Ellon Wheel Park plan gets £400,000 boost

Ellon Wheel Park which was approved in August last year will take a major step forward after receiving £400,000 of funding from the Cycling Facilities Fund.

The significant investment will enable the Aberdeenshire group to create an exciting new wheeled sport hub.

The hub will have three main activity spaces; a closed loop cycle circuit, a beginner pump track and a more advanced community pump track located within Gordon Park in Ellon.

The project will provide opportunities for mountain bikers, road riders and BMXers at all levels to take part and hone their skills.

Colin Allanach, Group Chair of Ellon Wheel Park Group welcomed the funding saying: "This is a huge step forward for the project and will allow us to get the first phase of the exciting new facility constructed for the people of Ellon and surrounding area.

"I am so pleased for our supporters and the hardworking team behind the project.

“This investment from sportscotland and Scottish Cycling, on top of other funding from the Place Base Investment Programme fund, the Rural Community Led Vision Challenge fund, EB Scotland (landfill), local development obligations, other grants, a crowd funding campaign and support from lots of individuals, businesses and other organisations has raised in excess of an incredible £750,000 for the wheel park.

“This facility will provide a unique experience for wheel sports users of all abilities where they can play, have fun, learn and develop new skills. "The wheel park combines a pump track, a cycle circuit and a skatepark in one area.

"The park will have a beginner’s area and will also be used to help people learn to ride and gain confidence on bikes before they go out to ride on the open road.

"With this money from the cycling facilities fund we can start construction on the pump track and the cycle circuit.

"We are still raising funds for phase 2 which is the skatepark zone.

"The cycle circuit has been specifically designed with the help of wheelchair athletes and for the trishaws used by Cycling Without Age.

"This makes the park truly accessible for all."

The national Cycling Facilities Fund was established to build on the growing interest in cycling and deliver a tangible benefit as part of the wider policy objectives driving the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling, Nick Rennie added: “It’s fantastic to see yet another facility a step closer to realising its ambition, which in turn supports our goals of having the right facilities, in the right places, so more people can enjoy riding a bike.

“I know a lot of work has gone on up in Aberdeenshire to get the project to where it is, so thank you to Colin and his team – I can’t wait to see it in action in the coming months and hopefully riding on it myself in the not too distant future!”

Chief Executive of sportscotland, Forbes Dunlop, added: “The Cycling Facilities Fund is a fantastic opportunity to build on the excitement generated by a major sporting event by creating a network of places for people across Scotland to get involved in cycling.

“Creating an accessible community hub to encourage participation in cycling and physical activity more widely, is exactly the kind of project we hoped would be delivered through this fund. Ellon Wheel Park Group has demonstrated real ambition and commitment and we look forward to seeing the riders enjoying their new home later this year.”

Ellon is the latest community to benefit from the fund which has already seen 34 projects share over £4,535,000 of investment to provide accessible community and club facilities that inspire new and existing cyclists to make cycling a sport for life."

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