Cycle fans are celebrating today after it was revealed they will have free use of the Olympic Velodrome and surrounding park after the summer games.
The Lee Valley VeloPark will include a one mile road circuit and eight kilometres of mountain biking trails encompassing the 6,000 seat venue and Olympic BMX track – all of which will be accessible to the public.
Hackney Council and Sport England agreed plans to connect Hackney marshes to the Olympic site via the £100m cycle facility.
Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney, said the cycle hub, which will be accompanied by a large park, would be an “exciting” addition to local life.
He said: “The scheme will allow Hackney residents continuous access to the banks of the River Lea for the first time and provide exciting green spaces for our communities to come together and enjoy.”
He added: “We are pleased that a plan has been approved which will deliver a world class VeloPark and also fulfil the commitment to create high quality, coherent parkland for use by all of the communities of Hackney and the host boroughs.”
Ian Drake, Chief Executive of British Cycling also welcomed the plans. He said: “Together with the recent memorandum of understanding signed between British Cycling and the London, Manchester and Glasgow velodromes there is now a clear legacy from 2012 which will benefit cycling for many years to come and ensure more people can take to their bikes in top class facilities.”
The entire park will be completed by the end of 2013, connecting the Olympic site with cycle routes across the capital.
