South Somerset District Council’s plans to make improvements to Lyde Park have taken a giant jump closer to reality thanks to a £5,000 Health and Wellbeing grant from Somerset County Councillor Tony Lock.
South Somerset District Council (SSDC) is planning to develop an exciting new location for children, young people and adults to cycle and use bikes. The identified site, Lyde Park, is situated next to Wyndham Park in the east of Yeovil.
The objectives of the project are to provide new bike friendly leisure facilities, encourage people to be more physically active and to develop a traffic free route from Lyde Road to Pen Mill Train Station.
The funding will support a new Pump Track, which is designed to allow users to ride around an undulating track by using jumps, rollers and berms to gain momentum. In addition, new cycle friendly gates will be installed at either end of the park, to encourage cyclists to gain access to a new traffic free route through Yeovil. It is anticipated that designs for the Pump Track will be ready by March and SSDC will be undertaking local consultation on the plans early next year.
Speaking about the project, District and County Councillor Tony Lock said, “I’m pleased that through partnership working, we will be able to provide a safe facility for families, young people and adults to get on their bikes and learn to ride safely and also provide an area that encourages people to engage in active recreation, increase their activity levels and lead healthier lifestyles”.
Councillor Peter Gubbins, Chair of the SSDC Area South Committee added, “We are delighted to support this as it is an exciting project for Yeovil which will have so many benefits including the health and fitness or our residents”.