’s move of track racing to the winter (in the horthern hemisphere) means that viable velodromes have to be fully covered indoor venues. Promoters need to know that racing will go ahead no matter what the weather.
Personal experiences of waiting around in the rain for hours make me sure that the weather can kill off even the most dedicated groups of fans.
[Update 22-Nov-07: BC have confirmed that the new facility will be a 250m outdoor track with tarmac surface. A bit like Saffron Lane but without the 3,000 seats!]
In November Leicester’s plans were topped by the news that Glasgow had won its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. So Scotland will certainly join the indoor velodrome club not far behind London - who get their new track as part of the 2012 Olympics.
And prospects for an all-Ireland velodrome in Ulster also look good with three sites - Belfast, Newry and Newcastle - being on a shortlist for a new track. A decision is expected by early in 2008 according to the debates in the Northern Ireland Assembly. [Update 12-Dec-07: “Cycling Ulster has expressed grave concern over the future of the proposed new velodrome following news of the Draft Budget Proposals for Northern Ireland.” more..]
Taken together these plans could boost track cycling to new heights. But at least 1 or 2 of the new venues must have the potential to attract enough paying customers to make the promotion of one day meetings (like the Revolution series), multi-day championships and even a few six-days financially attractive. Read Ron Webb’s interview “Wanted: Bums on seats in velodromes” here...
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