WORK on a new £715,000 club house at Hillingdon Cycle Circuit got underway last week.

The club house, in Minet Country Park, Hayes, is due to be completed in May, in time for a scheduled National Youth Series bike meet at the track.

The project will pave the way for the creation of a major school use programme, will provide changing rooms and coaching space for the youngsters who use the track and who currently have to make the long walk to the facilities at the Goals Soccer Centre, in Springfield Road. Older members are still expected to use these facilities

Hillingdon Council and British Cycling, the sport's primary governing body, both fronted £350,000 for the project, while the Hillingdon Slipstreamers Club, the circuit's youth group, and the track's Users Group, who run the facility on behalf of the council, each contributed £10,000.

Stuart Benstead, chairman of the Users Group, said: "We are most grateful to the council for its investment, encouragement and guidance in obtaining this clubhouse.

"We have a huge team of volunteers running events at the circuit seven days a week for much of the year, catering for everybody within the local community and around."

Councillor Henry Higgins, cabinet member for Culture, Sport and Leisure, said: "I am delighted that this development is underway.

"With the new Botwell and Hillingdon leisure centres also due to open soon, this is a further indication of our commitment and continued investment in leisure facilities in the borough.

"We have been working in Partnership with British Cycling, who have been fantastic to deal with, and we look forward to its grand opening in this summer.

"It was also important that any building work undertaken was in keeping with Minet Country Park, and nothing was done on such a scale as to impact significantly on the surrounding area."

The circuit is used for over 300 cycling events each year, as well as for ski and inline skating events, and Mr Higgins added: "It will be of huge benefit for all residents, and particularly for cyclists of all abilities. We hope to continue to lead the way with these sorts of facilities that offer dual usage."

For more information, go to http://www.hillingdoncyclecircuit.org.uk/.