FSM


Round Up


Chester Racecourse suffers set-back for £100m vision


Chester Racecourse ‘s £100m expansion plan has been dealt a major blow by councillors who voted down a masterplan that included a replacement grandstand and new events building. The idea is to enhance the racing experience and improve the Roodee’s all- year round appeal. But Cheshire West and Chester Council


Councillors unhappy with loss of views and impact on neighbouring residents The masterplan comprised:


• Demolition of the existing Leverhulme Stand and replacement with a six- storey pavilion grandstand


• Erection of a three-storey events building with basement car parking


planning committee members went against the advice of their own officers in refusing the masterplan – which was greeted with a round of applause from the public – as well as a detailed application for the grandstand. Proposals for the events building were


deferred indicating councillors do not want to lose this element.


• Extension to the Holiday Inn • Boutique hotel/administration building • Three storey multi-level car park on top of an existing surface car park on the other side of the railway viaduct


But members were worried the larger


buildings would alter the city skyline and lead to the loss of an historic view from the City Walls by the Queen’s School down on to the Roodee itself


where the River Dee used to flow. It was also felt the proposed multi-storey


car park would have ‘significant adverse impacts’ on the health and well-being of neighbouring residents due to the increase in traffic and noise that would result. Approval in principle had been sought


for the masterplan with detailed planning applications to be considered for the six storey pavilion grandstand and three storey events building. The first two were refused but the


application for the events building was deferred to allow more discussions to take place to ensure adequate extra car parking could be brought forward to serve the new facility.


New Floodlights to be installed at Blundell Park


Grimsby Town’s floodlight towers at Blundell Park will be replaced in the summer


Grimsby Town’s floodlight towers at Blundell Park are set to be replaced during the close season.


The current floodlights were purchased second-hand from Wolves in 1958 and installed at the club in 1960.


Speaking of the need to replace the floodlight towers, Town


director John Fenty said: “The old towers are not dangerous in any way, shape, or form. There are some corrosion issues, but that is predominately centred around the ladders. “The lights aren’t sufficiently bright, we are struggling to keep them all on at the same time – for one reason or another.


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“They are very old fittings, and we do a lot of work on them to keep them as best as they are.


“Our objective is to probably reduce those to the ground in the close season, and replace them with four new


stanchions, which will be of the sort that will tilt down to the ground so that they are easy to maintain.


“I doubt if they will be able to be used on a new stadium – I think they will be more for the community pitches. “So they can be transplanted, it shouldn’t be wasted money.


But of course the installation costs shall be duplicated but I don’t believe that is a big issue.”


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