Scottish Cycling Facilities Strategy APRIL 2014 CONTENTS 1. Introduction and Background ....................................................................................... 3 1.1 Purpose of the Strategy ................................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Scottish Cycling Strategy 2014-2019 ............................................................................................. 3 1.3 International Facilities and Major Events ..................................................................................... 4 1.4 Disciplines and Facilities Hubs ...................................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 Road and Time-trial ............................................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 Track....................................................................................................................................... 6 1.4.3 MTB ........................................................................................................................................ 6 1.4.4 BMX ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.4.5 Cyclo-cross and Cycle Speedway ........................................................................................... 8 1.5 Development Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 8 2. Process and Consultation ............................................................................................. 9 3. Hierarchy and Technical Standards ............................................................................... 9 3.1 Facilities Hubs ............................................................................................................................. 10 4. Facilities Audit ........................................................................................................... 12 4.1 Overview of the Regions ............................................................................................................. 12 4.2 North-East of Scotland (Grampian, Tayside, Fife) ...................................................................... 12 4.3 Highlands and Islands (including Moray) .................................................................................... 14 4.4 West of Scotland ......................................................................................................................... 15 4.5 South-West of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire) ...................................................... 16 4.6 East and Central Scotland ........................................................................................................... 17 5. Summary of Feedback from Consultations and Survey ................................................ 18 6. Vision and Strategic Priorities ..................................................................................... 19 6.1 Overall Strategic Priorities .......................................................................................................... 20 6.2 International Facilities ................................................................................................................ 20 6.3 Region Specific Actions and Priorities ........................................................................................ 22 6.3.1 North-East Region ................................................................................................................ 22 6.3.2 Highlands and Islands Region (including Moray) ................................................................. 23 6.3.3 West Region ......................................................................................................................... 25 1 6.3.4 South-West Region .............................................................................................................. 27 6.3.5 East and Central Region ....................................................................................................... 28 Appendix 1 – Scottish Cycling Performance and Participation Pathway ........................... 30 30 Appendix 2 - Facilities Standards and Technical Specifications ......................................... 31 Appendix 3 – Facilities Audit ........................................................................................... 38 North-East Scotland (Grampian, Tayside and Fife) ........................................................................... 38 Highlands and Islands (including Moray) .......................................................................................... 41 West of Scotland ............................................................................................................................... 44 South-West of Scotland .................................................................................................................... 46 Central and East of Scotland ............................................................................................................. 48 Appendix 4 – On-line Survey Outcomes .......................................................................... 52 Appendix 5 – Summary of Organisations Consulted ........................................................ 57 2 Scottish Cycling Facilities Strategy 1. Introduction and Background 1.1 Purpose of the Strategy Scottish Cycling, in partnership with sportscotland, invited Porteous Leisure to support them in undertaking a detailed study to identify the future facility demands for all disciplines of cycle- sport in Scotland. Specific outputs were requested as follows: A revised audit of the present facilities provision in Scotland identifying any issues and gaps in the provision. A revised set of standards for national, regional and local facilities across the disciplines of cycling. A recommended programme of development supporting projected growth in cycle- sport at regional and national levels. The resulting strategic document provides guidance for development and investment over a 10- year horizon with a detailed priorities plan for actions recommended over the next 5 years. This document is intended as a high-level strategic framework supporting decision-making over these timeframes. 1.2 Scottish Cycling Strategy 2014-2019 Scottish Cycling (SC) is the recognised national governing body for all branches of the sport in Scotland. It is experiencing a large upswing in membership and undertaking transformational organisational change in order to capitalise on the surge in popularity which has resulted from unparalleled Olympic and World Championship successes during the last decade. While cycling enjoys some of the highest community-wide sports participation rates, one of the most prominent barriers to development is the misperception of the facilities requirements of the sport: in sports development cycling is most commonly considered a non-facilities dependant activity, yet evidence suggests that lack of safe and accessible spaces to cycle is a primary reason for not participating1. The future growth and success of the sport is fundamentally linked, therefore, to re-establishing the importance of dedicated cycle-sport facilities and to securing adequate funding and support to provide safe and accessible facilities for developing riders and racing. 1. London Assembly Transport Committee Cycling Survey, 2013; Brake and Bolt Burdon Kemp Road & Cycling Safety Survey, 2012; 2013 Australian Cycling Participation Survey. 3 The vision of Scottish Cycling is to be “the best performing small cycling nation in the world”. To deliver this vision Scottish Cycling must support a programme of development ensuring growth of capability and capacity across the sector. At the heart of this programme is the definition and delivery of a performance and participation pathway that ensures these development outcomes are achieved in a hierarchical, structured and cohesive manner. Appendix 1 presents a graphical overview of the pathway showing alignment of the programme delivery, coaching, events and facilities provision to support rider progress through to the highest standards of performance. The facilities strategy must therefore be seen as an integral part of the wider development strategy, with provision of appropriate standards of facilities supporting development at local, regional, national and international levels of training and competition. The SC development strategy identifies the following primary objective: A national network of safe and appropriate facilities for the purposes of cycle-sport competition In aligning the facilities strategy to the performance and participation pathway, the facilities provision for riders at each stage of development must ensure the required technical standards are met for the relevant level of competition within any discipline, while providing a training space commensurate to the riders’ level of competency. The network of facilities must equally ensure coverage creates a ‘pyramidal’ structure maximising local access and facilitating a feeder process for riders climbing to regional and, thereafter, national and international, standards of training and competition. Categorisation of the technical standards required to meet the hierarchy of provision is included as part of this strategy. 1.3 International Facilities