Huncote: BMX club in legal dispute with council over track's future

The BMX track was closed off in 2021 due to high levels of methane coming from an old landfill site

A BMX club that has not been able to use its track for more than two years says it has entered a "legal dispute" with the council that owns it.

Huncote Leisure Centre, where the Leicestershire track is based, was shut in 2021 due to a landfill gas problem.

Blaby District Council has decided not to enter a new lease with Leicester Huncote Hornets to use the track.

The club's chairman said he hoped to discuss the matter "with a view of the club returning".

The leisure centre and surrounding land was closed off to the public in November 2021 due to high levels of methane coming from an old landfill site.

The centre reopened in October 2022 with additional land at the site following suit in August 2023 after gas levels "significantly reduced", leaving just the area with the BMX track closed.

The club's chairman said the track had deteriorated since it closed

The £100,000 track, which was funded by the National Lottery and Sport England, hosted the British BMX Championships a few months before it was forced to close.

Huncote Hornets chairman Jan Freakley said: "It was absolutely pristine and manicured before it closed. We had the British champs and some of the best riders in the world competing.

"Because it's been closed, it's deteriorated and the track now needs up to £30,000 to put it right. It needs resurfacing and a lot of work."

A petition to reopen the track has been launched, which has had more than 2,100 signatures.

Mr Freakley said riders had been forced to travel to other cities, including Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby, to practice.

The district council said it had spent more than £500,000 on a system to reduce methane levels, but "this section has proved to be more complex, with landfill gas levels fluctuating".

The authority said it has had "extensive discussions" with Huncote Hornets about the landfill gas levels and the expired lease, and decided not to enter a new lease with the club.

'Committed to safety'

Mr Freakley said according to their own tests, gas experts had said the track was safe to use.

He said he hoped to resolve the dispute, adding: "Let's have a roundtable talk with a view of the club returning to the track for the good of the community."

Solicitors acting on behalf of the BMX club confirmed: "There is an ongoing legal dispute yet to be resolved, and [the club] welcomes proactive engagement with the council."

A spokesperson for Blaby District Council said: "We have held conversations with Huncote Hornets BMX Club, but it would be inappropriate for us to comment about ongoing legal discussions.

"We have always been committed to ensuring the site is safe for our local community.

"We're continuing to actively manage and monitor the gas levels. While we have seen reduced readings, we need to make sure these are maintained in the long-term."

The authority added it would recommend the site should become public open space at its next full council meeting.