We have a plan…

Cycling to work is all very well, but unless you’re very fortunate in your choice of workplace there’s a good chance that you’ve got nowhere safe to park your bike and nowhere to clean yourself up before work. Bristol City Council’s transport plan identified the need for a ‘resource centre’ to provide these essential bike commuter facilities in order to encourage more cycling in and out of Bristol’s often-heaving city centre.

Well-known local bike shop and cafe, Mud Dock, quickly got involved, and two years later they’ve been awared a £50,000 grant from the Department for Transport’s Cycling Projects Fund. That grant has been matched by the City Council and the new facility is currently awaiting planning approval.

The plan is for a 99sq m building, containing secure indoor bike parking, showers and changing rooms, personal lockers, dry cleaning service plus an information centre. It’ll all go in a brand new building connected to Mud Dock’s existing premises on The Grove, Bristol. The centre will have its own access (it’ll be operating outside normal shop hours) but will connect to the existing Mud Dock workshop. The roof area will also be combined with Mud Dock’s existing terrace, making the locally-famous al fresco dining/coffee drinking location four times bigger.

Assuming there are no planning hitches, the centre should be open in late Spring 2003. What it doesn’t have yet is a name – Mud Dock would be delighted to receive suggestions… You can keep up to date with developments at www.muddock.com.