Work on new Longridge pump track to begin

Work on the creation of a new £100,000 pump track in a town in a rural East Lancashire borough is set to start this week.

Contractors move on to the site in Longridge’s Kestor Lane Recreation Ground on Thursday.

Weather permitting the scheme is expected to take around a month to complete.

The track aims to provide a fun and exciting place for users of all ages and be a community asset for generations to come.

It will be suitable for bicycles, scooters, roller blades, skateboards and wheelchairs, and follows consultation with Longridge residents which identified the need for a wheeled sports facility in the town.

The Longridge track will feature bumps and berms up to 1.8 metres high and will be two metres wide.

It will be created on an under-developed part of the Kestor Lane recreation ground and will not impact on existing pitches.

Grass, wildflowers and native trees will be planted in and around the circuit to help it blend in with its setting.

The £100,000 scheme is being funded by £60,000 from Ribble Valley Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £40,000 from the Lancashire Environmental Fund.

To protect public safety, a footpath known as Driver’s Walk will be temporarily closed to allow deliveries of large amounts of aggregate to the site and will re-open once deliveries are completed.

The closure will only be in place from 8am to 4pm on weekdays and an alternative route will be available nearby.

Cllr Stuart Hirst, chairman of Ribble Valley Council’s community services committee, said: “The pump track is going to be a great asset for Longridge and will provide a fun and challenging place for people of all ages, particularly youngsters, to use and enjoy on their doorstep, rather than having to travel to Preston or Blackburn.

“In the interests of public safety, we are closing the footpath during the day, while large trucks deliver aggregate to the site.

“We hope residents will bear with us during the construction of this new and exciting leisure facility in Longridge.”

A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and other features designed to be ridden by riders ‘pumping’ their bodies up and down to create momentum.

They are an increasingly popular way to exercise, while developing balance and handling skills in a safe environment, away from traffic and other dangers.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve public services, restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging; and empower local leaders and communities.