The first scale model of how the new indoor velodrome in Dublin will look after planning permission was granted today.
The long mooted state of the art indoor velodrome for Ireland has taken a huge step forward today with Fingal County Council granting planning permission for the facility.
The banked track is 250m long and will circle 15 badminton courts.
The shared facility, on the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, west Dublin, will also be home to the headquarters of Cycling Ireland and Badminton Ireland.
It will contain office space for both organisations along with meeting rooms and other facilities, as well as car parking.
Cycling Ireland chief executive, Geoff Liffey, said he saw today’s development as a positive step forward.
“This is a good milestone to overcome, as now we can focus on securing funding, in the knowledge that planning permission has been granted.”
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Ireland's top riders will be able to stay at home and train in a state of the art facility which should bring on the sport in giant steps.
Today’s development bringing the €8 million project closer to reality comes eight months after the Government made the monies available to bring the project to the planning stages.
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A contract was signed at that stage between the National Sports Campus Development Authority and Tobin Consulting Engineers to bring the project to the planning permission stage.
The details of how Cycling Ireland and Badminton Ireland will raise the funding for construction, and how much of it will come for the State have yet to be decided.
Having Cycling Ireland’s headquarters as well as the banked track for racing and training on the national campus will put cycling at the centre of Irish sport.
If handled properly, the Irish velodrome could prove an invaluable training facility for home riders.
Cycling Ireland president Denis Toomey last year said he believed that once the money was put in place and the velodrome built, as well as the obvious advantages of having a first class training and racing facility at Cycling Ireland’s disposal, it could save the governing body up to €250,000 per year.
“Last year, the training side alone probably cost us a quarter of a million,” he said at the time.
“At the moment we’ve a men’s and women’s pursuit team, a house in Majorca rented year round, the track rented year round there, and the different squads flying in and out. So that’s not cheap.
“We’ll save an awful lot of money by keeping these guys at home and open the track up to more people as well.”
We’ll bring you more news on this when we get it.
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