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Swindon Stadium


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On 10/4/2018 at 10:38 AM, steve roberts said:

Amazing to think that I created this particular thread nearly three years ago now...and it's still nowhere near being resolved despite all the promises!

Hey Steve. Have you ever heard of Otto Walker? 

Just watched a very interesting video on YouTube.....board racing....had never heard of it. 

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My understanding of the current situation regarding the planning application for the “new” Swindon Stadium is as follows.

Outline planning permission was granted on 17 August 2011

Reserved matters approval was granted sometime in 2017

A further reserved matters application was submitted on 5 January 2018 (should this really have been a totally new planning application) and the major change from all previous schemes that the rather than the Abbey Stadium being totally demolished and relocated to the south east of its current location it was proposed that the current track be shortened in length, the grandstand be rebuilt with a modular construction (basically a tin box with a balcony) and a new car park formed.

The reason given for this major change in the Speedway Star was that the previous proposed site had drainage problems (although these “drainage problems” did not stop the developers showing approx 75 new houses on the former site)

On 16 February lawyers acting for Barratt Homes (the builders of the new houses adjoining the Stadium) wrote to the council expressing their concerns about this major change to the proposed development – the major one being the lost of the buffer zone between the new houses and the new stadium the most interesting comments in their letter being the following “having processed on the basis that the stadium would be located in accordance with the approved masterplan and previously reserved matters, it would be impractical to expect my clients to redesign their own development in order to accommodate the effects of the stadium, particularly because the need to do so arises solely from a decision, taken very late in the day, to retain the stadium in its current position”  and “a further consideration that, unless suitable measures are put in place at the planning stage and then enforced to ensure that noise and other disturbance from the stadium so close to residential properties is adequately and properly mitigated, the residents of those properties may choose to bring an action for nuisance against the operators of the stadium. This could have severe consequences on the ability of the stadium to operate in the future”

The developers on 19 April agreed with the council for an extension of time to reach a decision and suggested an extension until the end of May (one assumes they meant 2018 although at the present rate of progress it could be 2081)

In mid July a batch of revised drawings were submitted mainly dealing with landscaping issues but strangely one of these was dated  April 2012 and shown the old scheme with the stadium being relocated to the south east

According to the Swindon planning web site there is no date set yet for the planning committee to discuss the application and being a speedway fan for many years and so by nature cynical about statements by promoters I would tend to treat statements by the Swindon promotion that they expect to receive planning shortly on par with comments in 1914 that “the war will be over by Christmas”

Even when/if the reserved matters application is approved it is not certain that this will be the end of the matter judging by the comments expressed by Barratt Homes lawyers in their letter. Did the decision to retain the stadium in its current position made the previous outline planning permission null and void, afterall by no stretch of the imagination could the change to the location of the stadium be called a minor amendment especially with its effect on the overall masterplan and the houses already built and occupied, and should the application made in January 2018 have been a totally new planning application and if the present reserved matters application is approved will it Barratt Homes/the owners of the new houses adjacent to the stadium apply for a judicial review.

On the subject of breaching planning approvals when the development received permission the associated travel plan stated that “the stadium operator is committed to managing spectator travel by promoting sustainable transport and managing car demand associated with stadium events” Some of measures to achieve this were

Promotion of a Swindon Robins fanzine car sharing database

Discounted parking for multi occupancy cars

Structured parking tariff at the stadium parking

Travel options and public transport info and details of structure of parking tariff to be included in programme, leaflets and web site

The plan stated that the promoters would voluntarily introduce the last three measures during the 2014 season. It would be interesting if any Swindon fans could confirm if of these measures were introduced in the 2014 season or even the 2015 season or the 2016 season or the 2017 season or the 2018 season.

 

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1 hour ago, PHILIPRISING said:

A WORD in the ear of Chris Morton about the construction of a new track would be a good idea. Cannot be the same size as the one CM designed and orchestrated at the NSS but a scaled down version  is feasible. 

Ronnie give Chris Morton a ring...

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13 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

A WORD in the ear of Chris Morton about the construction of a new track would be a good idea. 

This is exactly what should happen, I said the same on the Swindon 2019 thread back in September.

It should be the case not just with Swindon, but any new or modified track.

Edited by Stoke Potter
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The owners of Swindon Stadium simply like to spend the minimum amount of money possible, they will not worry about any residents bring any action against the Stadium for nuisance, in fact it would probably suit them to close it down then they could build more houses, and therefore increase their pension pots, they only want a good enough reason to build more houses.. hopefully the Planning Committee will turn down the newish application.

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They'll play the long game, like the Oxford situation. The land isn't going to depreciate in value and if the stadium lies derelict the locals will kick off, support a planning app and thats that. Surely the Swindon management must know in their heart of hearts

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34 minutes ago, BuxtonTiger said:

So, based on the information provided by Mr S Bear and reading between the lines there would appear to be somewhere between Nil and absolutely no chance of the current upgrading of the Abbey Stadium going ahead. That being the case does anyone know how long it can continue to operate in its present state?

It will continue until residents in the new houses start to complain. I don't know if you've been to Swindon recently, but they knocked down the away pits and have literally built a house there. That's now close the new homes are to the existing stadium.

It wouldn't surprise me if the stadium owners don't encourage the residents to complain, as that would be just the excuse they need to close the stadium and turn it into housing.

I think there is a maximum of three years of speedway left at the current stadium.

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On 10/12/2018 at 6:25 PM, ch958 said:

They'll play the long game, like the Oxford situation. The land isn't going to depreciate in value and if the stadium lies derelict the locals will kick off, support a planning app and thats that. Surely the Swindon management must know in their heart of hearts

Just like Coventry.

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On 4/3/2018 at 3:07 PM, JOS50 said:

Kingsdown Wine Vaults back running as a music venue.

A long winter ahead. Will the Abbey look any different come March April 2019. A new shaped track looks on the cards but will the pre fab stadium be in place. . Opted for various reasons to miss the entire 2018 season after 44 years following the sport main reason for my absence..  lack of promotion within sport.lack of continuity within the league.hottesst summer on record and now scrambling to complete the season....

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