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Work on a new cycling facility at Doncaster Dome has begun, thanks to a cash injection from the Places to Ride capital grants programme, designed to provide a ‘lasting legacy’ from the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire.
The site will be transformed into a modern cycling area and will encompass a cycle circuit designed to provide recreational and competitive routes, including a regional specification race circuit. It will include a learn to ride area for children and young people, as well as a cobbled climb.
The Doncaster Council project has been made possible through a commitment from the UK Government, and Places to Ride will be delivered over the next two years through a partnership between British Cycling, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. With contribution from Doncaster Council, it will fund the development of multi-use facilities to engage with a broad spectrum of cyclists, like at Doncaster Dome, as well as smaller scale requests in order to transform communities across England.
Operated by Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust, the 1km-long, 6m-wide circuit will be closed from traffic to create a safe environment for cyclists of all abilities.
The Doncaster Dome facility is the first of several trailblazer projects set to leave a lasting imprint from the sporting event this September, and comes as British Cycling announced that more than £2 million, out of the total of £15 million available, will be dedicated to small grant requests in order to transform facilities in communities across England.
Councillor Nigel Ball, cabinet member for public health, leisure and culture, said: “It is tremendous news that we have begun constructing this unique cycling circuit which be ideal for beginners right through to elite racers.
“The circuit will help cement Doncaster as a cycling hub and build on our cycling legacy which has blossomed in recent years thanks to hosting world-renowned events like the Tour de Yorkshire. We are committed to our partnership Get Doncaster Moving and this circuit will help to encourage more people to get into sport, get active and have a healthier lifestyle.”
Andy Farr, head of facility and investment strategy at British Cycling, added: “Doncaster Dome marks the start of an exciting few years for the Places to Ride fund and the lasting legacy the UCI Road World Championships will bring to the country.
“We want to work with any organisation that is developing cycling in their community, and this facility is a perfect example – with ambitions to increase the city’s levels of participation to place it in the top 25%, and initiatives like ‘Get Doncaster Moving’, we have no doubt that this new facility will be welcomed by everyone in the region.”
Doncaster Council’s in-house construction team is the principal contractor for the scheme, with local firm Derek Lewis carrying out most of the civil works. The facility is set to be completed by the autumn. Applications for both small and large-scale requests from the Places to Ride fund are being accepted until January 2021.
