Crump99

Consortium spokesman Carl Johnson added: “ We will continue to fight against AEPG getting planning permission for what they want to do and our goal is to have speedway at the Showground in 2025" (peterboroughtoday 14/11/23)

That'd be Mick Bratley with no official position who is trying to save the club as well as helping to organise, and attending, the Save Peterborough Speedway rally on Saturday Nov 18. One assumes that Buster will be there to offer his support and also address the fans who've filled his coffers during his tenure. The AEPG shackles are off now so he can explain what he's been playing at throughout 2023.

Oh yes so they did, so thanks for that and apologies to them Point still stands though in what was the point as they've allowed Chapman to take the club down without any fight whatsoever. Paper never refuses ink but real positive action is a whole different competence, rarely found in overseeing speedway administration!

Not forgetting employees within the PE postcode. Just looked at today's comedy edition from Stamford - comments: What a truly fantastic development and a great example of positive placemaking (what a giveaway, who uses terms like positive placemaking ) countered by someone local from Orton Waterville - The loss of the showground is a big mistake. It will have a detrimental effect on the local area and it will mean less visitors coming into the city and spending money here and the loss of entertainment for local people

He should have walked away before 2023 (or during it if someone had put in a written offer, which was his criteria allegedly?) but we still don't know why those pre-season talks failed at such a late stage? Probably explains the difficulties in any negotiations with him now? He may not be the bad guy but the longer it goes on the club loses and AEPG win so I'd hardly call him an asset?

I have no expectations but it's good to put it out there for reference. People on here may have not seen the SCB planning objection and whoever uploaded it might also see the post and add it to the other application. AEPG don't want objections so another to the total is helpful, especially a significant one.

Agreed. I sort of get, and appreciate, the removal of his one line top surface. That can be replaced and the track improved and returned to it's former glory. I don't get the fence though, that only plays in to the AEPG narrative of needing the site cleared because they think that some other clowns are going to get in bed with them for their proposed Spring 2024 land sale. What value is there in a load of old wood? That would have been included in this never ending consortium negotiation. Chapman's played a blinder throughout 2023 for Butterfield and AEPG, has he got a PE postcode? The plan seems to be, forget 2024, fight the AEPG planning applications and hope that there is something left to return to in 2025? Hopefully Chapman has to explain himself at the AGM. The Speedway Control Bureau put in a powerful objection to 23/00400/OUT | Outline permission for up to 850 dwellings (shame that they didn't add to 23/00412/OUT | Outline permission for up to 650 dwellings which is where the speedway track sits) but they are happy for one of their members to seemingly be happy to lose a prime circuit and stadium to further weaken their product?

Based on 2011, March/April.

There will be another speedway show but if the Panthers rally is a damp squib then there might not be a Peterborough Speedway. You can bet that Butterfield and his "poorly supported, non viable club" henchmen will be watching. If Panthers fans or others want something to do on the day, and to give Bratters and co the ammunition that they need, then the calculation is pretty simple.

They lost a small battle that they should have won but it's really small beer compared to the EoES development. I wouldn't get too hung up on the number of objections. They'll have learnt from that meeting which isn't helpful to us. Cllr Julie Stevenson@CllrJulieS Oct 17 - They picked up on AEPG's lack of consultation given there were so many objections. The showground masterplan is a very different beast to this. The number of comments isn't the significant metric. The number of PEOPLE who turn up to planning meetings is. That's my tip.

And Butterfield has never given any impression that he and his land promoters see a future for Peterborough Speedway at the EoES. As far as he and they are concerned it's job done. The messaging from Chapman has been negative from the start and he never (outwardly anyway) put up any fight to save the club or explain what changed from his 2022 message of a few more seasons at the EoES (unless he made that up of course?) to his capitulation of consistently singing the AEPG agenda. And to be fair, CJ had been similarly negative, up to his leaving, from the start (whether under duress or out of necessity I don't know). The supporters club came to the party too late: I've been amazed all year that they've been ticking along like it's business as usual with the sands of time running out for their club as each meeting passed. If only the Peterborough Needs Speedway flag had appeared at that pre-season rider introduction promo rather than at the EoES when time was almost up. What Chapman has or hasn't got to sell and who is pulling whose strings I don't know. It can't be too difficult to make a sale on what he has or hasn't got and draw up a contract with clauses in for future eventualities? It's a shame that the SCB/BSPA can't issue a new licence for say Alwalton Speedway so that the consortium can move forward. SCB/BSPA put in a strong objection to Butterfield and AEPG's planned destruction of Peterborough Speedway but they seemingly are happy to see one of their members take down one of their premium clubs, track and stadium to further weaken their struggling product? Funny old sport innit.

AEPG don't want an agreement. They want speedway gone and the stadium/track flattened so that they are in total control of the space so that they can progress as they see fit. Bratley said that they'd already cancelled one planned meeting. I doubt that there's been another. Butterfield will just kick the can down the road to scupper 2024 and go from there. As consortium spokesman Johnson said: “Before we can do anything, we have to see if we can agree a deal with Mr. Chapman to buy the rights to the Peterborough operating licence and until that happens it is difficult to move forward. Chapman has played a blinder for AEPG all year and so it continues. Job just about done!

Wouldn't put money on it. We're still waiting to know why this went ** up: " The only person who spoke to me about running the club, who I thought initially was going to be running it, was Michael Tomalin from City Auction Group, and he is the only person."

Just getting fed up with the negative feedback I suspect. I doubt that they get much traffic usually so people continually slagging them off and taking the mick (although well deserved) isn't a great look. They've been pretty quiet which is a worry, you wonder what they are up to?

Agreed. With combined objections (1700*) now at 1+1 for each proposed property within these unwelcome and unwanted planning applications, it'd be quite a milestone to get to a combined 2200 which would be one for each seat in the unviable grandstand that AEPG keep banging on about.

Not unless you can point to it. Local paper today has a consortium update which reads: Talks are still ongoing with a six-man consortium wanting to buy the club from current owner Keith Chapman and if the deal goes through they will step up their fight to stay at the Showground where agents AEPG have applied for outline planning permission to build a 1,650 home development, hotel and leisure village. There is still no confirmed date as to when their controversial application, which has been opposed by Sport England and other authorities as well as local residents, will be heard. The PT revealed last week that Carl Johnson, Andy Fairchild, Mick Bratley, Michael Tomalin, Dave Hewitt and Jacob Hewitt have been negotiating to purchase Panthers from Chapman.

Don't give up on Peterborough yet. It's been a big week locally https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/sport/other-sport/the-potential-saviours-of-peterborough-speedway-will-fight-to-the-bitter-end-4376067 https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/cambridgeshire-mp-shailesh-vara-says-no-stone-should-be-left-unturned-to-save-peterborough-speedway-track-4378647 And AEPG got a right kicking this week from the planning and environmental committee that they've got to sell their 10 year building site to https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/peterborough-council-refuses-application-for-car-storage-depot-at-east-of-england-showground-4375697

Probably a member of the same lodge as Mr Beattie who seems to similarly struggle with character judgement? I hope that he was watching yesterday because that was his and the EEAS legacy sitting right there.

It was interesting to see him first time having to back up his rhetoric rather than just spouting it as fact and the way it is. The challenges on community engagement (and the bloke behind doing the Pinocchio impression ) and Peterborough jobs in the PE area (which stretches far and wide over 39 districts) were particularly interesting. If he/AEPG wants to claim that the many objections to their applications are from outside Peterborough (if they are?) then we'll have to use the PE postcode area (which includes Kings Lynn which is interesting?) as our marker.

sounds logical considering: Peterborough Panthers speedway team informed in 2022 that the 2023 season would sadly have to be their last in the Showground grandstand, as that area is expected to be under different ownership by the time the 2024 Speedway season begins. Sale of the land is expected to be approved by Spring 2024, again subject to planning approval. Battlestations everyone. AEPG may have lost a little battle here at the moment but the entire EoES campaign is a totally different prospect. Given the way that they seemingly slipped in information late on this application (giving little to no time for challenge), we can expect plenty of that with their unwanted cash cow.

But what was it like after the decision

It was a great starter indeed to get sight of the opposition; and they didn't do themselves any favours in terms of their attitude, presentation and attention to detail. Peterborough Speedway was mentioned 4 times and the committee was keen to deflect away from it (not relevant here) although they know that it's coming with 10x the number of objections that seemed to register significantly for this application, which should have been relatively for straightforward AEPG. Lack of trust was clearly big issue so trying to convince the planning and environmental committee that AEPG are competent enough to deliver their brochure is going to be some conjuring trick: From the ET factfile: Ashley added: “We believe the leisure aspect of the Showground will attract a far broader audience compared with the targeted audiences that the events held over the last few years. “We are also providing facilities and services, amenities and activity that is far more focused on the Peterborough community.”

AEPG usually react next day to any positive press so that's a strategy change if they are doing something physically destructive. Just when they thought they couldn't become more unpopular then they might just be having a go? Next focus of attention will be any as yet unnamed mug companies that get hooked up with them to facilitate their local disaster.

He was sublime after a first meeting shocker and if he continued with that application and performance then he certainly would have drawn in the crowds. So although it was too late and seemingly a bit pointless, apart from saving us from the wooden spoon, so not quite zero difference, I disagree with the last point.

Has he lost a chunk of money? That's not a criticism but with good crowds and sponsors I do wonder what the books look like? As for 1 or 2 you're spot on: an astute businessman would negotiate around 1 to get the best that they can but accept that that may not get 100% of what they want. Rumours and communications during the season seem to indicate that he is choosing 2 for some reason? That position will damage the sport generally and his other business interest within it so not so astute perhaps?