A NEW proposal to bring motorsports back to Coventry Stadium in Brandon alongside new housing has been branded a ‘sham and a deception’ by campaigners.
Stadium owners Brandon Estates have drawn up revised proposals for up to 115 new homes alongside a ‘fully restored’ speedway track.
In 2014, the company first proposed to demolish the stadium – the former home of the Coventry Bees speedway racing team – and build homes on the site, with the venue closing in 2016.
Rugby Borough Council’s planning committee refused a revised application in 2022, with a subsequent appeal rejected by the Planning Inspectorate last year.
A Brandon Estates spokesperson said: “We are committed to finding a viable future for this site, and have spent many months considering our options following the refusal of our previous applications.
“Since 2016, the site has remained in a significant state of disrepair with speedway unable to return without substantial investment.
“We understand that living alongside a derelict site has created concerns for local residents and we are committed to working with the local community to secure a sustainable use for the site.”
The company says it intends to lease the track to a local speedway operator.
But the Save Coventry Speedway and Stox (SCSS) campaign group, alongside members of a consortium who wish to buy the stadium, greeted the plans with scepticism.
A spokesperson said: “Brandon Estates have no intention of ever reinstating the stadium for speedway racing.”
They speculated that the company would try to ‘get around the Planning Inspector’s decision’ by building the 115 homes before submitting another application to demolish the stadium and build more housing.
They said: “Given that Brandon Estates and their agents have repeatedly stated their belief that speedway is not viable, and that satisfactory venues exist elsewhere, it appears very surprising that they are now proposing a speedway facility.”
The group added the poor condition of the site was due to Brandon Estates’ failure to secure the site from travellers, vandals and arsonists – for which the company was fined £10,000 in 2022 after the stadium was broken into a number of times and set on fire.
The Brandon Estates spokesperson ‘wholeheartedly disagreed’ with SCSS’s concerns.
They said: “Brandon Estates is fully committed to the long-term ownership and maintenance of this site.
“Our revised proposals will secure mutual benefits for residents and speedway supporters, balancing the need for new homes alongside the delivery of sport facilities, and ensuring a sustainable financial model for the future of speedway racing.
“We intend to submit our application in coming weeks, and are keen to hear from local residents as we shape the plans.”
