AMBITIOUS proposals have been unveiled to create a £130,000 BMX facility beside the Steven Burke cycling hub in Nelson.

Andy McGee and Manny Bashah are hopeful their pump track, near the Swinden site, will do for their sport what the Olympic gold medallist’s has done for cycling.

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Currently there is rundown bike trail track, adjacent to the hub, which has fallen into disuse – under the friends’ bid it would be completely overhauled, with a new skills track and car park also envisaged.

Andy, who is from Nelson but now lives in Colne, said: “We are trying to get everyone involved and we’ve been working with the likes of Cycle Sport Pendle and Go Velo, to get things off the ground.

“There is a track next to the hub but it looks like it was never really thought through enough and we want to make a difference.

“I started riding when I was around 10 and I’ve just come back to BMX now that my lad, Thomas, who’s now 10 himself, is riding.”

Manny, from Nelson, whose own 10-year-old Abdullaah rides with Thomas, added: “We reckon that around £110,000 would cover everything that we want to do with the new track, skills area and car park.

“We’ve been looking at what they’ve done with Lee Quarry, with the Adrenaline Gateway. There is nothing like this for around 30 miles and our lads have to travel to Bradford, Heywood or Preston.”

An approach has been made to the Nelson and Barrowford area committee, which will consider making contributions which can be used as an anchor to secure funding.

The pairing has already put on a public display of their plans at the Colne Grand Prix and also intend to have a stand at the Tour of Britain event in September, when a stage finish is hosted by Colne, with BMX now named as an Olympic sport itself after 2012.