A MOVE to plough a further £25,000 of taxpayers money into community parties to celebrate and support the UCI World Cycling Championships has been welcomed.

Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board is expected to approve using the funds to meet the costs of events being staged in hamlets, villages and towns across the 1,318sq km area in the autumn.

While the championships will be held over nine days, Richmond will host the start of the Men’s Junior road race on September 26 and the district will also feature in the Men’s Elite road race on September 29.

The junior race route will include Catterick Garrison, Leyburn, Redmire, Carperby, Aysgarth and West Burton, while the elite race will feature Aysgarth, Bainbridge, Hawes, Swaledale, Leyburn and East Witton.

An officers’ report to the corporate board states: “As with the Tour de France and the Tour de Yorkshire one of the main features of hosting an event such as this is the way in which the local communities come together to celebrate and support the race.

“As well as being a major sporting event in its own right, bringing household names in the world of cycling to our towns and villages the race will be a further showcase for the region and an opportunity for those hosting a start or a finish to promote the various towns and communities that feature in the race.” The officers report states Richmondshire’s participation in the championships was in a large part due to the “huge success of both the Tour de France in 2014 and the Tour de Yorkshire in 2018”.

It has been proposed that Richmond, as a host town the rest of the district share £20,000, with a maximum of £2,000 per event.

As there is the potential for communities who are not directly on the route to seek support for an event, it has been suggested no restriction is imposed based upon geography.

Leyburn Town Council chairman, Councillor Richard Sanderson said the town’s authority had already set aside funding in this year’s budget to help the community celebrate the event and would seek sponsorship from local businesses, but an extra injection from the district council would be welcomed. He said the town’s event could be focused on the elite race and would be likely to include a big screen for crowds to watch the race as well as live music.

Cllr Sanderson said feedback from previous cycling events had indicated that it led to a significant boost for many businesses, before, during and after races. He said: “We feel events such as this help to keep Leyburn and Wensleydale on the map and coverage of the UCI World Championships goes all over the world. It is quite a coup for Yorkshire.”