Forum for residents of St Georges Park and Long Leys Road Lincoln

[john shipton]

A number of residents from the Long Leys Road area, including myself, attended the Executive meeting yesterday evening. The media interviewed me and a host of others who came.
Many thanks to the local residents who signed the Hand Off Our Common petition. Karen Rastall from the Lincoln Regeneration Company was interviewed on BBC LIncolnshire and she, the LRRC, and Karl McCartney who is the director of the company and MP for Lincoln, are not happy about the decision, and the publicity given to those who did not want horse racing for the West Common. They blame everyone else other than themselves. Also ignored the petition.



This was published in the Lincolnshire Echo today, 17th August.


Leader says West Common will never be a racecourse under current council

The Grandstand in Carholme Road, Lincoln.HORSE racing will never return to Lincoln's West Common as long as the current Conservative administration rules, according to its leader.

A meeting of City Hall's executive was held last night to discuss specific proposals for racing put forward by the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company (LRRC).

The company withdrew the proposal from the meeting last week, but it remained on yesterday's agenda as all proposals must be considered.

City Of Lincoln Council leader Darren Grice said: "The proposal from LRRC is withdrawn, but it leaves the issue as to whether this is the type of proposal the City Of Lincoln Council would encourage.

"The common is regarded as an important asset to all residents.

"While the proposal has been withdrawn, it is fair to say that had it not have been, it would have fallen short of such tests and not have been supported. While I can understand the desire to see horse racing return, the reality is that this area, the West Common, in particular, no longer lends itself to this activity.

"It is the policy of the administration that bringing back racing would not be supported by the executive."

In the run up to the meeting the company, run by Lincoln MP Karl McCartney and local accountant Karen Rastall, had come under fire from residents and the Commons Advisory Panel who said the executive should reject the scheme.

On withdrawing the plans, the company issued a statement accusing council officers of "kicking the proposal into the long grass".

Last night, Councillor Grice defended officers saying: "I am satisfied the report is a fair appraisal of the proposal, taking into account the information presented by the LRRC and the Commons Advisory Panel."

But he showed his support for Mr McCartney, saying: "It's the job of the MP to promote ideas of economic regeneration within the city – that is one of the reasons he was elected.

"It is very important he continues to do that. Some ideas are better than none at all, however, the council's role is to take each of those views, whichever area they have come from, and decide on an individual basis."

Emile van der Zee, who mounted the Hands Off Our Common campaign, said the decision was better than he imagined.

He said: "I am so pleased. The rejection makes it clear that it would be very hard for a company coming in with interest in a racecourse.

"We now have to come up with a plan to address the grandstand."

The LRRC maintains it will continue to pursue plans to bring back racing to the West Common.