New cycle track for Stratton school opens to the community
Cornwall Council and British Cycling have joined forces to create a lasting cycling legacy at Stratton Primary and several other Cornish Schools, in the form of a new cycle track.
The track forms part of the legacy of the 2019 UCI World Road Cycling Championships and Cornwall hosting the Tour of Britain grand depart in 2021.
Stratton is the first school to have received the legacy funding and to have completed their track.
Cornwall Council has provided partnership funding towards the school’s application to the British Cycling Places to Ride fund.
Local business owners also supported by donating some materials and machinery and the school undertook a massive fundraising operation.
Headteacher Penny Simpson said: “The children like to run their daily mile and they weren’t able to do it when the weather got bad and the grass got long, so we talked about putting a bit of a track around the side of the field.
“Then idea grew that it could be a multi-use track or cycle track something that our families could use evenings and weekends, as lots of our families don’t have access to a garden and we are quite far from the beach.”
Stratton track is a modern multi-purpose, all-weather track in the school field. It includes a high-quality circuit designed to provide recreational and advanced routes. Due to the nature of the design it can also be easily used by walkers, runners, and scooter users at any level and age.
The track includes a learn to ride area for children and young people and is ideal for beginners right through to elite runners and riders.
Several groups are looking to use the track for one off events and weekly meets including Stratton and other partnership schools, Bude Junior Rats (athletics club), Ride-It, Bude Adult Cycle Club and Bude Scouts.
Nick Ratcliffe from SUSTRANS was part of the launch: This track is part of a package of walking and cycling links for Bude which Cornwell Council have secured the funding for through their local transport plans. It is very exciting to see this open and to see the reaction from the children, who can’t wait to get on it.”
The track was built by Bodmin based company Angel Trails and was officially opened by one of their professional riders, Jay Williamson: “I think the track is great and it is going to give the children the core skills to get mountain biking and they will be able to practice in a nice safe area.
“We’ve done a few other tracks around the country and we’ve just seen the children respond really well with the bikes; riding into school and then taking that further into their own time at weekends so I’m pretty sure by some of the faces here you’ll see the same again.”
The track will also be used for: Bikeability training, Cornwall school games cycling events, British Cycling coaching and learn to ride sessions. The track will link to a cycle path which feeds directly in Bude town