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Believe a decision is due in March. 

Our first 2 matches are set in stone, should we get Saturday planning all over fixtures will move from the Monday to the prior Saturday.

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Read with interest the Planning Application in detail (old job) and my honest impartial assessment is that there is very little chance of LA changing minds without substantial new evidence and with a significant change in attitude from local residents and Councillors who seem very set. 

The problem with a scenario like this as an applicant is the danger of erosion of current permissions if appeals become frivolous.

The LA seem to be prepared for 2 hours on a Monday or 2 1/2 hours on a Friday and nothing else.

 

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It's a shame that Kent can't run on fridays now that Lakeside have gone. No school on saturday for the kids and an extra 30 minutes to allow for any hold ups.

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On 2/6/2019 at 8:03 PM, cityrebel said:

It's a shame that Kent can't run on fridays now that Lakeside have gone. No school on saturday for the kids and an extra 30 minutes to allow for any hold ups.

I believe that later curfew permission on a Friday only applies to top flight speedway.

I believe the appeal is because the meeting got sidetracked from what permission was actually asked for was. By all accounts the impression was that due to a campaign from a dismissed ex bookie at the dogs the councillors appeared to believe they were voting on whether we can run 7 days a week. When the only changes were to ask for permission to run saturdays and a slightly later start time. The application now only asks about running Saturdays. 

This really should be a simple amendment because in other hearings the main concerns of the local resident was it "keeping local kids awake on a school night" so moving to Saturdays should throw out that concern.

As I understand all reference to a later start time has been completely removed.

 

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1 hour ago, teaboy279 said:

I believe that later curfew permission on a Friday only applies to top flight speedway.

I believe the appeal is because the meeting got sidetracked from what permission was actually asked for was. By all accounts the impression was that due to a campaign from a dismissed ex bookie at the dogs the councillors appeared to believe they were voting on whether we can run 7 days a week. When the only changes were to ask for permission to run saturdays and a slightly later start time. The application now only asks about running Saturdays. 

This really should be a simple amendment because in other hearings the main concerns of the local resident was it "keeping local kids awake on a school night" so moving to Saturdays should throw out that concern.

As I understand all reference to a later start time has been completely removed.

 

Nothing is simple with these Councils.

Hope Club gets the green light for Saturdays,as that would really boost crowds IMHO :D

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2 hours ago, teaboy279 said:

I believe that later curfew permission on a Friday only applies to top flight speedway.

I believe the appeal is because the meeting got sidetracked from what permission was actually asked for was. By all accounts the impression was that due to a campaign from a dismissed ex bookie at the dogs the councillors appeared to believe they were voting on whether we can run 7 days a week. When the only changes were to ask for permission to run saturdays and a slightly later start time. The application now only asks about running Saturdays. 

This really should be a simple amendment because in other hearings the main concerns of the local resident was it "keeping local kids awake on a school night" so moving to Saturdays should throw out that concern.

As I understand all reference to a later start time has been completely removed.

 

I would presume that Kent speedway have also appealed the previous decision.

 

That is what usually happens when the planning ctte misdirects itself. 

 

If I was the applicants agent I would be telling the planning officers loud and clear that they should accept the new application ( which would allow the council to determine conditions) rather than allowing the previous application to go to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol ( who would probably approve it without conditions)

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I can’t see saturdays being much of a bonus for Kent having to go against newly promoted Eastbourne Friday nights would be better surely? 

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Agree would not make much commercial sense to compete with your nearest geographical rivals when one could race CL on Saturday and the other NL on a Monday or Friday to probably attract a fair number who would go to both.

Len Silver though has only ever bothered about Len Silver and nobbling rival Promotions has always been part of that plan. Just ask Wimbledon! 

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Whilst I think planning is in place for fridays still, the stadium is used by the dogs on a Friday now, so track is unavailable.

Reading between the lines of what Len said the end of last season and in press releases, I think once Saturdays are secured then the step up a league or two will follow.

My personal opinion  is that I cant remember going to a Saturday speedway club for decades where the crowds were all that impressive. Except Rye's early Elite fixtures. As a whole there are so many things on a Saturday competing for your time and money especially for the younger fans that I think it's a big gamble.

I think once you go up the leagues speedway on Saturdays can work, so that's why I ll support the clubs plans. 

Tbf the team we have this year, I can only see crowds rise and rise whatever night we race on. Really cant wait for the season to start, and the silver skis fours is probably the most exciting addition to the fixtures I ve seen since Kent have been in existence for sure. Really hope to do all four legs and the format gets resurrected permanently, used to be among my favourite meetings back in the Canterbury days and a format I miss greatly. 

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I have to agree that a switch to Saturdays would most likely increase crowd levels at the start of the season but could well see them tail off as other competition for things to do increases. The same as the very competitive Kent side that has been assembled this year will keep some fans flocking back week on week but if they start hitting 60+ points against most teams there will be several that slide away again as the level of entertainment drops (that said everyone's views of what makes the sport entertaining differs hence its current woes).

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Sings4Speedway makes a very fair point about teams being "too strong" as processional racing is not entertaining and can soon wear a little thin. At Birmingham last season (before injuries hit) some of the racing was very boring, once the team was weakened the actual entertainment value rose as it was closer and more competitive.

Of the other NL teams in past few years have noticed a decline in attendances when I have been to Eastbourne and Belle Vue, who would often pummel sides at home in NL. No disrespect but if you know team are going to hit 60 every week, you will pick and choose.

I don't think its a particularly good race track at Kent either, fantastic facilities but the track not great for entertainment.

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Track is certainly better at Kent than it used to be but does largely favour the brave who are prepared to go out to the dirt and go round the outside / find the drive off the bends. very easy to defend going into a corner and without mistakes its incredibly rare to see an inside pass. 

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A lot of speedway fans like myself, are also football fans. Saturdays will definitely impact upon me at the start and the end of the speedway season. Coupled with Eastbourne's promotion, some difficult choices will have to be made by yours truly.

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On 2/11/2019 at 3:02 PM, HGould said:

Sings4Speedway makes a very fair point about teams being "too strong" as processional racing is not entertaining and can soon wear a little thin. At Birmingham last season (before injuries hit) some of the racing was very boring, once the team was weakened the actual entertainment value rose as it was closer and more competitive.

Of the other NL teams in past few years have noticed a decline in attendances when I have been to Eastbourne and Belle Vue, who would often pummel sides at home in NL. No disrespect but if you know team are going to hit 60 every week, you will pick and choose.

I don't think its a particularly good race track at Kent either, fantastic facilities but the track not great for entertainment.

As a Lakeside fan who has made quite a lot of visits to Kent over the past few years, I have to take issue with these comments.  One of the reasons

I make those visits is that I find the racing very good indeed, and I can watch while sitting in a seat instead of standing on a dirt pile as at my home

track. I want the race day to become Saturday simply because it will make the journey easier for me with traffic not being a normal issue as it can

be on a Monday.  Sorry, just a selfish view.

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5 hours ago, East End Fan said:

As a Lakeside fan who has made quite a lot of visits to Kent over the past few years, I have to take issue with these comments.  One of the reasons

I make those visits is that I find the racing very good indeed, and I can watch while sitting in a seat instead of standing on a dirt pile as at my home

track. I want the race day to become Saturday simply because it will make the journey easier for me with traffic not being a normal issue as it can

be on a Monday.  Sorry, just a selfish view.

We all have selfish views that suit our own lifestyles. I prefer mondays because it's a dead day for me. I have too many other commitments on saturdays that could make things awkward. 

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