This year’s Tour of Britain cycle race will not be visiting Caerphilly because of budget cuts, Caerphilly County Borough Council has confirmed.
For the past three years, Caerphilly town centre has hosted stage finishes for the prestigious race, but will miss out this year after the council decided it could not afford to host it.
According to council papers relating to this year’s budget, the cost of hosting a stage finish was around £51,000.
A Caerphilly County Borough Council spokesman said: “Caerphilly has enjoyed hosting the Tour of Britain for the last three years and the event has helped showcase our county borough to a global audience.
“Unfortunately, due to the severe financial constraints facing the council, we have reluctantly decided not to host the event this year. We maintain excellent links with the Tour of Britain organisers and would hope to work with them again in the future. ”
This year’s Tour of Britain will still feature a South Wales stage finish on September 9.
The race’s Stage Three finish will climax with a six-kilometre climb of The Tumble, above Abergavenny.
Alistair Grant, Commercial Director of the Tour of Britain, said he was disappointed the race would not be visiting Caerphilly but remained hopeful the event could return in the future.
He said: “We’ve had a great relationship with Caerphilly over the last several years . We have had stage finishes with the stunning backdrop of Caerphily Castle and a wonderful atmosphere from cycling fans up and down Caerphilly Mountain.
“The Tour of Britain is an event that can, and does, move around the country and it’s not an event that remains in one place. While we are slightly disappointed we are not in Caerphilly we are really looking forward to working with our partners in Monmouth.”
He added: “I’m sure we will be back in Caerphilly at some point in the future.”
Last year’s stage finish in Caerphilly town centre was enjoyed by thousands of fans who lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Olympic gold medallist Sir Bradley Wiggins.
The decision by the council not to host this year’s Tour of Britain has been met with disappointment from local cyclists.
Steve Aicheler, owner of Castle Bikes in Trethomas, said the event brought global exposure to Caerphilly County Borough.
He said: “I know from the kids’ club that we run that the Tour of Britain has a positive reaction.
“It does inspire people to get out there and ride up the mountain to challenge themselves.
“Caerphilly is the fourth worst area in the UK for people cycling to work.
“Having that race in Caerphilly did encourage people to cycle.”
He added: “Was there ever any strategic thinking behind having the race in Caerphilly and did having the race fulfil those objectives?
According to a report by Caerphilly County Borough Council in 2011, the first time the race was staged in Caerphilly, the Tour of Britain boosted the town’s economy by an estimated £300,000.
Thousands of residents have lined the streets over the last three years to watch the race come through Deri, Bargoed, Ystrad Mynach and Llanbradach.
Bedwas resident Kelly Whitefoot, 36, said the decision not to bring the tour to Caerphilly was a “huge disappointment“.
The mother-of-three said: “It’s awful.
“It’s a day when everybody comes together and the children will be disappointed.
“My son loved watching the cyclists last year with classmates as they lined the route.”
What a disaster?, what a disappointment?, But, what an incredible saving of money from the public purse at a time of severe financial constraint by Caerphilly County borough council, land locked streets in Caerphilly town and road closures aside.
Police who get paid anyway, a few signs and a few organiser who will do some managing. Drag the organisers from other council departments (even volunteers?)
I could host a stage end for a fraction of that cost. What do the council do; go on holiday with ToB organisers to decide the route?
Tourism is worth in the region of £4bn a year to Wales, this is an opportunity to promote Caerphilly to a worldwide audience and the council claim they can't find £51'000 to stage the event, they probably spend more on buffets for their endless meetings to discuss how much they're going to pay each other. Traders and businesses are being let down, the council is there to serve the people – it's turning into merely a regulatory body.
As we all know by now, party politics dominates the council and decisions are made for the good of the party and not the good of Caerphilly.
Labour could find a way to end poverty in Caerphilly. Plaid wouldn't support it though as it's not a Plaid idea. The reverse is true.
Only when parties work together and listen to each other will Caerphilly excel in the modern world.
Political parties have their own agenda, which is normally to promote themselves at the expense of the other party. In our borough we, unfortunately, have a two party system where Labour and Plaid, in recent history, take turns to run the council.
This situation can only change when voters either elect more independent candidates or candidates from other parties. If the council chamber was mixed in this way councillors would have no choice but to cooperate with elected members not belonging to their party. So, ultimately it is in the hands of the voters. If they keep on electing Labour and Plaid Cymru the situation will remain pretty much the same as it has been for all of the 21st century, so far.
Richard, you are correct in almost every part of your opinions. One thing though, we have endured a century, not just 13 years, of similar politics and it has done nothing good for south Wales.
I won't argue with that point Clive.
Understandably making cutbacks is important for every council, but making them in the right places is what is needed, An event like this can bring in excess of the £50k+ budget, I think the council has its priorities backwards. Caerphilly Councils Chief Executive suspended on FULL pay for the revised salary of £132,000. So a £132k being spend on a man sitting at home and important events like this being cancelled. Makes perfect sense. Well done caerphilly council
First of all let`s deal with the `myth` that such events and all the other town events bring in extra trade to the towns existing traders, there is absolutely no qualified testimonial which demonstrates that that happens, certainly more people attend the town to view these events, but, potential `customers` using cars to come into town do not do so during such events, in fact, they are prevented from doing so by road closures and diversions. The events office of the Caerphilly Council is a seriously professional money spender, and there is no evidence whatsoever to demonstrate that any of the events has positive `value` to the communities which are disrupted by them.
Politics aside, Richard and Clive, the fact that this move has saved the ratepayers of Caerphilly £51,000 is a `consideration` and a decision long overdue, the elected members should now consider, or rather, re-consider, many of the rest of the `events` that are promoted, paid for, and overseen by Caerphilly Council`s Chief Executive`s Departments Events Section.
One dichotomy, is the promotion by the council`s events staff, in various areas of the Borough, including the very successful, community cinema, in Bargoed, this is becoming a regular event supported by the Caerphilly Council`s Chief Executives Staff, however, when a similar event was proposed for the Caerphilly Basin area, By Labour Councillor James Pritchard, an officer from the events office made great play that such events attract an increase in Anti Social Behaviour, increased work for the local police, increased work load for the events staff, hiring of security staff, high costs of equipment hire, and lack of suitable venues in the Caerphilly Basin to hold such events, he also pointed out the high cost of hiring films.
So all in all, whats good for the events office of the Council, to promote and support in BARGOED, and, much of the success of the Bargoed event is down to the support it gets from the Labour Controlled Bargoed Town Council, is NOT good for Caerphilly town and the surrounding areas. Now, Richard and Clive, THAT'S POLITICS.
Trefor, that is the same POLITICS endured by south Wales for many decades. The trouble is the average voter in the area cannot believe the obvious. Change the system.
I agree with the general comment Clive makes, but, how to change the system, now thats a problem?