What next for historic velodrome offered potential reprieve

Ted Peskett, 

Campaigners fighting for the protection of a historic velodrome in Cardiff have been given a glimmer of hope that it might be able to stay after all.

Maindy Velodrome in Cathays has a long history, going back to the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and it helped to foster the talents of athletes like Geraint Thomas, Megan Barker and Ella Maclean-Howell.

For years now, Cardiff Council has had plans to expand Cathays High School onto land at Maindy Park, where the velodrome is located.

Maindy Flyers, the cycling club that calls Maindy Velodrome home, and which British Cycling called “one of the most fertile breeding grounds for elite level British cyclists”, was set to move to the new velodrome planned for Cardiff Bay.

Golf attraction

However, Cardiff Council announced on Friday, January 17, that plans to build a velodrome at the International Sports Village (ISV) would no longer go ahead and that the site could now be earmarked for a new golf attraction.

Co-chairman of Maindy Flyers, Alan Davis, said: “We were never opposed to a new velodrome in the Bay.

“Our opposition was to the loss of Maindy. That loss now looks less likely and we are delighted about that.

“We would welcome the council’s commitment to still look for a circuit, a cycling road circuit which was initially going to go around the velodrome in the Bay.

“We would love to see a long-term commitment from the council to now preserve and maintain the Maindy facility, and at the moment that isn’t there.”

The news regarding the new velodrome came at the same time as Cardiff Council announcing that it had been offered the opportunity to enter into negotiations for land that could be used as an alternative location to expand Cathays High School.

This piece of land is where the Companies House offices are on Crown Way.

Cabinet report

A Cardiff Council cabinet report on Cathays High School states the Government Property Agency (GPA) and Companies House are reviewing options for their future accommodation needs and their stated preference is to relocate to a new location in the city.

This is subject to financial approval as part of the UK Government annual spending review process.

The GPA anticipates a decision on the future of Companies House through the 2025 spending review.

The cabinet report states: “Implementation of this preferred strategy remains work in progress and requires further discussions and due diligence, including the development of an appropriate financial strategy that supports the priorities outlined in the Education Investment Strategy.

“However, the council would be entering such discussions with a level of confidence that a successful outcome can be achieved.”

With regards to finding an alternative site for a new velodrome, should negotiations with the GPA prove unsuccessful, Cardiff Council said it will “reconsider how to bring a closed-loop cycle track and velodrome to the city in the future”.

The council report recently published on Cathays High also states that in this scenario, “the siting of the school on the Maindy site would remain a viable mitigation strategy.”

A statement from Beicio Cymru following the announcement on the ISV reads: “We understand this decision and reaffirm our full commitment to working in partnership with Cardiff Council to ensure the development and delivery of high-quality cycling facilities across the city.

“We acknowledge and appreciate the council’s ongoing dedication to investing in innovative venues that foster the growth of cycling, both as a sport and as a recreational activity.

“We are eager to continue contributing to the shaping of other cycling facilities within the ISV plan, which we believe will significantly enhance the sport and benefit the wider community.

“In light of this decision, we are seeking further clarity on the investment required to ensure Maindy Track remains a safe, inclusive, and high-performing facility for Cardiff’s cycling community.

“The track has long been a cornerstone of cycling development in the city, playing a vital role in nurturing talent, promoting accessibility, and inspiring cyclists of all abilities.”

Cathays High

As part of its plans to expand Cathays High, Cardiff Council applied to the Charity Commission to exchange land at Maindy Park for land at Caedelyn Park in Rhiwbina.

Maindy Park Trust is the charity that owns Maindy Park and Cardiff Council is its sole trustee.

Campaigners have raised concerns to the Charity Commission about Cardiff Council’s handling of the charity in the past.

Last year, the Charity Commission asked the local authority for information regarding its management of the charity, which was eventually provided.

However, the regulatory body said it was left waiting for more information to process the council’s application for a land swap.

More recently, the Charity Commission said it was aware of the council using Maindy Park Trust land as an overflow car park for Cathays High and that the local authority was pursuing alternative arrangements to rectify this situation.

Charity Commission

Following a meeting that took place between the Charity Commission and the council in September, a Charity Commission spokesperson said: “The commission met with Cardiff Council to discuss its application for consent to the land exchange.

“Following that meeting in September its application is currently on hold while we await further information from the council.”

Following news of Cardiff Council’s decision to drop plans for a new velodrome at the ISV and the potential negotiations for Companies House land, the local authority is being urged by campaigners to pull out of its application for a land swap.

Community Campaigner, Jeremy Sparkes, said: “The council can no longer comply with the first requirement of its proposed land swap.

“It should therefore and without further delay inform the Charity Commission it is withdrawing its application.

“There are still many unanswered questions around the Trust’s finances, the unlawful use of Trust land as the Council’s corporate property and the uncertain basis of the GLL lease.

“The community will continue to seek transparency and, where appropriate, for the Council to make good any detriment the Trust has suffered.”

Cardiff Council’s cabinet members will meet to discuss the latest position on Cathays High and the ISV at a meeting on Thursday, January 23.

As part of Cardiff Council’s announcement last week, a council spokesperson said: “If the land deal with the UK Government proceeds, Maindy Velodrome will remain at its current location for the foreseeable future.

“If a deal cannot be reached, it is likely the Council will need to revisit its original proposal to deliver school facilities as a contingency.

“However, this remains subject to charitable implications, and ultimately subject to Charity Commission approval.

“Should Maindy Cycle Track land ultimately be used for the new school, the Council will reconsider how to bring a closed-loop cycle track and velodrome to the city in the future as part of any deal.”