TOWN councillors were being asked this week to recommend the go-ahead for a £180,000 pump track for Wellington.

Open spaces manager Darren Hill said in a report for Wednesday’s (November 19) meeting of the environment committee the viability of the project had been established through a feasibility study.

Mr Hill said the project now needed to move to the next phase with a recommendation to full council to allow it to proceed.

Councillors are looking at siting the pump track on part of Wellington Recreation Ground beside a children’s play area.

They also asked neighbouring Court Fields School if it would give up a disused part of its playing field to help meet the half-an-acre of land needed for the pump track.

Previously, the town council gave £150,000 to help the school build a 3G sports pitch.

But, Mr Hill said initial indications from the school were that it would not help, although discussions were continuing.

Project officer Helen Acreman said the pimp track would provide wheeled sports facilities for the town and could be partly funded with £48,700 taken from money paid to the council by housing developers.

Ms Acreman said the 142-yard-long pump track circuit would eventually be managed by a user group led by Olly Edmonston-Lowe, of the Wellington Sports Federation.

She said the council would only need to maintain the facility and carry out any repairs.

Pump tracks provide a purpose-built track with a circuit of rollers, banked turns, and features designed to be ridden by riders ‘pumping’ - generating momentum by up and down body movements rather than pedalling or pushing.

They were originally designed for mountain bike and BMX riders but today are also used for skateboarding and other wheeled sports and are accessible for wheelchairs.