City cycle hub gets go-ahead

A new £1.4 million cycle centre for Hereford can now go ahead after councillors gave it their unanimous backing.

Lying within the city’s racecourse off Holmer Road, the Hereford Cycle Hub will cater for beginner cyclists up to competitive road racers and mountain bikers.

Its centrepiece will be a kilometre-long, six-metre-wide loop circuit, formed of three sub-loops. One full-size football pitch would be lost to the development.

The bid by Halo Leisure, which runs the adjoining leisure centre, has the backing of British Cycling and Sports England, with Herefordshire Council and Hereford City Council also contributing to the cost.

It received 16 letters of support. Hereford Racecourse objected due to the feared impact of the planned crossings over the course and the potential compacting of its surface, as well as over drainage and access.

But given the general support from other consultees inside and outside the council, and “the significant health and social wellbeing benefits that will result”, overall the scheme should go ahead, the council’s planning officer said.

Councillors on the council’s planning and regulatory committee unanimously voted in line with the officer’s recommendation.

Technical problems meant this morning’s debate and vote could not be live-streamed on the council’s YouTube channel. A note on the broadcast page says this “will be uploaded next week”.