West London Velodrome given planning permission .

[Cuchilo]

I've posted this here as it will get the most views .
There have been whispers of a velodrome being built inside the existing cycle track at Hillingdon . I found out last week that planning permission had been granted last year and i'm amazed that there is no publicity about it . The only thing i can really find of any use is this .

https://www.velouk.net/2017/09/27/news-hillingdon-velodrome/

There is an email at the end if you wish to show your support .

Personally i think this needs to get built . Planning permission only lasts three years and a year has already been wasted . The existing track and club house are a gem in a pretty run down area but situated in a public park . When the track is not booked for events its a free public place for people to ride , run , Nordic ski , skateboard , what ever they want apart from drive a car .

Planning permission report here ...

https://modgov.hillingdon.gov.uk/documents/s37907/Hillingdon Cycle Circuit FINAL REPORT.pdf

If you want to add any reasons why you think this shouldn't be built then please feel free to comment .
If you do think it should be built then please share the link above .

 

[Bollo]

Just when you though this was going to be a zero post thread!

Hillingdon is an awesome facility. A velodrome would change its character but it’s not exactly a National Park around there. I had a look at the plans and was surprised to see the position - if I’ve read it correctly the long side of the velodrome will be on the short straight past the pavilion. I wouldn’t have thought that was long enough for a full length track?

 

[MikeG]

........... Planning permission only lasts three years........

Not (quite) so. If a condition is placed on the permission time limiting it, then the wording is always "shall be commenced within......". This means that a "meaningful start on site" has to be made to retain permission, and this is interpreted by different authorities in different ways. Typically, if foundations have been dug then that is good enough, but some authorities require 2 different trades to have done some work before they accept that a site has been started. So started within 3 years, not finished withing three years. Therefore, you can relax on the timescale. Frankly, if they didn't even start on time and the permission lapsed, they'd be almost certain of having it renewed anyway, unless circumstances had changed.

 

[srw]

"The challenge now is to seek the £1.25m to construct it." said Philip Bedstead.

I think that tells you everything you need to know. It's a flyer by someone with big ideas and no conception of a business plan.

I rather suspect that £1.25m is a little on the light side too.

 

[Cuchilo]

"The challenge now is to seek the £1.25m to construct it." said Philip Bedstead.

I think that tells you everything you need to know. It's a flyer by someone with big ideas and no conception of a business plan.

I rather suspect that £1.25m is a little on the light side too.

The existing race track and club house got built so i'm not sure how you come to your conclusion . The earth work for the velodrome was done at the same time the race track was built some 20 years ago so its also not a new idea .
I just noticed last week that planning had been approved and doing my little bit to bring it to a wider audience .
Hillingdon cycle track is council owned , its a public space . I dont think any council has built something due to the amount of public silence its received .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Have you ever looked at the composition of the general cycling population in that neighbourhood? It's not exactly teeming with enthusiastic sports riders! I'm familiar with the area, and the vast majority of riders are either car-less youths knocking around on cheapo suspension MTB's, or utility cyclists on either similar MTB's or flat-bar hybrids going to and from work. There aren't a lot of drop-bar riders who would be remotely interested in using a banked velodrome track! In fact I doubt the majority of the locals even own or ride a bike of any description, let alone have any interest in taking part in TT's or similar competitive events.

 

[Cuchilo]

Have you ever looked at the composition of the general cycling population in that neighbourhood? It's not exactly teeming with enthusiastic sports riders! I'm familiar with the area, and the vast majority of riders are either car-less youths knocking around on cheapo suspension MTB's, or utility cyclists on either similar MTB's or flat-bar hybrids going to and from work. There aren't a lot of drop-bar riders who would be remotely interested in using a banked velodrome track! In fact I doubt the majority of the locals even own or ride a bike of any description, let alone have any interest in taking part in TT's or similar competitive events.

That's ok . The Hillingdon user group has a container full of bikes that they lend people if they want to have a go .
If you look at the bigger picture , Hillingdon track is already a well known place for cycling and people from all over travel to use the facility . Adding a velodrome will only make the place better .

 

[ColinJ]

Have you ever looked at the composition of the general cycling population in that neighbourhood? It's not exactly teeming with enthusiastic sports riders! I'm familiar with the area, and the vast majority of riders are either car-less youths knocking around on cheapo suspension MTB's, or utility cyclists on either similar MTB's or flat-bar hybrids going to and from work. There aren't a lot of drop-bar riders who would be remotely interested in using a banked velodrome track! In fact I doubt the majority of the locals even own or ride a bike of any description, let alone have any interest in taking part in TT's or similar competitive events.

Think Field of Dreams ...? ("Build it, and he will come.")

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'm not convinced it would be financially viable. Maybe in somewhere more prosperous like Ruislip or Northwood, not there. It's in the middle of a pretty rough area, and let's be honest, the sort of cycling that you are envisaging is largely a weekend hobby for the relatively well-off who can afford to splash out upwards of a couple of grand on a fancy lightweight dedicated racer. Someone would have to front up the money to build it, and once built, someone would have to pay the ongoing running/maintenance costs. Would you really get loads of extra users, or just some riders transferring from the existing track?

 

[Cuchilo]

so build it away from Hillingdon because the people that live in the area cant afford expensive carbon bikes ?

 

[srw]

The existing race track and club house got built so i'm not sure how you come to your conclusion

When you're making an investment it's normal to build a business case and secure funding (possibly conditional) before getting your planning permission. Doing it the other way around is unusual.

Mr Bedstead has prior form on this forum for flying random kites .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

so build it away from Hillingdon because the people that live in the area cant afford expensive carbon bikes ?

When considering any sort of visitor development, anyone with a modicum of common sense considers their likely customer base first. If you take a look at the types of shops in the surrounding area, you'll notice plenty of take-away establishments, betting shops, and the fact that the grocers, supermarkets etc are mostly at the budget/value end of the spectrum. That tells you all you need to know about local spending power - and spending priorities.
It's no great secret that "serious" cycling, i.e. the "belong to clubs, buy costly road bikes, race or go out on regular group rides" type of cycling, is an activity largely participated in by white blokes who are often no longer in the first flush of youth, but have a relatively high disposable income. It might be a stereotype, but it's one easily confirmed by simply observing the make up of pretty well any group of Lycra-clad club riders encountered on the roads at weekends. A demographic almost entirely absent from the local area where the existing track facility is actually located - which is NOT in Hillingdon proper.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

"The challenge now is to seek the £1.25m to construct it." said Philip Bedstead.

I think that tells you everything you need to know. It's a flyer by someone with big ideas and no conception of a business plan.

I rather suspect that £1.25m is a little on the light side too.

Does the article not say Stuart Benstead rather than Philip Benstead the well known and vocal CTC campaigner?

 

[Cuchilo]

When considering any sort of visitor development, anyone with a modicum of common sense considers their likely customer base first. If you take a look at the types of shops in the surrounding area, you'll notice plenty of take-away establishments, betting shops, and the fact that the grocers, supermarkets etc are mostly at the budget/value end of the spectrum. That tells you all you need to know about local spending power - and spending priorities.
It's no great secret that "serious" cycling, i.e. the "belong to clubs, buy costly road bikes, race or go out on regular group rides" type of cycling, is an activity largely participated in by white blokes who are often no longer in the first flush of youth, but have a relatively high disposable income. It might be a stereotype, but it's one easily confirmed by simply observing the make up of pretty well any group of Lycra-clad club riders encountered on the roads at weekends. A demographic almost entirely absent from the local area where the existing track facility is actually located - which is NOT in Hillingdon proper.

http://www.slipstreamers.co.uk/

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/article/roa20100720-New-Club-House-at-Hillingdon-0

C'mon John , dont be so grumpy

I think the banking will be on the club house and opposite side . The straights will be the same as the track .

 

[Bollo]

In support of @Cuchilo , I’ve travelled from mid-Hants to *cough* race there a couple of times. Even accepting that racing is only for wealthy white men (which I don’t), it would have most of West London and beyond as a catchment, including Brunel Uni.