WATCH as planning chairman explains the Showground decision that has left Peterborough speedway fans celebrating

Speedway fans are celebrating after the East of England Showground developer was told to rethink homes plans that would have meant the end of a much-loved race track.

Motorbike racing supporters cheered as Peterborough City Council’s planning committee yesterday (October 15) refused to grant permission to Showground promoter AEPG for its outline application for the construction of 650 homes.

The site for the homes is currently occupied by the land and buildings that for more than 50 years formed the racetrack for the premier league winning Peterborough Panthers speedway team that frequently attracted hundreds of supporters.

Dozens of fans watching from the public seating at the committee meeting cheered as five councillors voted against the plans with four others voting in favour and two abstaining.

Afterwards, Councillor Chris Harper, the committee chairman, who moved the vote to refuse the application, said: “The application was seen as for too many houses and the loss of the speedway and Showground was too much.

"There was nothing in the application to really replace that and if we’re going to lose those sorts of things we need to find somewhere else for them to be and of a similar value or better.

"This application was purely housing and nothing else. There was not enough in there to approve the decision.

Cllr Harper added: “What I would like to see is that it forces people to the table. It was mentioned by speedway that it didn’t feel it had a proper chance to consult and work with the owners of the Showground.

"Hopefully they will come together and maybe they’ll come up with a plan for an alternative that is as good as if not better better and maybe we can move forward. But that is for them to decide.”

Brian Connolly, a spokesperson for the Peterborough Speedway Consortium, said: “I am pleased that the application that sought to kill off speedway in Peterborough has been refused.

"It may come back, that’s not in our control, or the applicant may rejig it.

"But it means the alternative land use sought by the applicant can’t now proceed in the way the applicant sought.

"It has created a bit of a vacuum. The applicant can’t do with the land what it said it wanted to do so something has to give.

"We hope that means a meaningful dialogue and conversation about speedway.”

Independent Cllr Julie Stevenson, in a post on X, stated: “It’s been a long meeting but we did it. For now at least, Peterborough speedway is saved! The planning application to replace it with houses was rejected by the planning committee.”

The planning committee had earlier in the six hour meeting approved AEPG’s separate plans to build 850 homes and a leisure village, school, hotel and care village, on an adjoining area of the East of England Showground.

Afterwards, a spokesperson for AEPG said: “We were delighted the officer’s recommendation was approved for the major application.

"We will continue to work closely with the council’s planning team on the next steps progressing the development of the Showground.”