Crump99

Of course it all sounds logical but that doesn't mean that you have to give up and accept it. It's a weak one sided argument from Butterfield who's obviously feeling the heat as friends and family plead for the planning process to be speeded up and the EEAS whine that they need the money. If AEPG can't navigate their way out of their local plan and NPPF responsibilities then they are going to have to find new land (on or off site) and dip their hands in their pockets to pay for it. Or as the BSPA say, it shouldn't even get that far? The Save Peterborough Speedway consortium may stand alone but it doesn't take much to hang this planning process up. AEPG know that and the last thing that they need is more delay and timetable slippage!

He was just in a safe environment where he could spout ignorant cobblers with nobody to call him out (a fellow money grabber at the end said "that's what people do" ie object and fight for their sport in this case). Those are the type of meetings and consultations that he likes to attend.

Oh yes, I missed that myself I was more irritated that he could only come up with one success for one of the city's most successful sporting teams. It did appear in the environment section rather that sport or business so we can give him a bit of slack I guess?

The consortium fighting to save Peterborough Panthers Speedway Club has challenged development agents AEPG to prove their claims made in a Peterborough Bondholder's network meeting that their plans to redevelop the site is supported by 50,000 / 100,000 people. In the same meeting, he branded speedway fans fighting for their club a “selfish, small cohort.” The 2022 title-winning speedway club and their race track have been removed from the East of England showground- their home since 1970- to make way for a multi-million pound 1,500 homes and leisure-village complex; consisting of two separate planning application of 650 and 850 homes. Over 2000 objections to the plans to create a new leisure village on the East of England Showground have been submitted.

I'm sure that if AEPG show us their report showing that the displaced sport/land/activity is “surplus to requirements”, as per the NPPF which puts the onus on the developer to prove their case, then we could point them towards the data and agree a meeting date.

Ashley Butterfield (AEPG) got grilled on the radio today. Listen to the 3 interviews (David Rowe, Carl Johnson & Butterfield) from BBC Radio Cambridgeshire this morning: Promoters of British Speedway have voiced their objections to the plans for the East of England Showground. Developers AEPG want to build thousand of homes and leisure facilities on the site but it says there’s no place for a Speedway track - From: Dotty McLeod (BBC Radio Cambridgeshire): Should Speedway Return To The Showground?

You probably need to listen to this again? Particularly at 1min when he says "I do believe that there are a few more years here yet" If AEPG were willing to negotiate at that point, which they were seemingly no longer willing to do afterwards, we could have potentially got a longer extension and/or an amicable negotiated split of benefit to the club, if we had someone at the helm really interested in the clubs long term future and the work associated with that proposition. Credit for getting a full forgettable 2023 season but we're in the same place now anyway and have arguably wasted a season not taking the fight to PCC/AEPG.

The evidence was there at the start though that this was never anything else other than a mountain. Butterfield's intransigence was there throughout 2023 and Chapman played along wonderfully. Buster gets stick for that but it's well known that you have to play along with the landlords wishes if you want an easy life when running at the EoES. With the shackles off though, Chapman has shown bugger all interest in saving Peterborough Speedway can't really complain about the stick that he now gets, he brought it upon himself. Bratters has said from the start that Butterfield is going to have to talk/negotiate with Peterborough Speedway and I think that he's right. Butterfield thought that he could just brush aside one of Peterborough's highest profile long established sporting leisure and community assets but he misjudged that badly. Great summing up by the BSPA: "One way in which AEPG could ensure their scheme was compliant with National Planning Policy Framework would be to provide an alternative venue, in the Peterborough area, for the sport which they have evicted, or indeed to modify their own plans to support its retention at the Showground. However, as things stand, we believe there is no way this proposal should be accepted – or, realistically, even taken to planning committee – whilst the reports are so deficient and so full of falsehoods about our sport." If you or anyone else wins the Euro Lottery then starting from scratch elsewhere would be great, however, until that time, the EoES is our fight with the facts and evidence (which is significant) that we have. That's not a dig but just an explanation of where supporter's energy needs to be directed, despite the disappointing stalemate and lack of any significant progress!

Hopefully before people suggest new from scratch (not aimed at you because you're only to replying to a post) they also explain why giving up on an existing set up and stadium when there is a battle to be had (with good evidence and support on our side) is a good idea? Who is going to find that new land and pay for that new construction etc (if it was easy and quick then it would already be in process)? Chapman stood on the centre green and spoke of the problems associated with such an exercise. Why give up and go it alone at this time? If that's not the final nail then you'll not see Peterborough Speedway again before the Labour Party has made the sport fully electric. Butterfield would love us to go away because there are many obstacles and costs in his way and he knows it. The alleged small cohort of Peterborough Speedway supporters need to stay strong and focussed. We may not win, and the new from scratch brigade would argue that it's wasted time, but that's the only way that you'll see Peterborough Speedway again in the short or longer term is to stick with the current strategy.

Not forgetting another excellent submission by SPORT ENGLAND who are also playing a superb supporting role http://plandocs.peterborough.gov.uk/PublicDocuments/01342680.pdf

Only in terms of what the owners have said. I've no idea what's going on at Arlington but doubt it's the same scenario as AEPG's fantasy at the EoES.

I'd put Peterborough City Council high up the list as well because they produced a revised/adopted local plan that led to the current mess. Who was consulted on this and how was that consultation communicated. I never heard anything about it, did anyone else? It does sound like an AEPG consultation so is very much in keeping with this unpopular project, The PCC Peterborough Preliminary Draft Local Plan of January 2016 said: Policy LP31: East of England Showground - Within the East of England Showground, as shown on the Policies Map, planning permission will be granted for development for sport, leisure and other uses which would be appropriate to the existing Showground and which would not impair its continued use for that purpose. Proposals for development should not have an unacceptable adverse impact on the surrounding uses (especially on occupiers of nearby residential properties), and all development should ensure that the character of the area is maintained. Who would argue with that? How did that get to 650 houses and LP36 & LP30 (which is basically supposed to be the safety net for anything disadvantaged by the omission of LP31).

He must have known that that was being videoed and that it would go public? Had they had a liquid dinner beforehand or something? For a company CEO to be that incompetent when playing to an audience of like minds was certainly embarrassing.

The more the merrier, thanks For anyone struggling with wording, just have a look at the other objections and use the outline of something that takes your fancy. It shouldn't be too difficult to slightly re-order and reword your objection a touch so that it looks sufficiently different.

Funny that the video hasn't appeared on the AEPG Facebook page, as do most of his recent promotional efforts! His selling point to that stuffy crowd was who'd like to live near a unique culture, leisure and tourism community facility when one could have a useless driving range instead? Sums it, him & them up really!

The problem there though is that Butterfield said that the speedway only shows that profit because the charity was supporting it. I guess that that means in terms of favourable rent, some staff time throughout the week , equipment, storage etc? If all of that expense was costed individually and fully charged then that profit would soon disappear into a loss? AEPG or whoever are not prepared to subsidise the club into profit is his argument, hence him asking the consortium for complicated business case. Fortunately the small consortium and their friends know more about the ins and outs of running at the EoES than he could ever wish to, even if he bends his mate Chapman's ear. I'm sure that they are up to the task!

A very useful video for anyone who didn't know what he is like. Worth noting that Opportunity Peterborough (hosting the event) is wholly owned by Peterborough City Council. Also clock the nasty piece of work at the end who says that that's what people do when Butterfield calls the local and nationwide speedway fans selfish because they don't want to lose Peterborough Speedway & 50 years of local/national/world history and community to the fantasy vision of a greedy developer which will not, IMHO, appear in a disruptive 12 years time anything like the glossy brochure.

The gloves are really off now https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/politics/aepg-boss-tells-peterborough-speedway-fans-to-present-business-case-as-supporters-bid-to-save-the-panthers-4638820 Why does he want a business case? He says that speedway is finished and is so confident of his sales pitch that surely we can't trouble his 100,000 supporters (that's approx 1/2 the population of Peterborough btw ) I wouldn't play his game of deflection away from the local plan and other local considerations Our mate Old Nutter summed it up: The AEPG approach is to make a significant point in the low number of times a section of the EoES would be used for speedway. On it's own that simplistic outsider understanding is obvious in every part of the Butterfield plan. No separate proper spectator sport can ever hope to get close to making a profit without becoming a part of a shared multi-use volume occupancy. Even the new Spurs stadium has been designed to take in American Football, Women's Football and huge pop concerts plus more. The lack of speedway in Peterborough is solely down to one misguided outsider. Any multi-use sport facility of the kind that anyone with a single brain-cell would contemplate to future-proof the continued community value of the EoES would have to be designed to accommodate a wide range of sports, both inside and outside. The areas under the grandstands could be able to house gym-type sporting facilities, squash, badminton, martial arts and so-on. The centre green could be used for grass type sports like local school football and hockey championships and so on.

Indeed. We can focus on the real issues and not get deflected by who owns what.

Well something worked as both pages on the PCC planning portal are full of objections, so a big thank to anyone who made the effort Do keep it going if possible. We need to keep on the front foot

Well something worked as both pages on the PCC planning portal are full of objections, so a big thank to anyone who made the effort I've equally had the same thoughts about the club ownership but have been told: "Don’t get hung up on the ownership issue, it really isn’t that important." so that's a reliable message on that situation IMO.

And additionally on that, we need Peterborough Speedway fans and the wider speedway world to get a second wind and register an objection on the Peterborough City Council planning portal (Either new or additional comments based on what you now know: just say that the objection is additional. Doesn't need to be anything detailed but we need to counteract the raft of weak support comments being submitted recently (some of which offer no comment but just register as a support submission when the numbers are compiled) As well as yourself, you can get friends and family to submit a new or additional objection as long they say as such if additional: 23/00412/OUT | Outline permission for up to 650 dwellings - this is where Peterborough Speedway sits. https://planpa.peterborough.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RSXWVDML04U00 23/00400/OUT | Outline permission for up to 850 dwellings - this is the part not in the local plan that the chancer has thrown it to totally confuse the issue https://planpa.peterborough.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RSOMJ0MLIWV00

And additionally on that, we need Peterborough Speedway fans and the wider speedway world to get a second wind and register an objection on the Peterborough City Council planning portal (Either new or additional comments based on what you now know: just say that the objection is additional. Doesn't need to be anything detailed but we need to counteract the raft of weak support comments being submitted recently (some of which offer no comment but just register as a support submission when the numbers are compiled) As well as yourself, you can get friends and family to submit a new or additional objection as long they say as such if additional: 23/00412/OUT | Outline permission for up to 650 dwellings - this is where Peterborough Speedway sits. https://planpa.peterborough.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RSXWVDML04U00 23/00400/OUT | Outline permission for up to 850 dwellings - this is the part not in the local plan that the chancer has thrown it to totally confuse the issue https://planpa.peterborough.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=RSOMJ0MLIWV00

Yup. It's getting a bit nasty now and he's misjudged a situation that he could have handled so much better and negotiated an amicable split, but he's just a bully who thinks that what he says goes without question. It only takes half a dozen people (some local which he isn't) with strong views and local knowledge to cause problems and delay for AEPG and get something significant for Peterborough Speedway from the mess that Butterfield and Co have created.

CJ bailed and left us in the crap? Not sure about that? Who signed and paid for them is open to question I'd say? Chapman would have done a cost/benefit analysis for his input. He would know that Panthers already healthy support would be boosted by sensible investment. Would the same investment have reaped the same reward at Lynn?