AN innovative scheme to recycle old, unwanted bikes, could be launched in Huddersfield within weeks.
Kirklees Council wants to start Streetbikes – a project involving young people being taught to repair and maintain bikes, which they get free.
The bikes will be salvaged from rubbish collections and from West Yorkshire Police, who seize suspected stolen bikes but cannot always find an owner.
And trained mechanics will run maintenance courses to enable young people to gain qualifications in basic skills.
The courses may be run at Colne Valley High School in Linthwaite, with practical bike repairs being carried out at a recyling site run by the Able project in the Spen Valley, close to the Greenway.
The idea follows the success of small pilot schemes last year, in which more than 300 bikes were recycled.
Council officers are backing the scheme as a way of recycling unwanted equipment but also giving training skills to young people and encouraging teenagers to take up exercise by cycling.
They are now hoping to get £9,000 in funding from the six Kirklees area committees to kickstart the project. Matched funding has already been secured from transport authority Metro.
The scheme could be launched by the end of April. The initial intention is to run it for six months through the summer and autumn, with a target of 20 bikes being re-cycled each month.
Clr Martyn Bolt, who works for a national cycling charity, said: “It is a great idea.
“Not only is it good for healthy exercise, but it takes young people and offers them a whole range of new skills at which they could shine.”
Courses in basic bike maintenance would be offered to young people who have left school or college.
Kirklees’ refuse teams are being asked to salvage bikes that are being dumped at recycling centres and tips so that the parts can be used in the scheme.
A council spokesman said: “The aims of the Streetbikes project are to help empower and skill up young people that are not in training, education or employment through recycling bikes.
“And it will also help in getting young people from deprived communities fitter by cycling.
“Streetbikes will work with Recruitline and the Connexions service to identify young people to attend the project.
“They will get training in bike maintenance, project management and social skills and gain AQA qualifications. It will greatly enhance their life.”
The council will work alongside groups such as Kirklees Active Leisure, West Yorkshire Police, British Cycling and the Cyclists Touring Club to develop the scheme.
