Evesham's new £2 million cycle hub set to open as work finishes

Work on the Velo Park, based on the site of Evesham United FC, has now been completed.

An official opening is planned for later this month for those involved with the project.

After that a date will be announced for when it will open to the public.

Councillor Bradley Thomas, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: “The Velo Park is a real asset for Evesham and the district and I’m delighted work has been completed ahead of schedule.

"I now look forward to seeing it open to the public as soon as possible and we will be releasing more information about that in the next couple of weeks.”

The project has cost around £2 million to complete (Image: The project has cost around £2 million to complete)

The velo park includes a 1km closed road circuit, a pump track, an all-ability circuit aimed at supporting cycling for disabled riders, and a cyclo-cross course with unique mogul area.

There is also a learn-to-ride track, which includes street marking, to help children and adults build confidence while learning to ride.

New football pitches have also been installed to replace the ones lost by the development.

The project was part-funded by a £500,000 grant from Sport England and British Cycling.

The rest of the funding came from section 106 sports infrastructure funding which is money provided by housing developers to provide new sports facilities in Evesham.

At a meeting in March, Wychavon District Council’s executive board backed plans to spend an extra £452,000 on the project.

The extra money would took the cost of the work to just over £2 million.

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday, March 23, councillor Rob Adams said: “This is a much bigger and more exciting project for Evesham but it is not just about Evesham, it is not just about Wychavon and it’s not just about the county of Worcestershire.

“It is for the whole country."

The park includes a 1km closed road circuit, a pump track, and an all-ability circuit aimed at supporting cycling for disabled riders (Image: The park includes a 1km closed road circuit, a pump track, and an all-ability circuit)

Evesham United FC will look after the day-to-day management of the facility and has supported Wychavon to deliver the project along with a steering group made up of local cycling groups and British Cycling.

Cycling clubs from across the area have already taken part in a test day, with all giving enthusiastic feedback.

Meanwhile, running clubs have also expressed an interest in using the track for training.