Mayor backs indoor velodrome plan for the West Midlands

Dave Viner from Halesowen Athletic & Cycling Club, based at Manor Abbey Stadium in Halesowen, has spearheaded the campaign since it was confirmed the Games would be held in Birmingham 2022.

Charlie Dickens from Stourbridge, a big fan of the sport, has also been playing a key role in the campaign and has been managing a petition calling for an indoor track to be built in the region which has now attracted 8,164 signatures.

And on Sunday (April 18) - West Midlands Mayor Andy Street stopped off at Manor Abbey Stadium and confirmed he has committed to backing the campaign in his manifesto.

Mayor Andy Street at Manor Abbey Stadium. Image courtesy of Grimmy West Photography

He said: “It was great to meet the team at Halesowen and hear about their passion for cycling and their determination to bring a velodrome to the region.

“In my manifesto I have committed to backing the campaign to build a velodrome, and my visit to speak to Dave Viner and the members of Halesowen Athletic really helped me understand just how important they consider this to be for the future of competitive cycling in the region.

“This is a great example of how a community has got behind a campaign with real energy, and the club’s input will be invaluable when it comes to pulling together a business case for a velodrome and attracting the funding needed to make it a reality.

“Cycling in all it forms will play an increasingly important role in the West Midlands over the next few years, with new routes being created to link the region up and our bike share scheme really taking off - in fact, it will come to Dudley borough before the end of the month.

“The idea of a velodrome would mean that our region is investing in cycling not only as a healthy and greener way of getting about, but as a top class sport too.”

Dave Viner said having the backing of the region's mayor was a "vote of confidence in the campaign" and he added: "We feel having an indoor velodrome somewhere within the West Midlands would be good for our members at Halesowen Athletic & Cycling Club and other Black Country cyclists.

"It will grow the sport and make track cycling far more accessible especially during winter months."

He added: "Our campaign has put forward various building options to enable a world class 250m wooden track to be housed in a lower cost building than has traditionally been the case.

"Derby Arena with 1,600 seats cost around £30milllion but we feel the costs for a training velodrome with either no seats or a modest number of seats can be built for far less.

"The aim is to have a lower cost, multi-sport training velodrome built as a legacy of the Commonwealth Games.

"We have put forward various options in our 110 page campaign document as handed to Andy. These options have been presented to British Cycling."

Dave Viner and Charlie Dickens. Pic - Grimmy West Photography

Charlie Dickens added: "We’d like to thank Andy Street for committing to a developing a business case and seeking funding.

"We have always been confident that a viable business case can be made for a lower-cost, modern, multi-purpose indoor velodrome that benefits established cyclists and newcomers to the sport. It would also be a great legacy from the Commonwealth Games for the wider West Midlands community.”

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris also attended Manor Abbey on Sunday and has been backing the campaign since 2018.

Dave Viner, James Morris MP and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street

He said: "I welcome Andy’s support in his manifesto for an indoor velodrome in the West Midlands. Cycling is a great way of keeping fit and improving physical health, and I’ll continue to work with local campaigners like David and Charlie to do all we can to bring a velodrome here."

Dave Viner added that part of the campaign is to make indoor track cycling "inclusive and accessible" and he added: "With this in mind we want to tell the story of Major Taylor, who in 1899, became the first black world track champion.

"Major is a legend who few people know about and he would have ridden a bike similar to the one shown by cycling enthusiast, Tesfay Teweledo.

L-r - Playwright Junior Douglas, Mayor - Andy Street, cycling enthusiast Tesfay Teweledo, Sam Henry of British Cycling, Dave Viner

"Playwright Junior Douglas is proposing to write a stage play about Major and, together with Sam Henry, we would like to present workshops to schools."