THE wheels are in motion to bring the Brentwood Cycle Race back to town.

Brentwood Borough Council has instructed a team to look into the possibility of staging the race, some six years after it was last held.

And the comeback race could be held as early as next year, though realistically it looks as though the first race will be in 2016.

The popular event was held every year in June for six years, but was cancelled in 2009 due to works to improve Brentwood High Street.

An event was planned for 2010, but did not go ahead due to the new layout of the High Street.

But last week, the deputy leader of the council William Lloyd revealed that plans to revive the elite race are being discussed.

Phil Baker, a keen cyclist and Brentwood First councillor for Shenfield, is spearheading the campaign.

He said: “We’re talking to the different parties involved.

“The problem is there’s a forward plan that organises the sequence of races and where they’re going to be. We’re just trying to get into that. Whether we’re going to be able to do that for next year or the year after is unclear at the moment.”

Mr Baker added that the 30km route will have to be altered, due to the narrowness of the High Street compared with six years ago.

He added: “There are a few hurdles to cross, but I’m determined to bring it back.

“It brought residents and non-residents out onto the street and into the town. It’s great. And since the last race six years ago the interest in cycling has escalated tremendously.”

In 2006, Mr Baker was part of a team trying to tempt the Olympic Committee to hold the mountain bike event at South Weald Park, but that ultimately went to Hadleigh, in Castle Point, as the trees at the park would have made it difficult to film.

He said: “In retrospect, that decision was  right,but it was a blow at the time.”

The bid to bring the race back ties in nicely with the council’s hopes of getting more people on their bikes.

Mr Lloyd said: “With the Tour de France coming to Essex, we saw just how popular cycling is.”