Piotr Pyszny

Given the state of the housing market, Brandon Estates is probably content to wait another two years or so.

I note Helen Hockenhull was the planning inspector who in 2021 overturned Harrogate Council's decision to refuse permission for a drive-through Starbucks on Harrogate Road (local to me) then awarded full costs of the hearing against the local authority!

Ms Hockenhull said at the end of Friday's proceedings, the inquiry would resume on Tuesday.

Consultants. Wouldn't pay 'em in buttons.

The 'surface scratcher', as I've come to think of him.

Looking more and more like a trump card.

Assume he is the bald guy who says "I don't know" quite often.

The unwell Steve Rees's evidence is likely to be of great importance. He has reinstated a stock car track at a stadium (Bradford), and the reopening there has been a success. I see 'POETS Day' applies in local government! Heading home before three o'clock on a Friday.

Interesting to hear the council's Labour group representative say, applying accepted criteria, there is no need for more housing, or a 3G pitch, in the local (presumably, Brandon/Binley Woods) area. The Labour group, he says, supports retaining sporting and cultural assets (such as Brandon Stadium).

"Available data evidence". Wow. Let's not bother doing any proper, in-depth research into the state of speedway (or, it seems, stock car racing). How much has the bald guy got paid for putting together such a surface-skimming analysis?

Yes, I've come across Sport England's participation obsession before - and the laughable statistics that support it.

1,200 people using a 3G pitch weekly against 14 riders using a speedway track over the same period. This is ludicrous. On that basis, we'd be covering, with 3G pitches, every piece of land not in use for residential, commercial or industrial purposes!

Somebody has paid the bald guy to put together an analysis of the state of speedway, using only "officially available data"? He dug so deep, he took the Oxford stadium's capacity to be what it states on the speedway club's website. Talk about money for old rope.

Right at the start, Ms Hockenhull laid out the main "bones of contention", outlined by the local press as: whether the new development would have a greater harm on the green belt; whether the stadium should be deemed as surplus to requirements; the financial viability of restoring the stadium; whether there is a need for the proposed 3G pitch; and whether its inclusion would outweigh the loss of the stadium, plus consideration of other benefits including new housing. I presume Ms Hockenhull has the necessary experience, expertise and fair-mindedness to sort the wheat from the chaff as she weighs up the various submissions. Watching this reminds me of my cub reporter days, in the 1980s, covering local authority meetings. Frequently, what took an hour could have been done in 10 minutes.

Cripes. Now, there is confusion over which is the east and which the west stand. Isn't that one of the points of a site visit?

A number of Super League rugby league clubs - Hull Kingston Rovers, for example - have this season ceased publishing official attendance figures. Three top-flight rugby union clubs no longer publish attendance figures (real or imagined) because they went out of business. Product not attractive enough to lure sufficient paying customers to sustain the business. Elite League ice hockey clubs usually publish attendance figures (although you have to seek them out). That's about it. Given the gravity of this inquiry, why attendance figures for speedway and stock car racing couldn't be divulged (the business owners must be aware what they are), I simply don't know. In the case of the former (average, shall we hazard, circa 1,200), embarrassment, most likely.

Football is now the only sport that consistently publishes official attendance figures (given the disparity between tickets sold and attendees, many of those are works of fiction).

Predictably, the defence is relying on the 'lack of appropriate qualifications, experience or expertise' argument re the costings for reinstating speedway and stock car racing at Brandon. Tricky for the pro-motorsport side, when the 'opposition' has refused access to the stadium for surveys etc.

Oxford Council's decision over the stadium at Cowley is persuasive. Let's see how Mr Carter performs under cross-examination.

You're not the only one. A shambles. In this setting, wishful thinking doesn't cut the mustard.

Did I hear him say a £51m turnover?

Sadly, as with the speedway representatives, Mr Hunter, the stock car guy, under questioning, seems rather short on hard facts. "Have you taken professional advice?" "No. It's just my view." Why don't I like the sound of that!

Sounds like it.

A Mr Hunter, from Preston - former stock car driver (also missed his full introduction - if there was one).

Inquiry advised short-term cost of circa £736,000 to restore Brandon (fire and vandal-damaged grandstand excluded) for stock car and speedway racing. Terracing on the back straight and each bend would provide a 6,000 capacity. Estimate based on 2020 site visit and 2023 photographs. Basis of estimate being questioned!