Save our Motorsport

[ACE Motorsport]

Please, urge the British government to support British motorsport by reversing a ruling by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that discourages farmers from allowing motorsport events being held on their land. Do you fully support Motorsport News' Save Our Motorsport campaign, if so then sign the petition from the link below, to voice our opposition to this piece of legislation that threatens the very heart of grassroots motorsport in Britain.



Now go to this link and show your support for British motorsport.



http://www.petitiononline.com/som/

[Steve Gibson]

I belive this ban only applies to motorsport and does not affect pony clubs and the like, talk about biased ruling!

[Ian Sowman]

Perhaps this subject could be hot-topiced in relevant forums - it is a very big issue for motorsport in the UK. Rather makes the noise problem at Combe pale into insignificance!

[Grahame West]

Croft is near Alan Milburn's constituency and Tony Blair's is just up the road at Sedgefield. Wonder if it would do any good to write to them?

[Grahame West]

Croft is near Alan Milburn's constituency and Tony Blair's is just up the road at Sedgefield. Wonder if it would do any good to write to them?

[Ian Sowman]

I'm not sure how much permanent circuits such as Croft would be affected - nevertheless it probably wouldn't do any harm. Especially as Goverment initiatives and policies concerning motorsport are inconsistent to say the least.

[Grahame West]

Hope it doesnt effect Harewood as I'm a regular marshal there. Though it a permanent track it runs through a farm

[ACE Motorsport]

Originally Posted by Ian Sowman

Perhaps this subject could be hot-topiced in relevant forums - it is a very big issue for motorsport in the UK. Rather makes the noise problem at Combe pale into insignificance!

Good idea Ian.
This is important to everyone interested in motorsport, not just the off roaders, can it go on every forum?
This is the thin end of the wedge, once they start to restrict and reduce motorsport, where will it finish?

[ss_collins]

does anyone know how to put it in every UK forum?

[Sheila M]

Didn't this subject come up a couple of years back?

[Cryos]

Please, urge the British government to support British motorsport by reversing a ruling by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that discourages farmers from allowing motorsport events being held on their land.

From what you said it only discourages farmers to alow events on their land, it does not say farmers are not permitted to run events on their land. It is at their discression as to what happens on their land.

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by rxie

It is at their discression as to what happens on their land.

That was indeed the intent (and as far as we know the actual wording) of the EU directive. No one was worried. Unfortunately, the problem is the UK DEFRA recently issuing an interpretation that goes beyond the EU intent and specifically targets motorsport (only) by effectively saying any such use within a 10 month period renders it non-agricultural land. The crisis is compounded by the pending UK general election that effectively temporarily removes elected Ministers from day to day control of all but the most urgent national business.
This should not be confused with a pre-existing problem regarding potential re-classification of some unsurfaced public roads to prevent their (historical) use by motor vehicles.

[imull]

if they permit the use, tehy loose their single payment though. pretty big argument for hte farmers to say no more motorsport!

unfortunately, this has been brought about by a quango that involves virtually every major tree hugging group and the barest minimum of motoring organisations...

[grasser26]

DEFRA have today released a notice re Single Payment Scheme and motorsport. It states that they are still considering the representations made to them but does clarify their current position slightly. It can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/caprefo...land/index.htm

[pitcrew]

ive signed, just when things cat get worse!, the goverment should be encouraging in the growth of our economy and motorsports devisions,

[ACE Motorsport]

LABOUR GOVERNMENT THREATENS HISTORIC MOTORSPORT!

The first motor sport events have been cancelled, and the campaign to overturn new DEFRA regulations grows.

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has received notification of the first cancellations of motor sport events as a direct result of legislation imposed by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
DEFRA's decision to stop subsidies to farmers who allow part of their land to be used, even temporarily, for any form of motor sport has threatened to destroy more than 40% of 4-wheeled grassroots motor sport in the UK as well as 4,000 off-road motor cycle meetings
The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) replaces the Common Agricultural Policy and now pays farmers for the land they own, not what they produce. The European Directive on agricultural subsidies does not prohibit motor sports on land eligible for SPS. However, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has taken the decision, without consultation, to stop these payments to UK landowners if agricultural land is used, even temporarily, for motor sport.
The first events to fall victim to the legislation include sporting trials, autograss racing and 4x4 events that had been due to take place on rural farm land, but there are fears that these are just the tip of the iceberg. Our favourite hill-climbs, which run on Landed Estates such as Wiscombe Park, Loton Park, and Longleat could be the next to go.
The media campaign to overturn the legislation is gathering momentum and reflects the serious nature of the threat posed by DEFRA's actions.
It is estimated that nearly 50,000 competitors and officials will be directly hit by the new ruling, with as many as 250,000 spectators, families and service crews also affected apart from the knock-on effect on garages, local B&Bs and other rural businesses
Motorsport News has started its own campaign to save Britain's grassroots motor sport. It urges everyone to sign up to its petition at www.petitiononline.com/som, and quotes trials multi-champion Julian Fack: "As we see it, this could be the death of sporting trials. This is devastating news."
MSA Chief Executive Colin Hilton says: "This is a fundamental threat to motor sport and we need everyone to join the campaign. The time for taking it on the chin is over; we now have to fight for our sport." The full text of his article can be found on the MSA website, www.msauk.org, in the News section, as can previous press releases.
This is but the latest of a series of attacks on our motoring heritage –FIRSTLY DEFRA issued a paper early last year proposing major changes to the Rights of Way legislation that would restrict the use of motor vehicles on minor tarmac and stone-surfaced roads – i.e. those used by our Classic Trials events. Yet, six months later we heard that an entirely different plan was being hatched by another branch of the government to employ archivists at a cost of many hundreds of thousands of pounds to examine ancient deeds going back to the middle ages to find and bring back ancient rights of way over landed property – which in turn, would let loose all those “horrible mechanical vehicles” somewhere else – a complete Alice in Wonderland situation.
THEN came the proposals to “tax” all vehicles not currently in active use on the DVLA Registers.
When asked why the Government was spending so much time on the Hunting Bills, Labour MP Bradley stated quite publicly “because this is the start of the class war”. It is quite clear that some car sporting pursuits are perceived in the same way – just as our Heritage in general is under attack by the major reductions in available funding, both from the Lottery, and government, and the unjustifiable tax increase, in the 2004 Budget on Heritage Funds specifically set up to maintain our Historic Buildings. Historic motor racing will go the same way, evidenced by the troubles affecting Castle Combe yet again.
The Labour politicians have pledged to leave “an indelible mark” and to ensure “the entrenchment of Labour Ideals” if they are returned for a third term, no doubt leaving everything dummed down to the lowest common denominator, as seems to have become the norm.

[Barrie]

I'm working at the Defra building tomorrow unfortunately, they have certainly got a passion for cheap foreign labour on there building sites, legal or not, government double standards one thinks.

[andymfell]

see latest defra news release 13/5/05


http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2005/050513a.htm