Plans been submitted to Rugby Borough Council by the owners of Brandon Stadium to build houses on the mothballed speedway site.
The application by Brandon Estates was submitted on Friday January 26 and although the detail has not been revealed as yet it is believed to be for 137 homes, in line with a proposal put forward in October last year.
The stadium, former home to the Coventry Bees speedway team and CoventryStox stock car racing operation, has remained derelict since a long-running row between Brandon Estates and former Coventry Bees speedway team owner Avtar Sandhu ended with many of its fixtures and fittings being removed.
Brandon Estates reported their removal by Mr Sandhu to Warwickshire Police and a criminal investigation was launched but later dropped.
During the stand-off Mr Sandhu pledged to return the fixtures and fittings but the stalemate continued, meaning the Bees, now owned by Mick Horton, were excluded from speedway’s Elite League last season.
The Bees are set to return to competitive speedway in the forthcoming season this spring but at a lower level – and 30 miles away at Leicester.
Uncertainty over the future of the stadium continues and the Save Coventry Speedway campaign group has expressed its fears that speedway may never return to the troubled site, which has been home to top level speedway since 1928.
Brandon Estates has claimed speedway is no longer viable at the stadium and has made it clear it wishes to build new homes on the site.
But the site does not form part of Rugby Borough Council’s Local Plan and as such it is thought unlikely any application would be successful, meaning Brandon Estates might appeal a Rugby Borough Council refusal and development be the subject of a public enquiry.
David Rowe from the Save Coventry Speedway campaign group said: “The application was put in on Friday afternoon, though we can’t see it yet as it takes some time to be registered.
“As far as we know it is the same as proposals put forward in October for 137 homes.
“We are urging the council to turn it down.
“This can’t be allowed to happen.”
Mr Rowe said despite the dilapidated state of Brandon Stadium, something made worse following a number of incursions by travellers, Save Coventry Speedway had not given up hope of a return to Brandon.
He added: “It is a wearing down process but we won’t be worn down.
“We hope that if they get knocked back enough times they will get fed-up.
“The stadium is now in a terrible state because of the damage done by travellers though the speedway track is still there and good to go.
“It could be made race ready in three to four weeks and the buildings are still standing.”
Source: Coventry Telegraph