A new community licence has been granted for Peterborough BMX Club as part of its aspirations for upgrading the Orton Malborne BMX track into a venue for national BMX competitions.
Council Cabinet members approved the granting of a new community agreement during a meeting held at Sand Martin House yesterday (Tuesday 24 March).
Peterborough City Council (PCC) owns the BMX track at Benyon Grove, Orton Malborne, Peterborough, which is an open-access community sports facility maintained for over 40 years by the not-for-profit Peterborough BMX Club.
The track is also an important local facility which has unrestricted access for community use and this would remain under the new licence.
Peterborough BMX Club asked the council to replace its previous agreement, in which the council was liable for maintenance and repairs, and instead issue a community licence which would enable the club to apply for external grant funding from organisations such as Sport England and the National Lottery, at no cost to the council.
Any external funding secured will be used to upgrade the facility to national competition standard.
Following the decision, the club will now be liable for all repairs, maintenance and improvements, under the terms of its new licence.
Councillor Mohammed Jamil, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said: “Granting this licence is a win-win for Peterborough City Council because it is reducing the financial burden on the authority of maintaining the site. It also preserves the unrestricted public access and gives Peterborough the opportunity of becoming a location for national BMX events, putting the city on the map as a place to visit for BMX enthusiasts.
“Peterborough has so much potential to become a visitor destination and by developing our sporting facilities like this BMX track, we can play a key part in realising this aim.”
You can read the Cabinet meeting report on our website.