Curborough Under Threat

[curboro]

The UK’s premier and most used Sprint Course is under threat from the development of a new community containing up to 5000 dwellings and associated amenities.
Make your views known to Lichfield District Council, you can make a difference, this is not a done deal !

Please visit the Curborough website to obtain details of how to oppose this development and do so before 29th April.

This venue is of National importance and we need YOU to help us preserve it.

Please visit: www.curborough.co.uk to find details of how you can help.

Many thanks

Steve Udall
Vice Chairman SDCC

[Bossybottom]

[quote=curboro]The UK’s premier and most used Sprint Course is under threat from the development of a new community containing up to 5000 dwellings and associated amenities.
This venue is of National importance and we need YOU to help us preserve it.]

I echo this plea from Steve expecially after the brilliant day we had yesterday at the HSA meeting. This showed Curborough at its best and demonstrated what a good venue can be like. Weather was great, the marshals turned out in force and the drivers well behaved (well most of them). Thanks to HSA for a well organised day's driving and an special thank you to Tony on his first outing as chief marshal. Well done!
Vicki

[Steve Wilkinson]

Despite rumours to the contary i would be very disappointed if Curborough were to be lost as a sprint venue. The Midlands have plenty of hillclimb courses but only one full time sprint course. With other venues only holding one or two events per year it is vital that Curborough remains as a sprint course. The much needed investment may be forthcoming if the venue can be saved so visit the Curborough website today!

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Despite rumours to the contary i would be very disappointed if Curborough were to be lost as a sprint venue. The Midlands have plenty of hillclimb courses but only one full time sprint course. With other venues only holding one or two events per year it is vital that Curborough remains as a sprint course. The much needed investment may be forthcoming if the venue can be saved so visit the Curborough website today!

I have just visited the Lichfield Council site and registered my objections to the planned development - have you?

[Hitech]

Just lodged my objections too.

[Bigbeemer]

Me too.

Suggest that we all try to notify as many others as possible

BB

[Dan Friel]

To have the greatest impact, you need to express a valid reason for your objection. Simply stating that you don't agree with the proposal carries little or no weight.

I suggest that Curborough draft something that each objector can use as the basis of their correspondence with the planning authority. If it's a national important facility, the reasons why need to be stated.

[DJ Racecars]

I've just lodged the following objection.

We wish to lodge a formal objection to the proposed development of land around Fradley Park.

Our main objection centres on the possible loss of Curborough sprint course.

As a leading racecar constructor specialising in building cars primarily for use at venues such as Curborough (ie sprint courses) we believe the loss of such a popular and well used circuit would be a significant blow to our specialised and under funded branch of motorsport, especially when you consider the midlands is already short of such venues when compared with other areas of the UK.

The course is also an essential resource for development/testing carried out between competitive events and we aren't the only manufacturer to use the circuit for this purpose.

We also believe that no compromise can be reached by developing the surrounding area and leaving the circuit, this has been carried out in other areas of the UK and following the development of the land and subsequent habitation the circuit usually comes under threat from the new residents, despite the circuit being there first.

Regards,

DJ Racecars Ltd

If you have any association with this circuit I urge you to let your feelings be known.

Nathan

[Pistonbroke]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

To have the greatest impact, you need to express a valid reason for your objection. Simply stating that you don't agree with the proposal carries little or no weight.

I suggest that Curborough draft something that each objector can use as the basis of their correspondence with the planning authority. If it's a national important facility, the reasons why need to be stated.

Good idea, Dan. I've asked SDCC (who have a sub-committee working on ways to fight the proposals) to come up with suitable reasons. Will post here when I get a reply, meanwhile am holding back on my letter of objection.

[Pistonbroke]

Right, I've now had some replies from SDCC.

At this stage what is required is the maximum number of objections, so that Lichfield District Council, who also do not want the development, can tell whatever Ministry it is these days "we've had xxxxx thousand objections".

This will result in a planning enquiry, at which stage the detailed grounds for objection will be considered. At the moment it is suggested we object on the grounds of the loss of a unique local & national sporting venue.

Please register your objection on the above grounds by 29 April.

The simplest way to do this is to visit the Curborough website
www.curborough.co.uk and follow the links. Alternatively you can write to: Development Services, Lichfield District Council, Frog Lane, Lichfield, WS13 6YZ.

At a later stage SDCC, who are contacting other relevant clubs for support, will supply a template for detailed objections.

[Sheila M]

As I said on the other thread on this topic - get the Ramblers Association on your side - don't forget there is a public footpath running right through the middle of Curborough. Sadly, in this sort of situation, the Ramblers Association probably carry more weight than any of us do.

[armchair racer]

Ive posted the link ( to curborough website) and one of the guys had a reply from Lichfield council basically saying they were building near the circuit not on it .....here is his actual reply ..Quick update for those interested.

I had a reply from Lichfield District Council on this today.

It gives a little more information on the development.

From what I can gather they don't actual plan to build over the circuit. The development is located on the former airfield to the north east of the circuit. At closest it'll be about half a mile away. In addition to the 5,000 residential properties, schools and smaller community businesses there are also commercial properties and a waste recycling facility.

The current layout of the surrounding land would suggest that the comercial bits will be at the south end of the airfield and the residential will be at the north end of the site. That's based on my experience of working within the construction industry. It stands to reason that commercial tenants are less likely to complain about the noise cause the majority tend not to work at weekends when the majority of racing will occur. It all suggests that there's probably not much threat from the current development but that the area will probably be developed in the future cause this appears to be an extension of a previous development, if you look on Google earth to the east of the airfield there are still residential properties still under construction so it's obviously part of a larger redevelopment of the area.

[Dan Friel]

No, the master plans which form part of the planning application show that the circuit will be well and truely built upon.

[graham bahr]

ive just logged my objections, lets not forget that grass roots hill climbing and sprinting spawned arguably the worlds best touring car driver Andy Priaux, and that curbourgh was worthy of a national lottery grant

[Greystone]

Just added my objection.

[armchair racer]

Originally Posted by Dan Friel

No, the master plans which form part of the planning application show that the circuit will be well and truely built upon.

many Appologies , you are right and the guy ive quoted is very wrong ...ive just seen the Lichfield map and they are definitely building on it ( if they get the go ahead)

[tlracing]

I have also added my objections to the plans. In addition, I have sent emails to Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and to Chris Aylett, CEO of the Motorsports Industry Association, asking for their intervention/support.

One thing I would advise on objections, from experience: It is always better to put these in your own words rather than a 'standard letter' as the latter tends to be ignored.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by tlracing

One thing I would advise on objections, from experience: It is always better to put these in your own words rather than a 'standard letter' as the latter tends to be ignored.

I agree; it is always better to maybe use a standard letter as the outline of your protest but rewrite in your own words.

The problem with sending in hundreds of identical objections is that they will be ignored as stated above. However if each one is different then the people dealing with the letters will sit up & take notice.

[Farbrooke]

Thought this article would be of interest http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...316291311.html.

Would appear the Long Maston site objectors are off to court to test the legality of this style of blanket development

[Perksy]

They'll still be racing of a sort....
boy racers in loud corsas doing hand brake turns around the new estates etc etc

[curboro]

Thanks for this useful link.
We have a committee meeting tomorrow to discuss any further immediate action we need to take, and any links to items such as this are useful to have.
Many thanks

Steve Udall
SDCC

[flagwaver]

We had a meeting in our village over a planning application and we were told the same thing. Identical letters are a waste of time. (To easy for Mr Jones with a grudge just to print out a letter and change the address)

[Sheila M]

It seems that the Government are not prepared to listen to reason.

See the front page of today's Lichfield Mercury for the full story: http://www.lichfieldmercury.co.uk/di...entPK=20846634

[Farbrooke]

More from Goverment Planning

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/eng...316312090.html