Brandon Update

[Dave Jones]

4 minutes ago, Sir Sidney said:

https://www.savecoventryspeedway.com/news.php?extend.4309.1

Thanks. I couldn’t get any sense from my computer when i tried 😁😁

[IainB]

Can I suggest, if you don't have time to compose an email, that you use an AI to compose one for you, the results are quite remarkable!

I've used Google Gemini (you'll need a Google account to use this) and entered: "create an email to Rugby Council in support of the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon for speedway and stock car racing and other motor sports together with other community uses in the new Rugby Local Plan. Planning permission should not be granted for development proposals which would conflict with these objectives. Also include the need for leisure activities for local and national people". The text in bold is taken from the Save Coventry Speedway website and I've just added a bit to the end, you may want to replace with your own thoughts for a different text, the more you put in, the more you'll get out.

The result:

Dear Rugby Council,

Subject: Restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, and the Rugby Local Plan

I am writing to express my strong support for the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, for the purpose of speedway, stock car racing, and other motorsports, alongside diverse community uses. I urge the council to ensure that the new Rugby Local Plan supports this objective and to reject any planning applications that conflict with it.

The restoration of Coventry Stadium holds immense value for several reasons:

• Preservation of Heritage: The stadium is a historic venue for motorsports, holding a special place in the hearts of many local and national enthusiasts.

• Boost to Local Economy: Restoring the stadium would attract visitors from across the country, stimulating the local economy and supporting businesses.

• Community Benefits: The stadium can serve as a hub for a variety of community activities, providing valuable leisure and recreational opportunities for residents of all ages. There is a need for leisure activities for local and national people.

• Tourism: The stadium has the potential to attract national and international tourists.

Granting planning permission for development proposals that would hinder the restoration of the stadium would be a great loss for the community and for the future of motorsports in the region. It is crucial that the Rugby Local Plan reflects the importance of this facility.

I urge you to consider the significant benefits of restoring Coventry Stadium, to ensure its inclusion and support within the Rugby Local Plan, and to guarantee that all planning decisions align with the best interests of the community.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[Your Email]

[Your Phone Number (Optional)]

 

Obviously, give it a proof read and tweak if necessary and send to localplan@rugby.gov.uk

 

Edited April 16 by IainB

[Dave Jones]

49 minutes ago, IainB said:

Can I suggest, if you don't have time to compose an email, that you use an AI to compose one for you, the results are quite remarkable!

I've used Google Gemini (you'll need a Google account to use this) and entered: "create an email to Rugby Council in support of the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon for speedway and stock car racing and other motor sports together with other community uses in the new Rugby Local Plan. Planning permission should not be granted for development proposals which would conflict with these objectives. Also include the need for leisure activities for local and national people". The text in bold is taken from the Save Coventry Speedway website and I've just added a bit to the end, you may want to replace with your own thoughts for a different text, the more you put in, the more you'll get out.

The result:

Dear Rugby Council,

Subject: Restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, and the Rugby Local Plan

I am writing to express my strong support for the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, for the purpose of speedway, stock car racing, and other motorsports, alongside diverse community uses. I urge the council to ensure that the new Rugby Local Plan supports this objective and to reject any planning applications that conflict with it.

The restoration of Coventry Stadium holds immense value for several reasons:

• Preservation of Heritage: The stadium is a historic venue for motorsports, holding a special place in the hearts of many local and national enthusiasts.

• Boost to Local Economy: Restoring the stadium would attract visitors from across the country, stimulating the local economy and supporting businesses.

• Community Benefits: The stadium can serve as a hub for a variety of community activities, providing valuable leisure and recreational opportunities for residents of all ages. There is a need for leisure activities for local and national people.

• Tourism: The stadium has the potential to attract national and international tourists.

Granting planning permission for development proposals that would hinder the restoration of the stadium would be a great loss for the community and for the future of motorsports in the region. It is crucial that the Rugby Local Plan reflects the importance of this facility.

I urge you to consider the significant benefits of restoring Coventry Stadium, to ensure its inclusion and support within the Rugby Local Plan, and to guarantee that all planning decisions align with the best interests of the community.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[Your Email]

[Your Phone Number (Optional)]

 

Obviously, give it a proof read and tweak if necessary and send to localplan@rugby.gov.uk

 

That's brilliant, I'd  already sent my email using the "old fashioned method"😄 . Every message to the council will count .

i am just getting the impression that we could see Brandon back up & running again in the not too distant future, fingers crossed. 

Edited April 16 by Dave Jones

[MattB]

.

[R87]

Deluded im sad to say.  There's not a chance of this happening.  It will cost millions to restore the site - money they simply don't have available.  The current climate is not conducive to reopening a Speedway track in the UK. 

[heathen52]

Despite the superhuman efforts of SCS this is only going to end in one way, unless Rugby Council put in a compulsory purchase on the site Brandon Estates are simply going to sit on things until such time as they feel the time is right for another planning application, sad but that is the reality.

Edited Friday at 08:48 AM by heathen52

[Racin Jason 72]

2 hours ago, R87 said:

Deluded im sad to say.  There's not a chance of this happening.  It will cost millions to restore the site - money they simply don't have available.  The current climate is not conducive to reopening a Speedway track in the UK. 

That’s what they said about Oxford. 

[naffer]

Of course it’s a challenge and can go either way but there is hope.

Rugby BC are backing the return of motorsports.

There is a consortium with the relevant funds and expertise to manage the project 

 

And we have Cecil

 

up the bees

Edited Friday at 10:06 AM by naffer
Spelling

[DaveWayne]

4 hours ago, R87 said:

Deluded im sad to say.  There's not a chance of this happening.  It will cost millions to restore the site - money they simply don't have available.  The current climate is not conducive to reopening a Speedway track in the UK. 

I am not in any way confident that this will be successful due to past experience with other venues, but it won't be through lack of finance. The stock car person who has had the 'offer on the table' from day one is a multi millionaire who owns one of the biggest vegetable wholesale companies in the UK. His interest in reopening Brandon is purely based on his sporting interests, not turning a profit.

[hammer1969]

Just sent in my comments using parts of the templates that IanB posted above which was very helpful, the more of us that comment the better.

[R87]

On 4/18/2025 at 9:59 AM, Racin Jason 72 said:

That’s what they said about Oxford. 

And how long is that likely to last?  Developers wanted to knock Oxford Stadium down before.  Only a matter of time before they come knocking again.  Same with any other track in the UK.  Once a property developer bats his eyelids at a speedway track,  it's game over I'm afraid.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Until Brandon Estates play ball nothing will ever happen and when you’re dealing with a pot of gold that is potentially 200+houses owned by company without morals you ain’t going to win, quite frankly I wouldn’t trust a council as much as Brandon Estates, said it before imo if Coventry speedway looked elsewhere they would of been back by now 

[Toady]

4 hours ago, R87 said:

And how long is that likely to last?  Developers wanted to knock Oxford Stadium down before.  Only a matter of time before they come knocking again.  Same with any other track in the UK.  Once a property developer bats his eyelids at a speedway track,  it's game over I'm afraid.

Until 2032 and maybe beyond.

[naffer]

The alternate venue route was looked at but dismissed as futile. There was a site put forward near Brandon village, away from any built up areas, it was eco friendly etc but failed at the first hurdle and considered inappropriate not worthy of even trying for planning.

Other sites were explored but it was deemed the best chance was to remain at the site that has the permission to run motorsports.

I do get the impression though that this will be resolved one way or the other this year.

[IainB]

Now I don't want to be a negative Nancy and nothing would please me more than the return of Speedway to Brandon but unless the campaign are privy to some information that's not being released I'm not quite sure what this latest outburst of unbridled optimism is all about?

If they're pinning their hopes on the addition of that paragraph in the Local Plan then I wouldn't get too excited about it as the shenanigans at Peterborough prove that the Local Plan isn't worth the paper it's written on!

As somebody else has commented unless there's a compulsory purchase order made on the stadium BE still hold all the cards as they can just sit on their plans (whatever they are) and wait for the council to change at some point in the future. 

I'm not sure we're any further on than we were this time last year, correct me if I'm wrong. 

Still... get your emails in folks it certainly can't hurt. 

Edited Sunday at 12:16 PM by IainB

[IanBrannan]

Can’t believe the amount of negativity on here from so called speedway fans. They have worked for 8 years to get to this point, there is no prospect of the land being developed, they already have the investors and therefore the funds needed to make the stadium usable again, they have a promoter, already licensed and with his own funds in Matt Ford. The council also support it, this is about speedway being a part of the official plan for Coventry for the coming years. All future developments have to go on this plan, speedway or otherwise, the restoration of Brandon Stadium gets in this list then it’s much more duty bound to happen. Sony forget it is not just about speedway, stock cars are also invested in this too, and other community uses. 
 

Just write a quick letter supporting it and leave the rest to those who know what they’re doing. 

[IainB]

12 minutes ago, IanBrannan said:

Can’t believe the amount of negativity on here from so called speedway fans. They have worked for 8 years to get to this point, there is no prospect of the land being developed, they already have the investors and therefore the funds needed to make the stadium usable again, they have a promoter, already licensed and with his own funds in Matt Ford. The council also support it, this is about speedway being a part of the official plan for Coventry for the coming years. All future developments have to go on this plan, speedway or otherwise, the restoration of Brandon Stadium gets in this list then it’s much more duty bound to happen. Sony forget it is not just about speedway, stock cars are also invested in this too, and other community uses. 
 

Just write a quick letter supporting it and leave the rest to those who know what they’re doing. 

You may call it negativity, I call it realism. Who owns the land? You can't just go around opening Speedway tracks on other people's land without their say so. The Local Plan is just being ignored at Peterborough, it clearly states a new facility should be provided if the existing one is demolished, there is no sign of this happening. The Local Plan is only a guide and doesn't seem that it is legally enforceable. 

At Brandon, nothing has changed. 

Edited Sunday at 11:53 AM by IainB

[noaksey]

On 4/20/2025 at 12:22 PM, IainB said:

Now I don't want to be a negative Nancy and nothing would please me more than the return of Speedway to Brandon but unless the campaign are privy to some information that's not being released I'm not quite sure what this latest outburst of unbridled optimism is all about?

If they're pinning their hopes on the addition of that paragraph in the Local Plan then I wouldn't get too excited about it as the shenanigans at Peterborough prove that the Local Plan isn't worth the paper it's written on!

As somebody else has commented unless there's a compulsory purchase order made on the stadium BE still hold all the cards as they can just sit on their plans (whatever they are) and wait for the council to change at some point in the future. 

I'm not sure we're any further on than we were this time last year, correct me if I'm wrong. 

Still... get your emails in folks it certainly can't hurt. 

I can't see a CPO in this climate plus it would undoubtedly be subject to a legal challenge (depending on the cpo price) that would potentially incur the council in substantial legal costs 

I'd say negotiation remains the only hope for Cov however slim that possibility is. I do however wish them all the very best 

[1 valve]

On 4/18/2025 at 7:49 AM, R87 said:

There's not a chance of this happening.  It will cost millions to restore the site 

The possibility of a section 215 being issued would put the onus on Brandon Estates to clear the site or at the very least be used as a bargaining tool to keep the price of acquiring the derelict land at a reasonable level

[Colinspeedway]

On 4/16/2025 at 8:49 AM, IainB said:

Can I suggest, if you don't have time to compose an email, that you use an AI to compose one for you, the results are quite remarkable!

I've used Google Gemini (you'll need a Google account to use this) and entered: "create an email to Rugby Council in support of the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon for speedway and stock car racing and other motor sports together with other community uses in the new Rugby Local Plan. Planning permission should not be granted for development proposals which would conflict with these objectives. Also include the need for leisure activities for local and national people". The text in bold is taken from the Save Coventry Speedway website and I've just added a bit to the end, you may want to replace with your own thoughts for a different text, the more you put in, the more you'll get out.

The result:

Dear Rugby Council,

Subject: Restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, and the Rugby Local Plan

I am writing to express my strong support for the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, for the purpose of speedway, stock car racing, and other motorsports, alongside diverse community uses. I urge the council to ensure that the new Rugby Local Plan supports this objective and to reject any planning applications that conflict with it.

The restoration of Coventry Stadium holds immense value for several reasons:

• Preservation of Heritage: The stadium is a historic venue for motorsports, holding a special place in the hearts of many local and national enthusiasts.

• Boost to Local Economy: Restoring the stadium would attract visitors from across the country, stimulating the local economy and supporting businesses.

• Community Benefits: The stadium can serve as a hub for a variety of community activities, providing valuable leisure and recreational opportunities for residents of all ages. There is a need for leisure activities for local and national people.

• Tourism: The stadium has the potential to attract national and international tourists.

Granting planning permission for development proposals that would hinder the restoration of the stadium would be a great loss for the community and for the future of motorsports in the region. It is crucial that the Rugby Local Plan reflects the importance of this facility.

I urge you to consider the significant benefits of restoring Coventry Stadium, to ensure its inclusion and support within the Rugby Local Plan, and to guarantee that all planning decisions align with the best interests of the community.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[Your Email]

[Your Phone Number (Optional)]

 

Obviously, give it a proof read and tweak if necessary and send to localplan@rugby.gov.uk

 

This is certainly a good way to present the case. After all all local plans that are submitted must be approved by the secretary of state and if it doesn't align with the NPPF then it's not going to be accepted - just because the local council support the speedway returning doesn't necessarily mean that it will be included in the local plan- it must be consistent with the NPPF.