New £14m cycling centre planned for Lawrence Weston

It's expected the new cycling centre could open by 2024

A new £14m cycling centre is being planned in north-west Bristol to replace smaller tracks in the city.

The Bristol Cycling Centre would include space to learn how to ride a bike in a traffic-free area and a closed-road cycling circuit for racing.

Bristol City Council chiefs are hoping to build the new centre at Henacre Open Space in Lawrence Weston.

The new cycling centre would replace the current Bristol Family Cycling Centre in Hengrove Park.

That site would then be used for building new housing, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

'Inclusive facility'

Bristol City Council is planning to bid for about £13m from the government's Levelling Up fund to pay for the new cycling centre.

The council is also planning to bid for at least £12m for a regeneration project in Filwood, which has been on the cards since at least March 2012, but has been long delayed.

"The cycling centre will be an inclusive facility with a core cycling programme that enables new and existing riders to improve their riding, skills, confidence, fitness and and wellbeing," said Hannah French, deputy head of policy and public affairs.

As well as Levelling Up funding, the council is also planning to use about £1.3m of income from the Clean Air Zone, which is due to come into force in September.

It is expected the centre could open by 2024.