Oxford

[Triple.H.]

Since they developed the stadium you could barely hear the bikes on the Leys.

Though you could hear them down Cowley Rd.

So with all the new silencers it shouldn't be a problem but someone no doubt will kick up a fuss

[Midland Red]

FROM today's Oxford Mail - http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14292087.Campaigners_use_car_bumper_stickers_in_bid_to_bring_greyhound_racing_back_to_Oxford_Stadium/

 

(Does that look journalistic of me, starting off with a word in capital letters?!)

[Hobnob Smith]

Brought up on Blackbird Leys....and proud of it!

Born on Blackbird leys and proud

[Ray Stadia]

Born on Blackbird leys and proud

Born in Rayleigh....was proud, until they demolished the speedway stadium!

[Deano]

Just read the GRA have sold Hall Green Dog stadium in Birmingham to developers. So it appears the GRA are definately winding up.

[SteveLyric2]

....or winding down?? ;-)

[remembertheracers]

I believe the GRA folded before, back in the 70's and they have huge debts to Irish banks.

[Dave Jones]

The GRA don't actually own the Hall Green stadium, it was sold in 2014 to Euro Property Investments apparently for 3M.

 

The greyhounds have a 15 year lease with a break clause after 5 years, so they are safe until then, unless they opt to get out earlier.

 

Fortunately Perry Barr is owned by Birmingham Council so the GRA can't sell that one.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Dave Jones

[Deano]

Dave they are bulldozing Hall Green in 2018.

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/crying-shame-hall-green-stadium-10936461

Edited February 24, 2016 by Deano

[Dave Jones]

Dave they are bulldozing Hall Green.

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/crying-shame-hall-green-stadium-10936461

I know , that wasn't my point.

 

It was suggested that it was down to the GRA , it isn't.

[Deano]

I know , that wasn't my point.

 

It was suggested that it was down to the GRA , it isn't.

 

Ahh I see, apologies. Well I guess they did sell it to a property developer.. who would only buy it to raze it to the ground.

[ovalfan]

Dave they are bulldozing Hall Green in 2018.

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/crying-shame-hall-green-stadium-10936461

Paper are slightly ahead of themselves as planning app only just gone in and not discussed/agreed yet. Although i think we know what the outcome will be..... Thankfully GRA dont actually own perry barr, they tried to, so fortunately looks like the brummies will be safe for a while yet.

[Midland Red]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-36334882

 

 

A "number of hurdles" lie in the way of a city authority using a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to buy a greyhound stadium, its leader has said.

Oxford Stadium in Blackbird Leys has not been used for greyhound racing since it was closed in 2012.

Bob Price, Oxford City Council leader, called the hurdles "legal and financial and I think those are not trivial".

The authority wants speedway and greyhound racing to return to the stadium.

A CPO allows public bodies who need land or property to buy it without the owner's consent.

Mr Price said: "We have to have a contract with somebody who's willing to run the stadium on a business basis, so we have to find that person or persons and establish a contract with them before we can proceed.

"That's something that we are now in the course of doing and we'll take that forward over the next weeks and months."

However, he said he "would be daft to be optimistic about it, but we have a way forward".

Last year a High Court judge approved the council's move to list the stadium as a conservation area.

Owners the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) were refused permission to build 220 homes on the land in 2014.

[Midland Red]

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/14508220.Compulsory_purchase_of_Oxford_Stadium___39_could_take_two_years__39_/?ref=mr&lp=17

 

 

Compulsory purchase of Oxford Stadium 'could take two years'

 

FRUSTRATION is growing among campaigners hoping to save Oxford Stadium as it was revealed seizing back the site could take at least two years.

Since January, lawyers at Oxford City Council have been exploring the possibility of a compulsory purchase order (CPO) to haul back ownership of the site in Blackbird Leys.

But leader Bob Price said yesterday a number of legal and financial issues still stood in the way, including the need to compensate current owners GRA Acquisition.

He said: "We sought the opinion of a QC, who has given us a clear legal opinion as our lawyers aren't experts in this particular area.

"No-one can tell how long it will take because the preconditions are quite taxing.

"It involves both funding an operator for the future leisure facility, to sign a contract to say that they can do it, and thinking about the compensation for the current owner. We have no idea how much it will cost."

The former greyhound and Speedway racetrack was closed in 2012 after owners argued it was no longer "viable", despite making a gross profit of £2.5m that year.

In 2014, an application by GRA Acquisition's co-parent company Galliard Homes to build 220 homes on the land was turned down.

It was later listed as a conservation area but has fallen into a dilapidated state. No fresh plans for the site have come from the owners and Oxfordshire residents' attempts to buy the land have so far not responded yielded a response.

Steventon farmer Bob Tyrrell, who entered three separate bids for the site, said he was happy to enter into a contract with the council for the CPO but not if it took forever.

He said: "I was at a big meeting with Bob Price and some others last week and people are hopeful, but they said it could take another two years.

"There's a load of conditions that have to be met beforehand, then it's got to go to the Secretary of State, and if they say no we've done all this work for nothing.

"Everybody is trying but it's just not going anywhere. I would still be on board but it depends on the price, and not if it's going to take another two years."

Ian Sawyer, chairman of the Save Our Stadium campaign, insisted there was still movement but said nerves were beginning to fray.

He said: "There is a lot of frustration, but when you're involving lawyers and solicitors it's a long-winded process. Things are progressing but not as quickly as we would like.

"We have agreed to plan what we need to do now to drive things forward. We will be making sure the maintenance plan is in place, and keeping the group going."

Edited May 23, 2016 by Midland Red

[Guest]

As suggested elsewhere by racers and royals, I have looked at this thread and concede that it is informative but IMO things don't look very optimistic for Oxford's speedway future at the moment.

 

 

This is the previous thread as mentioned in regard to Oxford speedway:

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=64382

 

And here's another very interesting comment on Oxford Speedway that I liked very much.

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=81775&do=findComment&comment=2792476

 

As a matter of interest, I have long links in regard to Oxford speedway. An old friend, the late Jimmy Coy (ex-Wimbledon and Eastbourne) rode for them in the 1949-50s era.

 

Another in similar role and well known at Oxford for may years circa 1949 onwards was George Bason, the old Southampton captain, who after his racing retirement was for many years mechanics for the Oxford rider Peter Robinson.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Guest

[Triple.H.]

Gustix

The mighty Cheetahs of Oxford are taking an enforced sabbatical to allow lesser teams such as Coventry,Swindon and Poole get a few titles under their belts

[Guest]

Gustix

The mighty Cheetahs of Oxford are taking an enforced sabbatical to allow lesser teams such as Coventry,Swindon and Poole get a few titles under their belts

 

Now I fully understand the situation in regard to the Oxford situation! Thank you Triple.H. for this response.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Guest