Northstowe pumps up fun at official track opening

Residents and young people joined lead riding stars, Alex McDonald and Gee Northam, for demonstrations and the chance to get on a bike and try the new track for themselves

A new pump track in Northstowe, one of the UK’s most significant new towns under development, has been officially opened with a community celebration bringing together residents, young people, leading BMX riders, and local partners.

The track took centre stage during the event on Friday 21 August, with BMX racer Alex McDonald and World Cup downhill mountain biker Gee Northam showcasing their skills for the crowd.

Following the official opening, residents and young people were invited to get involved through supervised try-a-bike sessions, giving them the chance to experience the track for themselves.

Visitors were able to stop by the Northstowe Secondary College café for refreshments before walking up to the pump track to pick up a Northstowe goody bag upon arrival and enjoy ice cream served from a tricycle. A community competition was also announced to get involved in shaping the track’s identity, with a competition to design a new welcome sign for the Northstowe Pump Track.

The celebration included short remarks from Dean Harris, senior planning and enabling manager at Homes England, Oliver Underwood, design and construction lead at Clark & Kent, and Cllr Joe Birr-Pixton, Northstowe’s deputy mayor. This was followed by the official opening and photographs with residents, riders, and local partners involved in bringing the facility forward. 

The pump track adds another outdoor space for Northstowe’s growing community to enjoy, supporting the town’s ambition to encourage an active, healthy, and fun lifestyle. It provides the community and riders with another place to be active outdoors and spend time together as the town continues to grow.

Cllr Joe Birr-Pixton, Northstowe’s deputy mayor, said: “The pump track is a welcome addition to Northstowe’s growing range of sporting facilities, and it is another reason for people to get outside and be active.

“Seeing the track full of activity at today’s opening shows what facilities like this can bring to a growing town. I hope it becomes a much-loved part of community life in Northstowe.”

Dean Harris, senior planning and enabling manager at Homes England, said: “Seeing families and the wider community having fun on the pump track is what we hoped the facility would bring. Northstowe is a place where people have opportunities to get outdoors to be active and enjoy their home town - and this is another addition to that. 

“It’s particularly fitting that local people have been at the heart of the official opening. We want spaces like this to become part of everyday life in Northstowe, and we’re grateful to everyone who has helped bring the track forward.”

Oliver Underwood, design and construction lead at Clark & Kent, said: “We love to see our tracks being enjoyed by the community. A lot of thought went into the track’s distinctive design, with a layout that allows riders of different ages and abilities to enjoy it and keep coming back. 

“We’re proud to have played our part in delivering something a little different for Northstowe, and to see it already becoming a place where people can enjoy being active and build their confidence.”