Reading Speedway

[skydog]

We have asked the council 3 times about Speedway returning to Smallmead and been given very definitive "No"s every time. The land has apparently been sold to a developer who is happy to sit on it for years.

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

[steve roberts]

2 hours ago, skydog said:

We have asked the council 3 times about Speedway returning to Smallmead and been given very definitive "No"s every time. The land has apparently been sold to a developer who is happy to sit on it for years.

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

Oxford were very fortunate in that it had a council that was very pro-active...shame that can't be said about Reading apparently.

[Toady]

You can have as much backing from councils as you like but you have to have people prepared to invest money ultimately.

[Chris116]

2 hours ago, skydog said:

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

So the next question that needs an answer is who owns the company and what connection do they have with Brandon Estates, Gaming International and Stadia UK.

[arnieg]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

So the next question that needs an answer is who owns the company and what connection do they have with Brandon Estates, Gaming International and Stadia UK.

It was the Prudential (as mentioned upthread).

 

And connection to Brandon Estates - none whatsoever.

[skydog]

On 10/2/2023 at 10:23 AM, racers and royals said:

The site is used for parking for Reading FC home matches. I always thought that on closure Prudential assurance own the land now but have done nothing with it yet. 

 

36 minutes ago, arnieg said:

It was the Prudential (as mentioned upthread).

 

And connection to Brandon Estates - none whatsoever.

We were told by the planning dept that the land is now owned by Foudry Estates, or something like that. Arnie probably has better info than me as to whether this is still something to do with the Pru. Foudry Brook runs past the land so I suspect it is a sub company owned by someone else just for the purpose of owning that piece of land. A bit like Brandon Estates. And AEPG come to think of it. I'd guess this is a fairly common thing when it comes to big money and big land deals, again Arnie would have more experience in this.

[wyverg]

FOUDRY PROPERTIES LIMITED

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by wyverg

[steve roberts]

On 10/3/2023 at 3:59 PM, steve roberts said:

Oxford were very fortunate in that it had a council that was very pro-active...shame that can't be said about Reading apparently.

I've just re-read "The Cheetahs 1976 - The Resurrection" by Keith Lawson the circumstances in which  Cowley Stadium was sold by "Bristol Stadiums Ltd" (aka Clarke Osbourne) in 1976 and the role that the SOS Committee played (of which my Uncle was a leading player) in securing a lease agreement with the City Council who had acquired the site and thru' negotiation together with massive support from the Greyhound fraternity speedway continued to be run there. It also helped greatly that the out going Stoke Promotion were wanting a new site. It took a great deal of work and persuasion but one must never give up hope but of course speedway was in a far healthier state back then which I guess made it somewhat easier in achieving the objective?

Of course the later rescue bid received massive support from the local council which I would imagine helped/encouraged an incoming business initiative but I guess that there aren't many out there able, or willing, to take a chance in todays economic climate?

Edited October 5, 2023 by steve roberts

[Deano]

On 10/4/2023 at 11:04 PM, wyverg said:

FOUDRY PROPERTIES LIMITED

 

2030 seems a long way away, but can we expect development before then. I’d hazard a guess probably not.

[skydog]

On 10/6/2023 at 8:35 AM, Deano said:

2030 seems a long way away, but can we expect development before then. I’d hazard a guess probably not.

True, but my fear is that by then there will be nobody with the inclination to even suggest that they let Speedway back in...

[The H Man]

Allied Presentations signed a 99 year lease with Reading Council in 1974 for the Smallmead land, as already stated for whatever reason a new shorter lease was agreed at some point between council and Allied (under the stewardship of the Dore family). I assume for a cheaper rent    

In 2001 Allied sold out to Gaming Intl who spent a few quid on stadium bars to bring them up to H&S standards! In 2008 council didn’t offer an extension to short term Lease and sold Smallmead site,  a new piece of land (close to existing site a former MX track) was offered several years before that  to GI who gained planning permission to build a racino (speedway, dogs and Casino) of course surprise surprise it never happened and eventually the council sold that piece of land off for industrial use. 

The original Smallmead site lies barren but for match day football parking 

a lot of people have a lot to answer for - but prospects for speedway in town are about as close to zero as you can get.