Swindon Speedway to go?

[Dorset Red]

a sad loss for Swindon sport. apart from STFC it's the only place where crowds of 2500 plus watch sport in the town

Do they seriously get that much??

They used to get a lot more. Back in the 60s and early 70s there used to be huge crowds up at Blunsdon. People used to go up there after the football. The crowds started to dip in the late 70s but I'd say 2500 is easily what they still get.

I tend to go to Poole these days (when I can afford it) and the crowds there can regularly be around 3500 to 4000. Other places get a bit more.

If you've never been to Speedway, treat yourself. Once you get the hang of how matches work and you get to know the riders and the teams it gets very addictive.

[Northern Red]

"The ground first hosted speedway racing in 1948, long before any houses were built nearby, Mr Russell said."

Hello? Blunsdon wasn't there then? The settlement of Blunsdon was established by the Romans FFS! And I walk to the Speedway from my house in Blunsdon for years so I'd say it's nearby...

It's sad to see it go, but I wouldn't worry yet.
Blunsdon's area has very strict rules about new planning applications (green belt not sure about across the road?), and the village's determination not to be swallowed by Swindon will create about 3,000 opponents to the planning application for new houses over the road.

My folks will be Nimby's for the new houses, but the speedway sounds are part of the village now and we love it.

[Reg Smeeton]

Although not directly culpable, SBC will doubtless be complicit in destroying another small piece of Swindon'd cultural heritage.

  The spineless councillors (see JT)....will hide behind teh facade of obfustication and red tape offered by their officers.

  The real laugh is that the owner of Robins, suggests STFC wouldn't be kicked out,  whereas nothing in SBC recent decision making, indicates otherwise.

That's a complete load of bollocks, Reg.

Swindon Borough Council have absolutely NO SAY in what the private owners of the stadium want to do with their (commercial) enterprise and the land that they own on which it is situated. SBC don't own any part of it and have no public interest in it.

Gaming International can do what they want with it, Swindon Robins or not.

The only decision making the council will get involved in is in responding to a planning application for yet more houses and they can only grant or deny that for planning reasons - nothing to do with heritage. It's not even on the radar for the council so don't try and implicate them for commercial decisions that might be unpopular with the local electorate. That's just disingenous.

 Ah GetReal in disguise....so as far as you're concerned our elected representatives should just quietly acquiesce when any passing company wishes to maximise their profit , because there's nothing they can do about it ...its the rules gov. (see www.rulesgov.com)

[RobertT]

While I agree that there is probably not very much the Council can do to stop this, they could be proactive in voicing concerns about the loss of the Speedway and attempting to influence the developer as much as possible.

Hopefully the development of houses will be the issue, and locals will object as strongly as they can, but even then, isn't this land already identified for housing many years ago?

[Leggett]

fucking bristol companies, sticking their fucking noses in. fucks me right off. i wish i was mega rich, i'd sort STFC out and then the speedway, its daft.

[stfc_carver]

i used to watch speedway on the tele on saturday mornings when i was younger. found it really entertaining. never been though, a boss of mine told me to. but i never did. arent swindon like 3rd in the league or something?

[Northern Red]

While I agree that there is probably not very much the Council can do to stop this, they could be proactive in voicing concerns about the loss of the Speedway and attempting to influence the developer as much as possible.

Hopefully the development of houses will be the issue, and locals will object as strongly as they can, but even then, isn't this land already identified for housing many years ago?

Not that far across as I understand it, only up to Haydon Wick/Abbey Meads, but they're past that already....

[TalkTalk]

While I agree that there is probably not very much the Council can do to stop this, they could be proactive in voicing concerns about the loss of the Speedway and attempting to influence the developer as much as possible.

Hopefully the development of houses will be the issue, and locals will object as strongly as they can, but even then, isn't this land already identified for housing many years ago?

Not that far across as I understand it, only up to Haydon Wick/Abbey Meads, but they're past that already....

Policy R8 of the Revised Deposit Draf of the Swindon Borough Local Plan to 2011 applies to the Blunsdon Stadium area:

"7.6.4 The site currently occupied by the
Abbey Stadium is safeguarded for leisure
development uses. Swindon Speedway
and Greyhound Racing Promotions
currently occupy the Abbey Stadium and
form an important part of the character and
recreational life of the town. The site
adjoins the Northern Development Area
and in order to safeguard provision,
possibilities for more intensive leisure use
of the site, by way of redevelopment, would
be permitted provided that the development
complies with other relevant policies of the
plan."

"Other relevant policies of the plan" would presumably allow housing development on part of the site (as it is considered to be "brownfield") if it meant that better leisure facilities could be provided. AKA 'enabling development'.

The land between the stadium and the existing houses at Abbey Meads (next to Motorola) comes under Policy E1/19 as a Key Employment Area and is very unlikely to be allowed to have houses built on it.

[TalkTalk]

Ah GetReal in disguise....so as far as you're concerned our elected representatives should just quietly acquiesce when any passing company wishes to maximise their profit , because there's nothing they can do about it ...its the rules gov. (see www.rulesgov.com)

* shrug *

We have elected a party into power in our council that believes strongly in capitalism, with a leader who has publicly stated that their policy is one of "the free market economy with a social conscience".

We (collectively as a town) put them there.

[Reg Smeeton]

We (collectively as a town) put them there.

 Speak for yourself mate....its more a case of they've found themselves there as a consequence of a series of random events....nevertheless, if you pin most councillors down (a desirable action) they say their first loyalty is to their constituents.

[TalkTalk]

Speak for yourself mate

I don't. The voters did.

[red macca]

Speak for yourself mate

I don't. The voters did.

in all fairness he has a point reg

[Simon Pieman]

The redevelopment wouldn't allow more intensive leisure usage would it? Wouldn't it be less if the speedway was removed?

[pauld]

As I understand it (and I'm happy for you to tell me I'm wrong on this Reg cos I'd love for the speedway to be saved) the council's hands are pretty much tied on this. GI own the land and the only influence the council have is in their capacity as a planning body and even there they're severely restricted as to what grounds they could (for example) reject the 350 houses. Certainly, as I understand it, they couldn't legally say to GI "If you kick out the Robins, we'll turn down your planning application" even if they wanted to. Like I say, I'm happy to be corrected, cos it seems to me that if the council can stop it, then creating a hell of a fuss and putting pressure on the council is pretty much the only way of stopping this. What other way is there of persuading GI not to kick the Speedway out? It's not like they give a fuck what we think of them is it? Seriously, if anyone's got any ideas/answers on serious suggestions as to how a campaign could be mounted that would stand a chance of stopping this, I'm all ears.

[Reg Smeeton]

A simple statement from the Council that in principal they are against the removal of a historicic amenity in our town, and will do all they can, would be a start. Don't hold your breath.