CASH-STRAPPED Ceredigion council is seeking contributions to help pay the £60,000 cost of bringing a national cycling event back to Aberystwyth.

The council’s Cabinet agreed to underwrite the cost of inviting the Pearl Izumi UK Tour Series back to Aberystwyth for a stage for the ninth year in a row.

The tour series stage held this year is estimated to have brought almost £300,000 into the Ceredigion economy.

Economic development Cabinet member Gareth Lloyd said that, as well as the economic boost, the event also helped to raise the profile of Aberystwyth and Ceredigion through national TV exposure.

Cllr Lloyd said he would support the council underwriting the £60,000 cost of hosting the event, as well as an estimated £6,000 for operational costs.

He said: “This event has become a very popular one in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion and across west Wales. It’s been coming to Aberystwyth for eight years now and is growing each year.”

For the 2016 event, the council managed to attract contributions totalling £25,000 toward the cost from local businesses, and Cllr Lloyd said he was hopeful that financial support would be forthcoming from supportive businesses.

He said: “We want to reduce the financial cost as much as we can.”

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