The future of Coventry Stadium, Brandon

The freehold for Coventry Stadium, Brandon, has been advertised for sale However, it is believed that speedway, together with stock-car and greyhound racing, are secure for the time being Avtar Sandhu has issued the following statement : "This decision was taken after careful consideration, and after a lot of hard work over the last ten years we now feel the time has come for new owners to take over the stadium freehold. It is my decision and my decision alone to put Coventry Stadium up for sale. The stadium is 100 per cent owned by the Sandhu family. We do not have any partners in the ownership. Two of the three businesses operating out of the stadium are currently leased out, and the possible sale of the freehold does not affect either speedway, stock cars or greyhounds. They will all continue as normal, hopefully, for a long time to come. At no time have we applied for planning permission, nor are we seeking to apply for planning permission at this time. It is not the right time for planning and no development is in place. It is my decision and nobody else's to put the freehold on the market, but the businesses that run at the stadium will carry on as normal." It is believed that any imminent development of the stadium site, and also the derelict garden centre directly opposite, is highly doubtful as Rugby Road in its present state is not suitable to deal with such development, and would require widening as far as the A46 roundabout for additional traffic and for line of sight So Bees appear to be safe for the time being - in fact, they are entering a team in the National League (the third tier of British Speedway) in 2013 in addition to the Elite League team What is does mean however, for Bees followers and fans, is that Sandhu has no intention of returning as speedway promoter

From today's Coventry Telegraph Sky Blues agree deal to buy Brandon speedway site - but keep options open 25 Jul 2013 06:45 Club strikes provisional deal for Brandon while becoming preferred buyer for mystery site just outside Coventry Coventry City FC have secured a provisional deal to buy the Brandon speedway site to build a new stadium. The site has been sold to the Sky Blues subject to contract. The club has also become the preferred buyer for a second mystery site just outside the Coventry boundary - which could become their chosen stadium site. A formal announcement confirming the Sky Blues have entered exclusive negotiations on the unnamed site is expected tomorrow from Birmingham-based property consultants CBRE. More news is also anticipated next week of the controversial sale of the 26-acre Brandon Stadium site - home of the Coventry Bees and a venue for greyhound racing. Bees owner Mick Horton has stated he recently signed a four-year deal to use Brandon for speedway . Others claim there would be major problems with road infrastructure to support a football stadium around the site in Rugby Road, Brandon. Any potential sale of Brandon stadium by owner Avtar Sandhu might also be affected by a legal wrangle with HM Revenue and Customs. Andrew Moss, of Birmingham-based GVA property agents, refused to confirm the provisional sale agreed was with Coventry City. But he told the Telegraph: "A sale has now been agreed subject to legals with a single party. "The vendor has accepted a bid subject to contract, and the site is under offer to a party." He said a heads of terms agreement was being finalised, and the sale could be completed by the end of September. The club has also entered exclusive "due diligence" talks with the owner of the second site - as it wants to keep its options open. The Telegraph understands Sky Blues directors and owners Sisu/Otium intend to give fans a say in a consultation exercise about the new stadium. Many fans, and anti-Sisu Coventry MP Bob Ainsworth, have questioned whether the club have any genuine intention of building a new stadium , accusing them of playing hard-ball to obtain control of the part-council-owned Ricoh Arena. Those allegations are denied by the club. It comes a day after we revealed the club's owners Sisu/Otium had agreed to last-ditch talks with Arena Coventry Limited over staying at the Ricoh Arena , rather than playing 'home' matches at Northampton Town until the new stadium is built. While any potential agreement for a return to the Ricoh a long way off, CBRE is expected to release further details confirming movement of the unnamed site, and the appointment of a team of architects, highway consultants and planning consultants. However, any sale of the Brandon site could also face problems. HMRC said in November that the Brandon Stadium was a frozen asset and could not be sold following the conviction for money laundering by gambler Jatinder Singh Batth - also known as Micky Singh - who it claims owns half of the £1million venue. However, Avtar Sandhu insists he is the legal and rightful owner. Brandon's sellers expect the HMRC issues to be resolved during a two-month "due diligence" period. The club would hope to secure planning permission from the relevant district council in Warwickshire for the eventual site it would pick. The government could also have the final say if secretary of state Eric Pickles calls in the application, or calls a public inquiry. The second site remains a mystery, although many fans have speculated over the former Peugeot factory site at the A45 Ryton, which is close to the Sky Blues training ground. But Chris Hall, director of Trenport Investments, said yesterday there had been no approach by the club. Neither has there been any club approach for Ansty Park, said Steve Holland, of the Homes and Communities Agency - the former Advantage West Midlands site which has long been earmarked for up to 10,000 advanced manufacturing jobs.

If (and it's a big IF) they really are planning to buy it, I genuinely doubt that SISU have any intention of building a stadium on the site, more likely to be a few hundred houses! Look out Brandon!

I believe Sandhu has been turned down in the past for housing development as Rugby have other areas for such building which there are prioritising over the stadium site

I would say there's more chance of Hell freezing over than permission being granted for housing development on the Brandon Stadium site. As for Coventry City Football Club, everybody involved need their heads knocking together and resolving the situation so that the Sky Blues play at the Ricoh Arena. Leave Brandon alone for speedway.

Another angle from the Coventry Telegraph Coventry Bees insist speedway will remain at Brandon for at least a decade 25 Jul 2013 12:30 Speedway, greyhounds and stock cars 'will all continue to operate at the Brandon site until 2023' Coventry Bees has insisted speedway will continue at Brandon Stadium for at least another 10 years. The Bees responded to our exclusive today that Coventry City has secured a sale of the site subject to contract by issuing the following statement on its website. "Further to our previous announcement regarding the sale of the freehold for the Coventry Stadium site and continued press speculation we would like to make the following statement. "The freehold remains available for sale and, whilst we have had several parties show interest in securing the freehold for the site, only one has continued to show interest given the existing leases for speedway, greyhounds and stock cars. "The confidential nature of negotiations needs to be maintained. As such, we will not confirm or release the details of the potential buyer. "However, to stop further speculation from fans of the various sports which take place in the stadium these will all continue to operate at the Brandon site until 2023 and hopefully well beyond that date. "When we have further news regarding the land deal to release we will do so. Until then, we hope the above statement will reassure the public of our intentions to see the anchor tenants at the stadium continue for years to come."

As someone who is not really a football fan but disagrees with the present "Ricoh" argument I would agree with Tony. I don't think Sisu are in the slightest bit bothered about retaining The Sky Blues and houses would make much more money for them.

If it was possible to build houses on the Brandon stadium site don't you think Mr Sandhu would have done it already? Rugby Council (quite rightly) will not grant permission.

For anyone who is interested this was the press release from HMRC last November which includes the reference to Brandon Stadium. A professional gambler, who staked substantial sums of 'dirty' cash at casinos in Birmingham and London and at top horse racing meetings, has been ordered to repay criminal profits of nearly £2 million within six months or return to jail for ten years. Birmingham man, Jatinder Singh Batth, also known as Micky Singh, was jailed for 18 months in March 2009 for money laundering offences following an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Singh was convicted after it was proved that he had laundered cash from organised crime gangs, including money from a £1.8m 'missing trader' VAT fraud (codenamed Op Elemi). Richard Meadows, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), said: "Batth's activities ensured he was able to fund a luxurious lifestyle and further increase his wealth using funds derived from criminality. We will not stop in our pursuit to bring those involved in this type of criminal activity before the courts and reclaim their criminal profits for public funds." Assets belonging to Batth currently restrained and frozen by HMRC include: A 50 per cent share of the Coventry Stadium in Brandon, worth around £500,000 A flat in St John's Wood, London, worth over £1million A house in north London, worth over £120,000 Various bank accounts Background HMRC investigators uncovered the sophisticated money laundering plot during an investigation into a missing trader VAT fraud, Operation Elemi, which resulted in a total of eight men being jailed for nearly 34 years. Their trials showed the defendants received the proceeds of crime in the UK and had acted as couriers to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds by exploiting the gambling industry. During the trials the court heard that money would be placed on deposit at casinos and withdrawn a day or so later. Other sums would be gambled. Thousands of pounds would be passed over the tables in order to disguise the original source of the banknotes. Monies gambled or exchanged at the casino provided the defendants with an apparently legitimate explanation as to their source. In raids carried out across the West Midlands by HMRC investigation officers over £700,000 was seized. Around £200,000 was found in a residential property stashed in two holdalls. Additionally a further £150,000 was found stuffed in a Harrods carrier bag in a vehicle; Micky Singh claimed that this cash was his. All of the cash was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and has been reclaimed for the public purse. Some of the money was about or in the process of being laundered and some had just been laundered. Forensic testing of some of the bank notes seized showed they were highly contaminated with heroin and cannabis. The results indicated such large amounts of cash could only become so polluted if they had been in contact with items or people significantly contaminated with drugs shortly before their seizure. The cash was in fact drugs money. It has since been returned to the issuing banks, including the Bank of England and Bank of Scotland, for destruction due to the high level of drugs contamination. Notes to Editors 1. A photograph of the defendant is available on request or via HMRC's flickr channel www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk 2. Details of the defendant's confiscation order today, 3 August 2012, at Birmingham Crown Court and sentencing on Friday, 6 March 2009 at the same court include: Jatinder Singh Batth (also known as Micky Singh) (DOB 15.05.69) formerly of Billy Lane, Barnt Green, Birmingham, and currently of Flat 13, Templar Court, 43 St Johns Wood Road, London, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He was charged and found guilty of Money Laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 amounting to £150,000. Confiscation Order - £1,984,805 to be paid within six months return to jail for ten years. He would still owe the money. 3. Details of the defendants sentenced on Monday, 16 February 2009 at Birmingham Crown Court include: Zulfiqar Ali (DOB 10.09.53) of 9 Cockthorpe Close, Harbourne, Birmingham, was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Ali's role was as a cash courier and occasional gambler to aid and launder money. Confiscation Order - £260,610 to be paid within 12 months. Paid: £3,250 to date. Harbinder Singh Sandhu. (DOB 14.06.75) of 8 Jubilee Park, Woodville, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, was sentenced to 12 months in prison. Sandhu's role was as a cash courier to aid the money laundering operation. They were charged and found guilty with Money Laundering offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. 4. Details of the defendants sentenced in June 2008 at Birmingham Crown Court and confiscation orders secured on 7 October 2010 at the same court include: £ Harvinder Singh Batth (DOB 6.11.75), of 67 Roman Lane, Little Aston, Staffordshire, was sentenced to a total of nine years in prison. Six years for conspiracy to Cheat and three years for Conspiracy to Launder Money to run consecutively. He was disqualified from being a company director for 15 years. Confiscation Order: £500,000 to be paid within six months or serve a further 3.5 years in prison. Assets restrained: a property at 67 Roman Lane, Little Aston, Sutton Coldfield, and designer jewellery. Batth was a principal player in the VAT fraud and money laundering racket. He was the Chairman of a company, Anisha Brokers, which was used to divert the proceeds of the VAT fraud. Paid: £296,000 to date. Jasbinder Singh Bedesha (DOB 26.07.61) Al Seef Tower, Dubai Marina, Dubai, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. Bedesha was granted a re-trial and was again sentenced to seven and a half years on 4 February 2011. He was a principal player in the VAT fraud and money laundering racket. He named a company of which he was President, after his daughter, Anisha Brokers and used it to divert the proceeds of the VAT fraud. Sukhjinder Singh Shergill (DOB 29.11.75) of 3 Snapdragon Drive, Walsall, was sentenced to a total of seven and a half years in prison. Four and half years for Conspiracy to Cheat and three years for Conspiracy to Launder Money to run consecutively. He was disqualified from being a company director for 15 years. Confiscation Order: £55,292 to be paid within six months or serve a further 18 months in prison. Assets restrained: Designer jewellery and Cartier watches, £9,000 in cash, a Vauxhall Corsa and a cherished number plate - S11 ERG Shergill was involved in the VAT fraud and acted as a 'banker' by administering the cash deposit scheme. Paid: £17,500 to date. Suckjit Singh Birring (DOB 12.04.72) of 15 Weeford Drive, Sutton Coldfield, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for Conspiracy to Launder Money. Confiscation Order: £200,000 to be paid within six months or return to prison for 2.5 years. Assets restrained: a property at 15 Weeford Dell, Sutton Coldfield, a BMW X5 Sports Automatic, a VW Golf GT TDI, and £20,000 in cash. Birring acted as a gambler and courier and for the money laundering activities. Paid: £49,900 to date. Jatinder Singh Salh (DOB 15.04.73) of 6 Harvestfields Lane, Sutton Coldfield, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for Conspiracy to Launder Money. Confiscation Order: £136,637 - £10,162 to be paid within two months and the remainder within six months or return to prison for 30 months. Assets restrained: a property at 6 Harvestfield Way, Sutton Coldfield and a property in Spain and £59,000 in cash. Salh acted as a gambler and courier and for the money laundering activities. Paid: £88,096 to date. 5. Follow HMRC on Twitter @HMRCgovuk 6. Images are available on HMRC's flickr channel www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk

From today's Coventry Telegraph 'Speedway will stay at Brandon' despite Coventry City stadium deal 26 Jul 2013 07:45 Coventry Bees owner Mick Horton welcomes statement from owners of Brandon stadium that speedway is safe. The owners of Brandon stadium insist speedway will continue there for at least a decade. They were responding to the Telegraph's report yesterday that Coventry City had secured a sale of the site subject to contract. Andrew Moss, of property agent GVA, said a heads of terms agreement was being finalised on the site. The statement was issued on the Coventry Bees website, and was later welcomed by Coventry Bees owner Mick Horton who had previously stated the speedway had a four-year lease. The owners' statement read: "Further to our previous announcement regarding the sale of the freehold for the Coventry Stadium site and continued press speculation we would like to make the following statement. "The freehold remains available for sale and, whilst we have had several parties show interest in securing the freehold for the site, only one has continued to show interest given the existing leases for speedway, greyhounds and stock cars. "The confidential nature of negotiations needs to be maintained. As such, we will not confirm or release the details of the potential buyer. "However, to stop further speculation from fans of the various sports which take place in the stadium these will all continue to operate at the Brandon site until 2023 and hopefully well beyond that date. "When we have further news regarding the land deal to release we will do so. "Until then, we hope the above statement will reassure the public of our intentions to see the anchor tenants at the stadium continue for years to come." Mr Horton told the Telegraph: "It is encouraging to hear that from the owner. We have a four-year agreement, but we would like to be there for the ten years. "The statement is a big plus for speedway fans." He said he would have "no objections at all" to sharing the speedway stadium with football, and said it would be possible at Brandon. But he re-iterated doubts, also reported yesterday, that the 26-acre site in Rugby Road, Brandon, had enough road infrastructure around it to support a football stadium. The Sky Blues have said they would model and new stadium on Rotherham's, potentially starting with a 12,000-capacity but with another space to add more seats if there is promotion. Previous planning applications for small enhancements to the Brandon stadium have been refused, and there would be objections from residents living in the quiet residential area. Rugby Borough Council has issued a statement in response to the Sky Blues move for Brandon, which is within the borough of Rugby: "Rugby Borough Council is aware of speculation linking Coventry City Football Club with Brandon Stadium. "The council can confirm that there have not been any discussions with Coventry City Football Club, or any agent or associated companies, regarding the club's potential occupation of Brandon Stadium or the planning implications that may result." Many fans have questioned whether the club has any genuine intention of building a new stadium, accusing them of playing hard-ball to obtain control of the part-council-owned Ricoh Arena. Those allegations are denied by the club. The football club has also entered exclusive negotiations as the preferred buyer for another mystery site - as another option for building a new stadium. The club's owners Sisu/Otium has agreed to last-ditch talks with Arena Coventry Limited over staying at the Ricoh Arena, rather than playing 'home' matches at Northampton Town until the new stadium is built.

News filtering through that Brandon Stadium has been sold, seemingly not to SISU. Fingers crossed for the future of the Bees.

I've just read the Telegraph article on the sale of the site and I'm not convinced the Bees are safe. The greyhounds are pulling out after this weekend, and the site appears to be going to a property developer. So I think there is cause for concern.

I'm listening to C&W for the football and they have just discussed the Brandon situation. As I suspected, it does mean the end for the Bees at Brandon. The new owner has said that they can ride there for 3 years but will need to find an alternative venue after that. It's a long time away but there is a massive process to find a location, go through planning, then actually construct a stadium. I'm afraid I do fear the worst. By 2017 Coventry may not have either a football team or a speedway team. Northampton Bees, anyone?

Bees boss Mick Horton says it would great if we were at the Ricoh Arena, but we would have to look at the cost - funny how things go round in circles as there was speedway at Lythalls Lane in the late 1920's, only 200 yards from the Ricoh - perhaps the Rowley Green Racers

Statement from Avtar Sandhu today gives some hope for a future