MP lobbies Reading council over urgently needed repairs to Palmer Park Velodrome

An MP has joined a Green councillor and two cycling clubs to press Reading Borough Council to carry out repairs to the Berkshire town’s Palmer Park Velodrome before a rider gets injured.

Reading East MP Rob Wilson visited the facility by Andy Pitt of Reading Velodrome Racing and Chris Macleod, who chairs the Palmer Park Velo youth cycling club, reports news website, Get Reading.

He was shown cracks in the surface of the 459-metre circuit which runs round the outside of an athletics track, as well as damage to the perimeter fencing, leaving nails exposed.

The council has been accused of undertaking the minimum repairs necessary, leaving the clubs members to carry out work themselves on a voluntary basis.

However they fear they may lose their insurance cover, arranged via British Cycling, on health and safety grounds, and that a rider may get hurt while using the track.

Mr Watson, who has been Conservative MP for Reading East since 2014 and in September became minister for civil society, called on the council to take “urgent action” to effect permanent repairs.

He said: “It’s such a shame that Reading Borough Council has let the Palmer Park Stadium cycle track fall into this state of disrepair.

“Sadly this has so often been the case with much-needed community facilities across the borough – swimming pools are another area where governance at RBC is really letting local people down.

“Thankfully Palmer Park Velo and Reading Velodrome Racing clubs have undertaken personally to complete the necessary remedial work.

“This has patched-up the track sufficiently to allow cyclists to continue to enjoy what is clearly a much-enjoyed facility.

“This is not a long-term solution however and in order to ensure the future of the track and the clubs that rely on it, urgent action is required from RBC.”

Last week, Green councillor Rob White, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Reading East, received a response from the council after he raised the issue of the state of repair of the velodrome.

The council told him that one of its contractors had inspected the site earlier this year and said no work was required.

“We have regular conversations with the club and they have periodically expressed concerns about the track surface,” said the council.

“Early this summer we arranged for a contractor to quote for repair work and their view was this was not necessary.

“We do periodically get the areas of the track repaired as with any surface this deteriorates. We have arranged for the contractors to revisit.

“We have also been in discussion with them about the track surround. We are expecting repairs to be undertaken to the track surround in the next few weeks.

“This includes replacement of most damaged boards, re-securing any loose ones and repairing the aluminium tops.”

The council added: “A programme of works are also being arranged to better control the vegetation around the track.

“This will ensure the track is appropriately maintained, it is however inevitable there will be some deterioration just from weather, time and the nature of the banking.”