Bracknell Forest Council is expected to score a major win this year by investing in an ambitious renewal of the running track at Bracknell Leisure Centre.
Because they come under different budgets, whilst politicians are being forced to make cuts to services like buses, they are allowed to invest in ‘capital’ and that includes sports facilities.
At a time when there is a ten million pound deficit on ‘revenue spending’ due to special needs provision, politicians are none-the-less expecting to be able to invest in making the athletics track the envy of the region.
The running track has a special polyurethane-based surface, often called a ‘tartan’ track although ‘Tartan’ is a brand incorrectly applied to similar products like ‘Hoover’ or ‘Biro’.
The track was originally cinder track, made from compacted, crushed coal residue, ash, and clay.
Bracknell’s 1960s synthetic surface was groundbreaking because the synthetic runway was in use here by May 1968 before the full ‘tartan’ track at Crystal Palace was opened later that year.
The Sports Centre next door opened in 1967 and a new synthetic track and stadium were opened by Neil Macfarlane MP, Minister for Sport, on September 9, 1984 following a donation by John Nike of nearby Binfield and originally had a Resisport surface.
The track was resurfaced in 2000 with polyurethane and reopened in October 2000. Following the resurfacing, an internal runway was grassed over and no longer exists.
Bracknell Athletic Club has its club house next to the track.
According to the UK running track directory, in 1998 there were tentative plans to build an indoor 200m track on the site but these plans were never realised.
Overall, Bracknell is investing more than £650,000 in local leisure facilities, including the running track at Bracknell Leisure Centre and essential maintenance at Coral Reef Waterworld and Downshire Golf Course.
The draft budget was approved at a cabinet meeting on February 11 and is expected to be passed at full council on Wednesday, March 11.
