Peterborough speedway fans hold hope after Showground plans refused
Campaigners hope to try and resurrect the East of England Showground
Speedway campaigners in Peterborough are holding hope they see the sport return to the East of England Showground.
Yesterday, the city council's refused plans for 1,500 homes and a leisure village to be built on the site, that's hosted speedway for more than 50 years.
Councillors heard Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) - the developer - and landowner the East of England Agricultural Society (EEAS) fell out over how best to deliver the plans.
This has since led to AEPG and EEAS missing the deadline to meet council planning conditions - including contributing almost £22 million towards primary, secondary and early years education in Peterborough - as part of a section 106 agreement.
"This is the right result," Brian Connolly, director at Forever Panthers Limited, said.
"The application put forward we believe (was) the wrong scheme for Peterborough and attempted to eradicate part of Peterborough's sporting heritage."
'Best value'
Councillors agreed that the section 106 agreement - which had previously been missed by both AEPG and EEAS - must be signed in order for the plans to go ahead.
A spokesperson for EEAS told councillors that the Society had wanted to speak with the council to find a way forward with the plans.
But in a statement by Duncan Furey, chief executive officer at EEAS ahead of the meeting, he said "the Society has a legal duty to achieve best value in any agreement entered into.
"Our independent professional advice is clear that this legal duty is not met on either the current terms of the Section 106 agreement or the commercial agreement which Peterborough City Council require to be completed with AEPG in order to grant permission."
Mr Furey added EEAS is "committed to finding a resolution" with the council.
Ashley Butterfield, CEO of AEPG, told councillors that the company would make 30% of homes affordable to meet council conditions.
"AEPG remained ready and willing to sign (the section 106 agreement)," Mr Butterfield said.
"I want to thank the council and the community for their patience and belief for what this development could have achieved."
Since the plans were tabled, the East of England Showground has been left derelict following a farewell meeting in 2023.
Cllr Julie Stevenson, who represents Orton Waterville, has been campaigning against the redevelopment and believes the fight to save the Showground is not over.
"We can all throw numbers around about how much support we've got, but this isn't going to go away," she said.
"I didn't get any sense in that room (at the meeting) of anybody feeling defeated, so we'll have to see which moves each of the individual parties makes next."
Mr Connolly said Forever Panthers are keen to start talks with EEAS to come up with a plan to bring the Showground back up to scratch.
"We're working on a scheme to get going again, but we have to have a dialogue with the landowner; it must all be by agreement and arrangement, we're ready, willing and able and want to get going," he added.
"We hope people will engage with us and we can look forward to Peterborough getting its speedway team back."