Funding approved for new Glasgow 2018 BMX and mountain bike centres

Glasgow City Council has today approved almost £940,000 of funding to help the development of two new sports facilities in the city.

The funding will go towards a new international standard BMX Centre in Knightswood and the mountain bike trails at Cathkin Braes Country Park.

Both of these facilities will be competition venues for the Glasgow 2018 European Championships - an exciting new multi-sport event bringing together some of the continent's leading sports – and this funding will strengthen the legacy from the Championships in these sports.

The new BMX Centre will be built at Knightswood Recreation Ground on the site of redundant red football pitches, and the council's decision on June 1 will give £332,930 towards the building of Scotland’s first and only World and Olympic standard BMX track. The facility will be the new home of the Western Titans BMX Club.

The main track will accommodate riders of all ages and abilities, and will feature eight and five metre start ramps for advanced riders. There will also be a pump track for learners, and the tracks will be floodlit.

In addition, the centre will feature sanitary facilities, a meeting room, a car park and an access road from Archerhill Road. The playpark and MUGA (multi-use games area) on the edge of the current blaes pitches will remain.

Other funding for the centre will come from the Glasgow 2018 European Championships, sportscotland and HSBC / British Cycling.

The council also approved £616,766 funding towards the extension of the existing mountain bike trails and the creation of skills development areas at Cathkin Braes Country Park.

This work will see a new start/finish constructed to UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) standards for the European Championships located closer to the community in Castlemilk, with changes to the trails to ensure it can accommodate all abilities of riders.

Additional funding for the Cathkin Braes facility will come from Glasgow City Council, sportscotland and LandTrust.

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “This funding will add to Glasgow’s outstanding collection of sporting facilities, with these two fantastic venues open for the people of Glasgow and our visitors to use, and capable of hosting local, national and international events.

“There will be fantastic opportunities for local communities to take part in the development of cycling in Glasgow.”