COVENTRY PLANNING VERDICT BOOSTS BEES' BRANDON RETURN BID

Efforts to bring speedway back to former FIM Speedway Grand Prix venue Coventry have received a huge boost after a bid to develop Brandon Stadium for housing was rejected.

The Coventry Bees were forced out of the legendary venue in 2016, with site owners Brandon Estates applying for planning permission to build 124 homes accompanied by a 3G football pitch and an associated pavilion.

Their original planning application was rejected by Rugby Borough Council, but Brandon Estates appealed the decision. The appeal was heard via a public inquiry commencing in late September 2023, with the closing statements taking place two months later.

That appeal has now been rejected, giving the Save Coventry Speedway & Stox Campaign Group, led by top speedway photographer Jeff Davies, a huge boost in their bid to restore speedway to the storied stadium.

Brandon staged the FIM Speedway GP of Great Britain from 1998 to 2000, before the event moved to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in 2001. It has also hosted FIM Speedway World Cup rounds and numerous other FIM events.

In a statement released following the verdict, the campaign group declared that their hopes of bringing speedway back to the venue are “still very much alive.” 

The statement read: “The inspector, Helen Hockenhull, has concluded that the stadium with its established use is not surplus to requirements, and that the ‘benefits’ of the alternative provision do not outweigh the loss of the stadium.

“The proposals are therefore in conflict with various sections of National Planning Policy Framework, the Rugby Local Plan, and the Brandon & Bretford Neighbourhood Plan.

“She also made specific reference to the national and international significance of the stadium for both speedway and stock car racing.

“This fully endorses the views expressed by SCS throughout the process and by the members of Rugby Borough Council’s Planning Committee when the application was rejected in November 2022.

“The inspector also agreed with our point that ‘need’ and ‘viability’ are in fact distinct matters, and she has taken the view there is a realistic prospect of viability being improved should a phased approach be taken to the reinstatement of the stadium.

“Clearly the conclusion of the inspector is warmly welcomed by SCS and is the outcome we have been striving for ever since the matter was taken to appeal.

"We would like to thank everyone for their support, including Richard Humphreys KC and the council’s own legal team led by Hugh Richards KC.

“We are especially grateful to all those who contributed to the GoFundMe last summer, which has proved hugely important and enabled us to participate fully in the appeal.

“Naturally there are a great number of matters arising from this decision for us to consider once the relevant paperwork has been reviewed, and we will update everyone further when we can.

“Our dream has always been to get speedway and stock car racing back to their rightful place at Brandon, and following this decision that dream is still very much alive.”