Since the late 1970s Ellon has had a few attempts at building cycling and skating facilities.  When the skateboard revolution started around 1980 Ellon skaters would head off to Fraserburgh or Aberdeen to ride the new skate facilities there. In the 1990s a group called Ellon Chiels on Wheels raised funds in Ellon for wooden skate ramps and a quarter pipe. These were stored at Ellon Academy and at Willie’s Shelter in Gordon Park. Unfortunately, these were destroyed along with the shelter in a fire and the project was abandoned.

In the 2010s when the new Ellon Community Campus was being built a cycle circuit was included in the designs. Due to safety concerns with car parking, the circuit couldn’t be used and was abandoned. Youth cyclists used the old academy car park for cycle practice before this became a building site and unsafe for cycling.

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In 2016/2017 there was an attempt to set up a wheel park group looking at various sites in and around Ellon but there was a lack of drive and little sign of investment.

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In 2020 Scottish Cycling announced that the Cycling World Championships were being held in Scotland in 2023 and as part of that there would be an eight-million-pound investment in facilities in Scotland. This would be administered by Sportscotland and Scottish Cycling. 

A group of volunteers set up Ellon Wheel Park Group as a not-for-profit organisation and declared an expression of interest in a share of the Cycling Facilities Fund.  The aim was to build a fantastic fully inclusive accessible facility that could be used by anyone with an interest in manual powered wheeled sport no matter what their ability. A safe place for people to play, be creative and have fun. The park was to be suitable for use by young or old beginners and experts. There then began a busy period where money was raised for a feasibility study carried out by experienced sports facility project managers (Alan Jones Associates). 

A consultation survey was launched, the Ellon Wheel Park Group was formally set up, governance documents were drawn up and bank accounts opened and, publicity was sought in the local press and on social media (We were in the midst of the Covid global pandemic). Discussions were held with the council, local trusts, other sports clubs, police, councillors, youth groups, building developers and local farmers.  Local residents even put round flyers to ensure that people living near Gordon Park were aware of the proposed development at the lower section of Gordon Park.

Options for the site of a wheel park facility were narrowed down to three. These were Deer Park, land beside the community campus and the lower section of Gordon Park.  In the end, Deer Park was ruled out because the Ellon Castle Gardens Trust had other plans for the park and the community campus land was ruled out because the developers were not ready to start work there and it was still being used for farming. Neither alternative site was available.

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Discussions began with Aberdeenshire Council regarding a community asset transfer of the lower section of Gordon Park to the Group and a 25-year lease was formally agreed at an open council meeting in early 2022. Later in 2022, at another open council meeting, planning permission for a wheel park consisting of a skatepark zone, a pump track zone and a cycle circuit zone with beginners areas was approved.

Alongside this work the Wheel Park Group went out to tender for a company to design and build the park through Public Contracts Scotland. Ten noted interested were registered and in the end Velosolutions UK and Ireland were chosen as the successful company.

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It was clear from the feasibility study and tender submissions that the group would need a lot more money than the £400,000 from the Cycling Facilities Fund so fundraising continued at a macro level to get the money for construction and at a micro level to allow the project to continue operationally. Major funding was received from Aberdeenshire Place Based Investment, EB Scotland (landfill), Rural Community Led Vision Fund and developers obligations. This has led to an incredible amount of over £755,000 pounds being raised for investment in Ellon and this is enough to start construction of phase 1 of the wheel park which consists of the construction of the cycle circuit and the pumptrack advanced and beginner’s areas.

Initailly it was hoped that construction can start later in summer 2023.

Meanwhile funding and money raising continues for phase 2 (skatepark zone) and the Wheel Park Group has applied to become a SCIO.

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Into 2024 and we finally got to a position where we could start construction on phase 1 (pump track and circuit).

Velosolutions with Paul and team on site are doing a great job.

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Art the beginning of June 2024 phase 1 of the wheel park was officially opened at the Ellon Gala day.  Over the first month of opening the response has been tremendous with the pump track drawing in hundreds of folk using it. Every day and evening its packed with people enjoying themselves. 

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Meanwhile work goes on. The ground is proving to be difficultly to reseed due to very dry weather and stoney ground. Some of the turf has slipped and died. This will all be rectified over the next few months as grass and wildflowers begin to grow.