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

[john shipton]

Councillor Helen Heath, one of our ward councillors, and who is the chairman of the Lincoln Commons Advisory Committee, is currently arranging an extraordinary committee meeting to discuss with its committee members about the proposals of a private company called the Lincoln Racecourse Rgeneration Company for their use of the West Common as a racecourse.
The public will be able to attend but cannot take part and can only listen.
One contentious issue taken from their proposals is this which is quoted...
..."A racecourse lies unused in the shadow of one of the world’s greatest Cathedral’s, no longer serving as a place of enjoyment for many, but only as common grazing land and a place for some of the local residents to exercise their dogs…."
What is disturbing is that the LRRC claim that the Grandstand and the land behind the Grandstand is not common land ie part of the West Common. This is not true. The LRRC mention tree cutting but what and where is not known.
Part of the plans is for a 25 yard wide track course in width going round in a circle for the northern part of the common. For health and safety reasons ie ambulances, fire and rescue vehicle, etc, a tarmac track will have to be built to accompany it. This includes small tarmac roads to be used as access points. The original track had no tarmac peri track round it or was that wide.
Their proposals need to be discussed which were only available from 9.30am, Friday, 11th June. Karl McCartney said that were to be released during the latter part of 2009 and has taken 5 years to complete. This failed to materialise.
What is missing from the proposals is an important word called infrastucture which is lacking and not mentioned.

Please do come along when details of the meeting at City Hall are known. This will be posted on this web site.

[Neville]

had a chat with residents in the west end about the use of the west common becoming a racecourse. the proposals will affect the right to roam for those who love this beautiful common. the carholme racecourse closed in 1966 for financial reasons. most of the buildings were later demolished. became an established common again in the early 1970s. was registered by city council in the 1990s as critical natural assett for lincoln. trees were planted in the 1970s hence now fully grown and matured. if you go onto the common you will see the trees which cover the area. having another racecourse will see many of them cut down. the winning post which was a garage with two basic pumps was on the site where national tyres and the co-op shop and petrol station are on carholme road. the winning post served those who had cars in those days. it was one of a few garages in lincoln where you could buy petrol and diesel. it eventually closed down and the site was sold off.
folk who live in the west end mentioned about a purposely built racecourse in chelmsford essex. it was the first to be built for 27 years and the first for essex. i was told to google great leighs racecourse on the internet. these two recent articles were found. it was built for £20m plus. only lasted a horse racing season and became bankrupt. nobody now wishes to buy it and that includes the horse racing fraternity. chelmsford borough council are at odds on what can be done with it. The consortium of companies involved are in debt to the tune of £24 million pounds.

The race is over for Great Leighs. Essex Chronicle 17th June 2010

ALL BETS OFF: Bids to keep horse racing at the Great Leighs racecourse have failed
THE dream of horse racing returning to Essex is dead.

Almost a year and a half of intensive marketing and negotiation to sell the bankrupt Great Leighs racecourse have failed.

And the chances of finding a quick alternative use for the £20 million venue are now remote, especially with new government planning guidelines against housing.

Deloitte, the administrators of the racecourse, which was the first to open in England in 81 years back in April 2008, say they have "given up" trying to find a racing buyer after several failed rescue packages.

Now they are asking the major creditor, Royal Bank of Scotland, to come up with a new strategy for disposing of the huge site.

An RBS spokesman told the Chronicle: "We think it's a bit early to say what alternative there can be."

Borough council leader Roy Whitehead said: "It's a shame that such a wonderful facility can't find a buyer."

The site is listed as an official 2012 Olympic training camp for equestrian sports but, with no one willing to take it on, that will not happen.

Cllr Whitehead said the possibility of it being used for housing was unlikely.

"If anyone is thinking of housing on the site, the government has just made that all the more difficult by putting out a new circular saying that there is no presumed right to build on gravel diggings, of which part of Great Leighs is, waste sites or land where there were buildings or on agricultural land.

"Our borough plan anyway precludes that site for housing and I cannot see any circumstances where we would back residential homes.

"Speculators can really sit back. If it were sold back for agriculture, it would fetch only about £10,000 an acre.

"This would make the 163 acres worth less than £2m."

Cllr Whitehead said he had heard suggestions that the site could be a multi-leisure centre, or a home for Essex Cricket club if the plan for their town centre redevelopment gets the thumbs-down this week.

But there have also been suggestions that floodlighting make it an embryo open prison or asylum seeker holding centre as a cost-saving alternative to the £200m jail planned for Runwell, near Wickford.

Barry Root, chairman of the Essex Racing Club, said: "It is very gloomy news.

"The consistent problem has been land ownerships and access to the site. If that could have been sorted out Northern Racing would have had it.

"Perhaps the people of Essex need to get together to save it but they would need an influential figurehead.

"In the end the bank will sell the site probably for a lot less than it is worth in order to get at least something out of it."




TIMELINE: Great Leighs
Great Leighs opened its doors on April 20, 2008 - albeit two years later than scheduled.

A specially invited crowd of 600 watched Temple Of Thebes win the first-ever race at the newest racecourse in England for some 81 years.

The last race at Great Leighs was in November 2008 as the course ran out of cash.

On January 16, the course went into administration.

In March 2009, two potential parties had emerged to take over the venue, but they failed to get the financial clout needed to let it continue as a racecourse.

In the summer, Essex businessman Terry Chambers proposed a new deal, with Great Leighs racecourse founder John Holmes, to lease the racecourse for 18 months but was refused a racing licence.

In September 2009, Chambers, together with Bill Gredley, made another bid but no deal could be secured.

June 2010 – administrators Deloitte announce the venue is now being marketed for other purposes, meaning racing will never return to the site.

[Jeff]

I made a few enquiries at Lincoln City Council about the West Common. it was nice that City Hall were able to answer them.
1) The question raised was about the Grandstand which Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company claim is not part of the West Common. This was the response...The Grandstand Community Centre is covered by the Lincoln City Council Act 1985.
2) The next question was about the land behind the Grandstand which the LRRC claim is not part of the West Common. The response was to go and see that maps which have been placed on the West Common showing that it is part of the common, and will remain so. Told that there are several signs on the southern part depicting common land and bylaws.
3) I asked is there were any details about extra days allowed to restrict public assess to the West Common before horse racing days. This was quoted from the Lincoln City Council Act 1985:-
Under section 7 (1) The Council may - (a) close the racecourse or any part thereof to the public or restrict public access to any part of the racecourse for a period not exceeding 4 days before any race meeting and for the duration of any race meeting held on the racecourse.
This relates to professional flat racing and may include other events organised by the racecourse company and agreed to under the lease terms. This may include point to point and other types of horse racing to make the racecourse viable.
4) Another question was asked about road closures mentioned in the 1985 Act. The answer was this:-
Comes under section 9 - (1) During any time in which a race meeting is held on the racecourse the Council may by notice restrict or prohibit the use of Saxilby Road in the city or any part thereof by vehiclesor by vehicles of any class to such extent and subject to such conditions or exceptions as they may consider necessary.
The 1985 Act only covers Saxilby Road.

I used google to find out anything more about the Great Leighs Racecourse at Chelmsford. Under the term of document this was shown:-

Notice of administration

Essex County Showground Group Limited
Great Leighs Hospitality Limited
Great Leighs Racing Limited
Great Leighs Management Limited
Purple Tom Limited


(All In Administration) (together .the Companies.)


Carlton Siddle and Nick Edwards of Deloitte were appointed Joint Administrators of the Companies on 16 January 2009.

If you have any queries or would like to speak to a member of the Administrators. team please call +44 (0) 20 7936 3000 . Media enquiries should be addressed to Jamie Harley (+44 (0) 207 303 5037) or Vimala Camadoo (+44 (0) 20 7007 5098) at Deloitte.s press office The Companies. offices can be contact on 01245 363 220.

The affairs, business and property of the Companies are managed by Carlton Siddle and Nick Edwards as Joint Administrators. The Joint Administrators act only as agents of the Companies and contract without personal liability.



I agree that after reading the LRRC proposals from their web site, solid details are missing about infrastructure. They are misleading readers about the West Common and usage. In fact ,nothing is new, only wishing to bring back horse racing as it was. That has long gone and what currently lies on the common, especially wild life and wooded areas, faces being destroyed. The fixtures and fittings will be permanent, and if I was an entrepeneur spending £12m or more, I would want a financial return to include security to protect my investment.

[Neville]

interesting letters in the echo today. checked the echo web site for them. comments are already being made.
see link http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/let ... ticle.html

[matt_lincoln]

looks like this horse racing "issue" is being picked up outside of Lincoln now:

http://www.racingpost.com/news/bloodsto ... acingnews/

[lois]

commons advisory meeting is to take place on wednesday 14th July at 6pm in the city hall, room to be confirmed soon. I suggest that we are all there in force, we cannot speak but can listen and make plans for lobby etc. let the numbers count to show a silent majority, they need to know that they are answerable to us for their decisions at this meeting. Lois (otherwise known as the letterbox lass!!)

[Jeff]

Checked with City Council today about the special meeting for the 14th July. It is being held in committee rooms 1, 2, and 3. These rooms will be combined to accommodate the people expected to come including the media. BBC Look North, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Calendar News, etc, have put this important meeting in their diaries. Councillor Helen Heath, who is the chairman of the Commons Advisory Committee, has requested the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company and Karl McCartney, the MP for Lincoln, to be there to answer questions raised by members of the Commons Advisory Committee.

See this too...
http://fsd.lincolnshire.gov.uk/upload/p ... eaflet.pdf

I have already seen this pamphlet which came through my letter box last weekend. Very good and well worth reading.

[Neville]

just read my echo for today. noticed these letters that were published. also a comment.

See link http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/let ... ticle.html

[danieli]

Hi —

Quick note to let you know I posted a story on The Lincolnite about the petition against the racecourse, with some interesting quotes from Karl McCartney and City Council.

Dozens sign petition against city racecourse

Dozens of Lincolnites have signed an online petition against the proposed racecourse on the West Common. The petition, titled Hands off our West Common, aims to make those “who have decision-power aware that this is not a change that we want for the local community.”

90 Lincoln residents have signed the petition at the time of writing, with more expected to join as the link to the petition is now propagated through the Twitter and Facebook social networks.

The story is quite long, so I didn't post is all here. Read the rest at http://thelincolnite.co.uk/xwudi

Feel free to share your thoughts.

[David O'D]

Although living in the West End and not St Georges, I am (and many of us here are) also opposed. We need to ensure that we all combine to prevent this from destroying the Common.

[Neville]

just read the echo this morning about the meeting held at city hall yesterday evening. this is the link below to read the article and comments made so far.

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/new ... ticle.html

[richardcrabbe]

One of the very few details Karen Rastell did give us was that the operator would not be able to, or indeed try to, restrict the racegoers from viewing races for free from the common. She repeated this when questioned by a member of the committee.

Ms Rastall said that the organisers would make money from paying guests in the existing grandstand.

The £12 million investment implies annual pre tax profits of £1.5 million, and also implies that Lincoln City council might receive £125,000 annually. That leaves us to believe they will make an operating profit of £1.6 million.

If one then uses a gross profit margin of 30%, that implies gross revenues of £5.5 million annually.

At perhaps £30 per head, Grandstand ticket sales would be unlikely to raise even that sum. My guess is that the grandstand and some surrounding marquees could accommodate perhaps 5,000. That suggests ticket income of some £2 - 2.5million annually.

From where are they planning to raise the missing £3 million?

[danieli]

Both the residents and the Commons Advisory Panel raised some very interesting points at the meeting at the City Hall last night.

Here's our report in The Lincolnite:

Heated debate erupted at the City Hall on July 14, as members of the Commons Advisory Panel met with the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company (LRRC) to discuss the proposed plans for reinstating the racecourse on the West Common.

Chaired by Councillor Helen Heath, the 20 members of the advisory panel deemed LRRC’s plans to bring back flat racing to Lincoln as incomplete, noting that the company had few answers to the questions brought forward by the committee.

You can find the whole story here — http://thelincolnite.co.uk/jsvob

We would be delighted to hear your thoughts on the matter.

DI

[Jeff]

I wonder how many local residents are doing their bit to keep the West Common and the right to roam on it? It is under threat and having talked to dog walkers they fear that behind the scenes the common will end up as land available for development. In discussing the issues for the return of horse racing, it is believed that to keep the city of Lincoln afloat that this will happen.
Those who went to the meeting are not impressed what the Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company had to say. There was nothing concrete about their proposals. Instead they produced a document about their intentions. In fact, they had to listen to members and councillors of the Commons Advisory Panel who had done their research and knew more about racecourses, many of which are struggling financially.
I was advised to check out information given with the British Horseracing Authority who grant licences to racecourses in the UK.
The Betting Industry is facing a financial crisis. The Levy Board have not enough money to support racecourse throughout the country. The major racecourses such as Aintree, Ascot, York, and Doncaster remain profitable while other medium racecourses are not. One newly built racecourse in South Wales is being considered to have its race days reduced for 2011. This is the tip of the iceberg coming.
It was the same for The Carholme (West Common) whereby the Levy Board withdrew its finacial support for the racecourse, hence its closure and buildings demolished. One major problem for the BHA is the major road, an artery into the centre of Lincoln, which divides the West Common. Another problem is that dreaded word called infrastructure. And one other criteria is - will the proposed rebuild of The Carholme be financially sound and viable. The BHA has doubts. Their decision about cutting fixtures in the United Kingdom will be made in September 2010.
I am disturbed by what councillors can say or not say outside of council meetings. If they make a decision or are pressed to say something and make comments on say on behalf of local residents they represent, they are not allowed to vote at council meetings. Folk find this disgraceful.
Now the LRRC are going ahead applying for a year's lease of the West Common for things such as traffic and environmental assessments in relation to the impact of horse racing for Lincoln. This is the first step to get a hold of the common.
Also what the Executine of the City of Lincoln Council can do. Please see this...
City Council may go ahead with a "Heads of Agreement" to do impact assessment studies. In fact the decision can be taken by an Executive which consists of 8 Conservative councillors. The 16 Labour councillors will have no say unless a call-in is agreed.
Furthermore, no one can question the statement made at the CAP meeting that there is "no" cost to the Council of anything associated with the racecourse proposal. The letter from Carol Bowman (LRRC) to John Bibby (senior office at City Council), pages 96/7 of the LRRC intentions (document) says "the initial feasibility study cost is the only finance responsibility aspect of the Project for the City of Lincoln Council". This seems to say that the Lincoln has to stump up money, despite what was said at the meeting.
By the way, the cost of the infrastructure required ie road improvements, etc, has to be met by the taxpayer. The LLRC has only £12m so far to spend in rebuilding the former racecourse.
Karen Rastall (LRRC) is an accountant in her profession. She has not looked at the costings or has provided such other than what is mentioned in the LRRC document. Very poor and misleading what LRRC has done so far!

[Neville]

something is just not right between conservative councillors at city council and the lincoln racecourse regeneration company. just to quote from a previous posting on the st georges web site....
"...there is "no" cost to the Council of anything associated with the racecourse proposal. The letter from Carol Bowman (LRRC) to John Bibby (senior office at City Council), pages 96/7 of the LRRC intentions (document) says "the initial feasibility study cost is the only finance responsibility aspect of the Project for the City of Lincoln Council."

thanks to a local resident who was given a copy of the lrrc document which i have borrowed, i have noticed correspondence between councillors, officers and a women from rotherham called carol m bowman. in her letter to eddie strengiel, dated may 2007, she invited him and councillor oliver peake ( then serving conservative councillors at city hall) to meet race management committees at both york and beverley, with a further note should they wish to discuss any issues prior to the submission of the "racecourse study proposal" for the lincoln city council debate.

near the end of her letter, she mentions this..."i estimate the financial implication for the feasibility study to be in the region of £8,000 - £10,000."

i can remember with discussions with councillors, when eddie strengiel was the leader of city council, he denied the fact that he and conservative councillors had anything to do with any proposals of the return of horse racing for the west common. councillor peake was involved and failed to declare an interest when he served on the commons advisory panel at city hall. apparently councillors do not have to do this for this is an advisory panel, not a committee.

there is correspondence between Karl McCartney and another conservative councillor called keith weaver, dated 3rd november 2008, who i have been told was the chairman of the commons advisory panel from may 2007 to 26th may 2009. cap committee members told me that when questions were asked at their meetings about horse racing using the common, he knew nothing about proposals being made for the return of horseracing to lincoln.

the racing company can gloat that in bringing back horse racing to the west common, it will cost nothing to the people of lincoln. first of all the feasibility costs will have to be met by city council, in other words the taxpayer, then there is the infrastructure which needs to be paid for. that will cost an arm and a leg from taxpayers money ( council tax) to appease the horse racing fraternity. if the highways authority is right in only granting race events on sundays and bank holidays, this will kill of trade for the city centre and elsewhere, for who will want to shop in lincoln on those days. a traffic nightmare, so people will avoid lincoln on those days and shop elsewhere.

what do other residents say living in the long leys road of lincoln about the use of the west common. i feel behind it all with horseracing there is another motive called land grab. i would like to know please!