THE Thundersprint will go ahead in Northwich town centre next year thanks to £40,000 funding from Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC).

The classic motorbike event, scheduled for May next year, is ‘very important because it puts Northwich on the map’, according to council leader Mike Jones.

But CWAC officials still want to speak to Thundersprint company director Frank Melling about just what form the two-day bike-fest will take.

A CWAC spokesman said: “Cheshire West and Chester Council is committed to supporting the Thundersprint in 2010.

“£40,000 has been allocated to it, but discussions about the final event and its scale are still on going.”

This week, Mr Melling revealed the results of a survey undertaken by Visit Chester and Cheshire on behalf of the Northwest Development Agency, which showed the 2009 Thundersprint, brought £4.37million to the region in the form of participant, trader and visitor spending.

The report added that the Thundersprint continues to attract visitors from the whole spectrum of society, saying: “The evidence suggests that Thundersprint fills a gap in the festival and event calendar, servicing particular groups who we would not typically expect to engage with cultural events and festivals.”

Mr Melling underlined the importance of the financial support provided by CWAC and said: “The Thundersprint is a huge credit to Cheshire West and Chester Council without whose support the event would not happen.

“For me, the most exciting thing is that with the help of the council we are able to provide a world class event which has free admission, free parking and free grandstand seating.”

The event has been supported in the past by the former Vale Royal Borough Council, which even agreed to provide £40,000 for this year’s festival in May, despite the fact Vale Royal has ceased to exist the previous month.

In previous years, the council’s cash has been used to underwrite the Thundersprint’s costs and to pay Mr Melling’s fee for organising the event.

However, CWAC leader Mike Jones said: “The Thundersprint is one of the region’s success stories both in terms of the amount of revenue it generates but also in the way it provides an event which the whole community can enjoy.

“The Thundersprint is also very important because it puts Northwich on the map and is a key driver for the local economy, being one of the major events in Cheshire West and Chester”

l What do you think about the Thundersprint? Is it good for the town or could the money be better spent? Have your say at northwichguardian.co.uk.