Bristol City Council is carrying out an early engagement survey on the new Bristol Family Cycling Centre
The Bristol Family Cycling Centre (BFCC) opened in Spring 2016 on the site of the former Whitchurch athletics track in Hengrove. The BFCC gives people of all ages and abilities the chance to ride in a traffic-free environment. It offers a regular timetable of drop in Learn to Ride, open and disability sessions, Bikeability training and children’s cycle coaching. Along with skills sessions, bike maintenance sessions, volunteering and work placement opportunities and Changing Places and toilet facilities. Please see below a map of the current BFCC at Hengrove.
(Click to enlarge)
The current BFCC location has planning permission until Oct 2021 and was always a temporary home as this site has been designated for new housing. Bristol City Council is therefore investigating new sites for the BFCC that can allow the centre to continue and expand on its current services.
There are a very limited number of sites in Bristol that meet the criteria for a permanent BFCC home. Any new site has to be big enough to house a closed-loop cycling circuit (CLCC), bike storage, workshops, offices for cycling centre staff, Changing Places and toilet facilities.
One site that meets the current criteria is the Henacre/Merriman’s Drive Open Space in Lawrence Weston. This site also runs alongside a new cycle route, which is being built by Sustrans and funded by Highways England, and benefits from an adjacent BMX track. This site would be big enough to relocate the BFCC and install a closed-loop cycling circuit, which would provide a traffic-free space to cycle, and create a unique cycling hub for Bristol.
The site in Lawrence Weston holds a lot of potential for BFCC and a new CLCC, and would allow the council to fulfil some of the goals from the new Sport and Physical Activity Strategy. The strategy promotes opportunities for sport and physical activity as a way to help create a healthier, resilient and more prosperous city. The council is currently assessing the feasibility of building the new BFCC on the Henacre/Merriman’s Drive site and are looking for feedback from the community. Ideas are still in the early stages but the council is keen to work with the local community to ensure that any facilities complement the area and fit into the Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Plan.
The Lawrence Weston Neighbourhood Plan was developed by Ambition Lawrence Weston (ALW), a resident-driven organisation that strives to make Lawrwence Weston a good place to live and work. The plan aims to identify challenges for the area and guide and drive the restoration and regeneration of the community. Therefore, we are running an engagement exercise so we can understand the public’s views on:
- Whether the Henacre/Merriman’s Drive site is suitable
- How the potential move would affect the wider communities of Hengrove and Lawrence Weston
- What facilities should be provided at the new BFCC
- Whether any other sites are suitable for the BFCC within Bristol
Please note this is not a formal consultation. Following this engagement exercise the council will develop proposed options for the new BFCC site and these will be formally consulted on.