Reading Speedway

[Deano 1,318]

6 minutes ago, arnieg said:

There is no long term lease - Some time in the 90s Bill Dore surrendered it to the council and it was extinguished (or he failed to comply with it, and the council revoked it - take your pick).

Speedway occupied the site under a series of short (7 year?) leases, the last of which expired in 2008.

Option on the new site expired and speedway ceased to be part of council's plans for redeveloping the area. The land was there, the money wasn't.

So where do GI fit into this? Is this the new site they never had any intentions of building?

 

who leases the old site?

Edited October 1, 2023 by Deano

[Toady 231]

1 hour ago, Deano said:

Shame really. After watching the Rugby Council YouTube channel on Brandon Estates appeal, there’s loads of minuted evidence to prove Gaming International (through Clark Osborne) are not what their company name makes them out to be.

I think the council have grounds to cancel the long term lease as tax payers are not getting value for money and GI are not satisfying the Reading voters demand for motorsports (if needed enough).

GI should not be allowed to hold Racers fans and the council to ransom, especially after giving evidence on behalf of BE. It’s the straw that’s broke the camels back.

You’ve got to understand that Gi are just interested  in money they do not care or have ever cared about speedway osbourne put a lot of effort into his pitch at rugby because somebody is paying him a lot of cash to do so simple.Just look at the game he played at Swindon !(Gi just walked off back to Swindon)

Edited October 1, 2023 by Toady

[Deano 1,318]

9 minutes ago, Toady said:

You’ve got to understand that Gi are just interested  in money they do not care or have ever cared about speedway osbourne put a lot of effort into his pitch at rugby because somebody is paying him a lot of cash to do so simple.Just look at the game he played at Swindon !(Gi just walked off back to Swindon)

We’ve known that all along, but legally we’ve had to assume it. With the events of the past few days minuted it now becomes fact. If it were my track historically, currently or potentially effected by their tactics I’d be calling them out and only the local council can help.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Deano

[steve roberts 9,247]

1 hour ago, arnieg said:

There is no long term lease - Some time in the 90s Bill Dore surrendered it to the council and it was extinguished (or he failed to comply with it, and the council revoked it - take your pick).

Speedway occupied the site under a series of short (7 year?) leases, the last of which expired in 2008.

Option on the new site expired and speedway ceased to be part of council's plans for redeveloping the area. The land was there, the money wasn't.

Which was a travesty because, if I am correct, a 99 year lease was granted initially?

[racers and royals 8,746]

The site is used for parking for Reading FC home matches. I always thought that on closure Prudential assurance own the land now but have done nothing with it yet. 

[skydog 156]

We have asked the council 3 times about Speedway returning to Smallmead and been given very definitive "No"s every time. The land has apparently been sold to a developer who is happy to sit on it for years.

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

[steve roberts 9,247]

2 hours ago, skydog said:

We have asked the council 3 times about Speedway returning to Smallmead and been given very definitive "No"s every time. The land has apparently been sold to a developer who is happy to sit on it for years.

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

Oxford were very fortunate in that it had a council that was very pro-active...shame that can't be said about Reading apparently.

[Toady 231]

You can have as much backing from councils as you like but you have to have people prepared to invest money ultimately.

[Chris116 756]

2 hours ago, skydog said:

The company seem to be like Brandon Estates in that they have only been set up to buy that land, no other history.

So the next question that needs an answer is who owns the company and what connection do they have with Brandon Estates, Gaming International and Stadia UK.

[arnieg 3,662]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

So the next question that needs an answer is who owns the company and what connection do they have with Brandon Estates, Gaming International and Stadia UK.

It was the Prudential (as mentioned upthread).

 

And connection to Brandon Estates - none whatsoever.

[skydog 156]

On 10/2/2023 at 10:23 AM, racers and royals said:

The site is used for parking for Reading FC home matches. I always thought that on closure Prudential assurance own the land now but have done nothing with it yet. 

 

36 minutes ago, arnieg said:

It was the Prudential (as mentioned upthread).

 

And connection to Brandon Estates - none whatsoever.

We were told by the planning dept that the land is now owned by Foudry Estates, or something like that. Arnie probably has better info than me as to whether this is still something to do with the Pru. Foudry Brook runs past the land so I suspect it is a sub company owned by someone else just for the purpose of owning that piece of land. A bit like Brandon Estates. And AEPG come to think of it. I'd guess this is a fairly common thing when it comes to big money and big land deals, again Arnie would have more experience in this.

[wyverg 1]

FOUDRY PROPERTIES LIMITED

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by wyverg

[steve roberts 9,247]

On 10/3/2023 at 3:59 PM, steve roberts said:

Oxford were very fortunate in that it had a council that was very pro-active...shame that can't be said about Reading apparently.

I've just re-read "The Cheetahs 1976 - The Resurrection" by Keith Lawson the circumstances in which  Cowley Stadium was sold by "Bristol Stadiums Ltd" (aka Clarke Osbourne) in 1976 and the role that the SOS Committee played (of which my Uncle was a leading player) in securing a lease agreement with the City Council who had acquired the site and thru' negotiation together with massive support from the Greyhound fraternity speedway continued to be run there. It also helped greatly that the out going Stoke Promotion were wanting a new site. It took a great deal of work and persuasion but one must never give up hope but of course speedway was in a far healthier state back then which I guess made it somewhat easier in achieving the objective?

Of course the later rescue bid received massive support from the local council which I would imagine helped/encouraged an incoming business initiative but I guess that there aren't many out there able, or willing, to take a chance in todays economic climate?

Edited October 5, 2023 by steve roberts

[Deano 1,318]

On 10/4/2023 at 11:04 PM, wyverg said:

FOUDRY PROPERTIES LIMITED

 

2030 seems a long way away, but can we expect development before then. I’d hazard a guess probably not.

[skydog 156]

On 10/6/2023 at 8:35 AM, Deano said:

2030 seems a long way away, but can we expect development before then. I’d hazard a guess probably not.

True, but my fear is that by then there will be nobody with the inclination to even suggest that they let Speedway back in...