School holidays set to be a wheelie good time!

With the October school holidays about to kick off, Stratford District Council (SDC) is excited to announce that locals will have the opportunity to try out the brand new Stratford Bike Park.

Chief Executive Sven Hanne says, “The Bike Park isn’t fully complete, but with 90% of the work done and school holidays approaching, we wanted our community to make the most of what was available. This includes the education cycle track, BBQ pavilion and half basketball court.

The work we’re waiting on includes the asphalt sealing of the pump track and concrete artwork which is being applied to parts of the education cycle track. The latest alert level restrictions as well as a run of bad weather have meant a delay to getting these final touches complete.

When weather and alert levels allow there will be a brief closure of the affected areas of the Bike Park to finish the outstanding jobs. An official ‘ribbon cutting’ ceremony and community open day will be held once these elements are complete.

We know our community can’t wait to try out the track, and check out the traffic lights – a first for Stratford! Please remember when visiting the park to play it safe and follow the golden rules of Alert Level 2.”

A blessing of the bike park will be performed by representatives from Ngāti Ruanui prior to opening to the public on Saturday 2 October.

The idea for the children’s bike park was driven by community members from a local pre-school. The concept was then consulted on throughout the 2018-2028 Long Term Plan, receiving a lot of positive support.

Through the help of external funding from Toi Foundation and Provincial Development Unit, SDC is excited to see this project open and enjoyed by the whole community in 2021.

The new Bike Park can be found on Regan Street, Victoria Park.