BRANDON DEMOLITION BID REJECTED AS COVENTRY FANS FIGHT ON

Plans to demolish former Speedway GP venue Brandon Stadium in Coventry have been rejected by Rugby Council.

An army of Coventry Bees fans converged on the council offices on Wednesday night in a last-ditch plea to councillors to reject the proposal to turn the venue into a housing estate.

The Bees were forced to leave their home at the end of the 2016 season, when stadium owners Brandon Estates closed the stadium with a view to developing the site, which has fallen into disrepair following a spate of trespass and criminal damage incidents.

Despite the developer’s attempts to claim the stadium was no longer viable and that the sporting facilities would be replaced by a 3G football pitch, their planning bid was unanimously refused by councillors – despite a recommendation from the planning officer to approve it.

Coventry legend and former Cardiff winner Chris Harris led the band of speedway supporters who attended the planning meeting, alongside fans of stock cars – the venue’s other main sport.

Brandon staged the 2000 FIM British Speedway GP – famously won by British wild card Martin Dugard – the year before the event switched to Cardiff’s iconic Principality Stadium in 2001.

Campaign Group spokesman Jeff Davies heralded the rejection of Brandon Estates’ planning bid, but admits the fight continues to preserve the venue and get the Bees back on track.

He said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the verdict of the planning committee, and we’re very grateful to the elected councillors of Rugby Borough for making this unanimous decision. Six years of hard work has come to fruition, and we couldn’t be more pleased.

“We can only take each step at a time, and so far, the developers have failed to get on to the local plan, they’ve failed with their original speculative application, and they’ve now failed with a second speculative application, this time at committee.

“Whatever comes next, we will fight that too, and if it’s an appeal on behalf of the developers we will fight it with the same enthusiasm and vigour as we’ve done with this one.

“In the light of this decision, though, we would urge the current owners to come forward and do the right thing, and talk to Warren Hunter about selling the stadium to him, for the sports to be able to come back to Brandon.

“We want to see the stadium reinstated to its former glory. We have always argued that a sports pitch in no way compensates for the loss of the motorsport stadium, and we’re very grateful too for the support of Sport England, who also reiterated that point recently.”