Two neighbouring sports projects in Hereford have announced progress this week.

Work is well under way on creating a new off-road cycle track at the Halo Leisure centre in the north of the city, which is due to be completed this summer, its backers say.

Posting photos on on Facebook, Hereford Cycle Track said that just over a quarter of the track’s bed has been excavated, and the first section of sub-base laid. 

Permission for the project was granted last August. More than £1,400,000 has been raised for it from the Stronger Hereford funding programme and from the city and county councils, as well as from Sport England and British Cycling.

Meanwhile a campaign to resurface the neighbouring athletics track, the only one of its kind in the county, is to get “pump-prime” funding of £70,000 from Hereford City Council.

“This is one big step in our fundraising campaign, and we are delighted to have the backing of the city council, who are also working with us to look into other funding available,” the Save Hereford's Athletics Track campaign said on its Facebook page.

“We will be shortly be announcing another donation to our funding pot,” it said. “We are also working with Halo and Sport England, and meetings are in place to look at funding opportunities through them.”

The campaign plans a calendar of activities in the months ahead, starting with a curry and quiz night at the Victory Pub, St Owen Street, at a date to be announced.

So far 46 individual supporters have pledged a further £1,877 through an online fundraiser.

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But this will make only a small dent in the estimated £350,000 needed to resurface track, which was laid in 1988, and which has been threatened with being dropped from competitive meets due to its deteriorating condition.

Both tracks, along with the city’s municipal nine-hole golf course, lie within Hereford Racecourse which is managed separately.

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