Peterborough Panthers Speedway looking to reopen talks over Showground return
The consortium backing the Peterborough Panthers Speedway Team is hoping to reopen discussion about a potential return to the East of England Showground.
The Panthers have been without a home and unable to compete for the last two years after being forced to leave the Showground- the team’s home since 1970- at the end of the 2023 season.
Attention is now turning to a more permanent action to the track. Hopes of this have been raised following the refusal of the planned 1,500 homes and leisure village development on the site.
Plans have failed to come to fruition after he East of England Agricultural Society (EEAS), which owns the venue, and its land promoter, Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) fell out over the viability of the plans and an estimated £20 million Section 106 requirement and affordable housing commitment.
Directors of the EEAS have since said that they are committed to finding a way to secure the charity’s future and to working with the councillors and residents over the future development of the 164-acre Showground.
This has raised fresh hopes that a return for Speedway could be possible, despite the fact that the previous infrastructure has been dismantled and/or fallen into disrepair.
A statement from Forever Panthers Limited said: “Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Protection Committee has refused the application to extend the time for completing the outstanding arrangements related to planning applications 23/00400/OUT and 23/00412/OUT for the East of England Showground.
“This decision confirms that the planning applications—designed to remove Speedway from the Showground—have been refused and are at an end.
“We are delighted with this result. It represents a significant step in protecting the legacy of Speedway at the Showground and restoring public confidence in the planning process.
“Whist a key step in our efforts to restore Speedway in Peterborough, this decision does not mean that all four riders are “on two minutes.”
“We now look forward to initiating discussions with the landowner about the possibility of returning Speedway to the Showground—a process we hope to begin as soon as possible.
“We thank everyone for their support and look forward to further progress.”