Outdoor velodrome and road circuit planned for Paignton, Devon

Plans have been approved for a 400 metre outdoor velodrome and 1.5 kilometre closed road cycle circuit in Paignton, Devon, which will be the first such facility in southwest England, reports BBC News Devon.

It will be located at Clennon Valley and will cost £1.56 million - £900,000 of that going on the velodrome – with British Cycling set to provide part of the funding, subject to planning permission and other funding being secured.

A spokesman for the governing body said: These facilities will be of huge benefit to the people of Devon and the South West and we look forward to helping to bring the project to fruition as soon as possible."

The closest outdoor velodrome to Devon is 120 kilometres to the east in Bournemouth, and Ken Robertson, Vice-President of Mid Devon Cycling Club and South West regional secretary for British Cycling commented, "This would make the world of difference.

He added: “At the moment we have to travel to Birmingham, Newport or Bournemouth, would you want to travel to those places if you lived in Devon?"

Torbay Council’s lead member for sport, Councillor Robert Excell, said: "This is about bringing an iconic sport to the Bay and becoming the destination of choice for cycling in the South West."