COUNCILLORS have heard that installing new facilities for wheeled-sports fans could cost up to £180,000.

Members of Wellington Town Council’s environment committee discussed plans on November 19 to construct a pump track at Wellington Recreation Ground.

Although the council would be able to use nearly £50,000 Section 106 money on the project with funding from recent developments in the town, the total set-up costs could amount to around £180,000.

Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, questioned whether it was sensible to spend so much money on a project which might not be widely used.

“Is this pump track going to be used by people?” she asked. “It’s a lot of money that could be used on something else in the town.”

A survey had shown that 281 people had voiced their support for the creation of a pump track.

A pump track is a purpose-built track for cycling.

It has a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders “pumping” – generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedalling or pushing.

They were originally designed for the mountain bike and BMX scene, but are now also used for skateboarding and accessible to wheelchairs.

But Cllr Lloyd suggested whether 281 people supporting the project out of a population of around 17,000 was a glowing reference.

Cllr Mark Lithgow, in response, said: “I’m sorry to disagree with you (Cllr Lloyd) but we’ve gone past that point now and we’ve already agreed to do this in principle.”

Dave Farrow, the council’s chief executive and town clerk, said: “Build it and they will come – although I accept that’s not the exact quote he said in the film.”

A reference to the Field of Dreams movie in 1989 where actor Kevin Costner’s character hears a voice say “if you build it, he will come” in relation to building a baseball field in his cornfield that attracts the ghosts of baseball legends including Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago Black Sox.

But Mr Farrow said: “Whatever the exact quote – I’m confident the pumptrack will be used by people.”

The council’s democratic services and finance officer, Wasif Choudhury, said: “People who use pump tracks are probably not really the ones who would fill our surveys.”

Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky added: “The skatepark gets used heavily and I doubt many of those would take part in a survey.”

Cllr Lloyd, having listened to the comments of councillors and council officers, said: “I’ll wait to see what happens.”

Back in September the council agreed in principle to building a pump track on the Recreation Ground to allow officers to look in more detail at the feasibility of the project.

The town council’s chief executive and town clerk, Mr Farrow, told councillors on November 19 that it was now ready to “move onto the next stage of the project.”

Councillors agreed to take the project to full council for further discussion, and to look at various grant and funding opportunities.