Jump to content
British Speedway Forum

KENT 2019


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...

Tbh I ve not looked it up for a while. It's that horrible time of year, all the new riders have been announced,  and there is not much going on news worthy so we try to find other distractions. Mine seems to be working far to many hours and being on nights the world passes me by. Good news is I dont get paid for the extra work I get owed hours so the taxman dont get a bonus and I can get days off for away meetings once the season starts.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having seen his tenaciousness and not wanting to destroy spooner after his upturn in form last year I’d personally run with 

1. Kemp 2. Spooner 3. Rowe 4. Ledwith 5. Jenkins 6. Gilkes 7. Ablitt only because Gilkes has had expireiemce and it’ll be a nicer way to ease Ablitt into competitive racing as well as that I feel Rowe hasn’t ridden as a second heat leader but I’m sure Jenkins has ridden at number 5 in the past few seasons a couple of times? - correct me if I’m wrong. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Dickie Head said:

Oh dear. Unless I have read this wrongly, it looks like the change of race day is likely to be rejected on 7 March or shortly thereafter.

Edited by Rob Dyer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Rob Dyer said:

Oh dear. Unless I have read this wrongly, it looks like the change of race day is likely to be rejected on 7 March.

Having read all the letters of objection ( thanks to the online details given by Rob Dyer), I am amazed at the objections which refer

to things like air pollution. As a regular attendant at Speedway for many many years, I have never considered air pollution to be a

factor.  I simply do not believe that local residents could suffer such an intrusion.  Noise in itself has always been a factor that our

sport has had to deal with and we all know that silencers which have been compulsory for a long time now HAVE worked. Even inside a stadium

the noise levels are way below what they used to be and it is even noticeable that bikes at the far end of the stadium cannot be heard as much

as when they are close.  It therefore MUST follow that outside of the stadium, it HAS to be much lower.   None the less I accept that some local

residents near any Speedway stadium COULD hear the bikes and it COULD be a nuisance.  However, this has nothing to do with a change of race

day. To my mind, if there is noise intrusion ( always debateable) what difference does the day it takes place matter ?  Saturday, I would guess, would

be the lesser of all evils, given a choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's not good news for Kent or Speedway.

The Planning Dept seem pretty fixated against any change of race night and we have seen elsewhere that it is very hard to change initial opinions.

Unless the current 3 League, fixed race night in PL structure is changed, Kent are basically stuck in the NL with the only Monday night option being PL.

Can Len risk a move to the PL? massive increase in costs on gates of  600-700? if he can only run Mondays?

Kent solace may be 1 League and Monday night in one big League but can crowds cover increased costs?

Edited by HGould
small grammar change
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, HGould said:

That's not good news for Kent or Speedway.

The Planning Dept seem pretty fixated against any change of race night and we have seen elsewhere that it is very hard to change initial opinions.

Unless the current 3 League, fixed race night in PL structure is changed, Kent are basically stuck in the NL with the only Monday night option being PL.

Can Len risk a move to the PL? massive increase in costs on gates of  600-700? if he can only run Mondays?

Kent solace may be 1 League and Monday night in one big League but can crowds cover increased costs?

The way the sport is heading, most of the tracks will be down to Kent's level in a couple of years. If they survive that is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Planning councillors are never keen when someone gets planning permission for one thing and keeps returning with new applications to amend/change what they already have.

Yes, in my experience Richard, if you are turned down once, best tactic is to walk away; leave it, take a bit of time and fine tune and try again 18-24 months later.

Not the kind of committees to annoy with what they grow to think are futile appeals.

Would have thought Kent have someone professional helping them as us fans are not always ideal in these cases as we have an emotional attachment that planning geeks just dont understand. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see what the published minutes give as the reason for refusal. The way the discussion ( and the planning officer's report) have gone lead me to conclude that an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate would have a high chance of success. 

It would not however help with this season's fixture planning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Planning councillors are never keen when someone gets planning permission for one thing and keeps returning with new applications to amend/change what they already have.

Surely though it is in the Councils interest that a facility is used the best it can.The more people that can be attracted into the area the better? I don't know though how many times planning applications have been entered.And of course residents concerns have to be taken into account.But like someone else has stated it is only a change of day, and the weekend I would have thought is better than a monday

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

As I understood it, Kent wanted the possibility of racing on a Saturday and the following Monday.

You can see why neighbours could be upset, especially if this was over a bank holiday.

I very much doubt that this is the case.  With the comparatively small official fixture list, I do not see that Kent would want to race more

than once a week.  Just does not make any sense.  BUT this is probably the misunderstanding which caused the current refusal.  Be interesting

to see what the official reason was.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Here is the official reason for refusal: 

The Council hereby REFUSES Planning Permission for the above for the following Reason(s):

8 March 2019

  (1) Whilst consideration has been given to the benefits the use brings to the town and the wider Borough, and the benefits which would arise as the result of the proposal, the use of the site for the holding of league and cup speedway meetings on Saturdays would give rise to demonstrable and substantial harm to the living conditions of nearby residents by virtue of noise and disturbance. The proposal is contrary to Policy DM14 of the Swale Borough Local Plan 2017 and to the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework and National Planning Policy Guidance in relation to Noise.

That is one alarming denial reason given. If noise is deemed harmful on a Saturday it asks the question why is it not deemed harmful on a Monday night. Whilst the decision taken completely contradicts the current permission given it must open the door for the local anti speedway brigade to try and get it shut down all together?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to sadly agree with Richard, it would in my opinion have been wiser to wait and try again later in the year and give longer to prepare the case better.

If Local Authority Planning turns against you, a very sticky wicket.

Kent also left in position of turning all Provisional Dates in to actual dates and a nightmare so far for away visitors in particular to plan and Monday is so tough travel wise from North or West.

I am sad to say, as have a lot of respect for Len, that this has not been handled particularly well.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ironically the complaints come mainly from one road, that road has a music festival taking place at a social club at the end of its road this summer, wonder how the locals will enjoy that....

Interestingly I believe the site still has permission to host Football matches upto 11.30pm wuth no restriction on days, and i think still has per.ission to hold 4 outside music events, making this decision and the objections a lot more baffling.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy