The future of Coventry Stadium, Brandon

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Latest news Support from forum members would be greatly appreciated

Like many other Speedway and stock car supporters I will register my objection to the latest proposals by the Jersey based developers to build houses on the site of Brandon Stadium. This latest planning application offers to build a floodlit 3G football pitch and associated facilities alongside the houses. My real concern is that the current planning application is supported by Sky Blues in the Community, the official charity of Coventry City Football Club. A copy of their supporting letter, signed by David Busst, Head of Community can be found as part of the supporting papers submitted to Rugby Borough Council as part of the planning application. To my mind this is a very blinkered approach with football being given priority over all other sports. I am sure that the opinions of Sky Blues in the Community are not shared by most of the people who live in Brandon, Bretford, and Binley Woods nor of course by Speedway and stock car fans everywhere.

That's outrageous, hence the need for all the support we can muster, including forum members from here

Although I'm a big football fan, I would not like another football pitch in place of a much needed speedway team at Brandon, and what does a Jersey based developer know what Brandon's needs are? Also, try and buy property in Jersey.

Serious question - has anyone asked the residents who live, say, within a mile of Brandon Stadium, what they would like the site to be used for? I know the stadium is a great venue for speedway and stock car fans, but from what locals have told me it can be mayhem on a race night.

Overwhelmingly, the residents want the stadium retained.

Has a proper consultation taken place with all local residents, not just those who have attended meetings or shown an interest in keeping the stadium? My anecdotal evidence is residents would prefer green space or a housing estate. Personally, I would like to see the stadium reopening, but then I don't live on that side of Coventry.

Belushi - There were public presentations in both Binley Woods and at the Brandon Hall Hotel in Brandon. They were organised by the then developers and were designed to show the local residents how wonderful it would be to have all of these new neighbours rather than a rather rundown stadium. In the event I am told that the locals turned up in droves at both locations to politely tell the developer that they preferred to keep the stadium and did not want hundreds of new neighbours. In addition the developers were surprised to find that there were speedway bikes and stock cars on display at both venues courtesy of local riders and drivers. Local residents also have the same rights as the objectors and can voice their enthusiasm to Rugby Borough Council as part of both the previous and revised planning applications. I think you will find that the previous application resulted in the council being swamped by objections with only a tiny number of people supporting the application. Those people who tell you that they would prefer green space or a housing estate must have moved to the area after 2016 when the stadium last staged Speedway and stock car racing or else must be very old because there has been Speedway at Brandon since 1937 and stock car racing since 1954. In short, they knew they had a Speedway stadium for a neighbour when they moved there. In recent years the only occasions when there would have been anything like heavy traffic would have been when the stadium staged a Speedway Test Match or the stock cars held their World Final meeting - one Saturday every other year. Despite what people tell you there would rarely be more than 2,000 spectators for the seven Formula One Stock Cars meetings held from April to October each year, and probably less than that for the weekly speedway meetings held mid-week from the end of March to the end of October each year. Compare those crowds to those who watch Coventry City or Wasps and they are very small indeed. Hopefully the stadium site will not be granted planning permission for housing but the chances of it becoming a green space are even more remote - it is a commercial site with restricted planning permission so has some value whether it is developed for housing or something else.

Thankyou NL. That's exactly the information I was looking for. My anecdotal evidence was based on talking to a few people who lived in Binley Woods; they seem to be in the minority.

Back to the Dave Busst situation... Dave Rowe has posted on a speedway forum: "After?? ?seeing this letter we arranged an urgent meeting with Dave Busst, which took place last Monday. He has since? clarified his comments to the planning officer. The position remains that the foot?ball club do not support the application."

The Dave Busst letter is still recorded as 'Signed letter of support' in the list of papers which accompany the planning application and the actual letter is headed 'Letter of Support'. The letter was probably a response to something sent to Coventry City FC by the developers. I would like to have seen both documents submitted with the planning application, not just the response.