exeter 2007

[russ]

just read in the express and echo that there will be no speedway at exeter next year as the wildlife survey has to be done next summer but david short is convinced exeter will run in 2008.

i am gutted.

russ

[Nevs]

Same here.

The full story will be available online at www.thisisexeter.co.uk from about midday.

[Mrs Claas]

Thought having to go and rescue daughter and car that had suffered an ef at 2am this morning was bad enough but to wake up to this news............. Tired and angry now! Pity the guests we have coming for a meal tonight!! I'm afraid the survey is a little too late for the wildlife I am serving up!! Sorry, only joking - got it at the supermarket, honest!!

[idh]

For those who dont have the E&E Here's the full report taken from the Express and Eco by Martin Downer

Or read it at This is Exeter
www.thisisexeter.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=137010&command=newPage

Exeter speedway promoter David Short has set his sights on returning the Falcons to league action in 2008.

The Falcons, who have been homeless since leaving the County Ground a year ago, had their slim hopes of a 2007 return dashed on Thursday.

That was because the Natural England group - formerly English Nature - insisted they must carry out a summer survey of wildlife in the area surrounding their proposed new track at Exeter Racecourse on Haldon Hill.

This latest setback has ensured the Exeter team will spend at least two years out in the wilderness - but Short remains upbeat about the club's long-term future.

“We had quite a positive meeting with English Nature. I wouldn't say they are opposed to the speedway going there," he said.

"But we have got to do the environmental impact survey, which means we won't be running next year, although it was getting quite tight for that anyway. I'm confident for 2008. I'm confident the track licence will be safe remaining with (former backer) Terry Russell for the time being, until we're ready to go.

“Terry is fully behind Exeter speedway and we're confident everything will still be in place when we're ready to start in 2008.

"I think the survey will be finished in the early part of the summer and that will give us time to get final planning permission from the council, tell the BSPA that we want to run and to build the stadium."

Speedway has been running in Exeter since 1929 and last year's farewell to the County Ground meeting attracted more than 5,000 people to the historic venue.

Short is hopeful the crowds at Haldon Hill will be even bigger than those seen at St Thomas.

"Overall I'm happy. It would have been nice to have run next year, but it's not going to be the end," he said.

"Other tracks - Plymouth being a prime example have been closed for far longer and the fans still turn out.

"Admittedly there will be people who went to the County Ground who won't go to the new track. But there will also be others who didn't go to the County Ground but will go to Haldon. We are building a nice stadium that we will have control over and the facilities will be as comfortable as possible for fans. We want a track which provides first-class racing, something the County Ground seriously lacked."

[tonyl]

Sadly this has been on the cards for sometime, ever since the planners changed their minds an imposed this confounded environmental survey at short notice. As most people know I am an optimist as far asa the Falcons are concerned but what really frightens me is if the enviromental people turn round next October and say Ah but the survey wasn't conclusive we need another 12 months. These people clearly don't want speedway and can keep on putting obstructions in Allen's path. I just hope I'm wrong. They are afraid to mess withe travellers who have alreadt ruined a beauty sport on Haldon because that would be politically incorrect but are happy to block the speedway as nobody cares about law abiding Falcons fans. Sorry to rant but in the last three years I have seen just how easy it is for these faceless bureaucrats to wreck our hopes despite the democratically elected councils supporting speedway. Of course I don't East devon in that last statement. Time to stop before I really upset someone.

[headmistress]

Tony – please never apologise for your passion, which is well respected, understood, shared; but not always so well voiced!

I am afraid it appeared inevitable that English Nature would demand a baseline. Unfortunately for the speedway, Dartford Warblers and Nightjars have a status that simply means they must be ‘measured’.

Just be thankful there are no Cirl Buntings….. our school was nearly denied a new build several years ago.

It could all be in the hands of him who decides the weather for the coming winter months however – Dartford Warblers (unlike most warblers) have decided to become residents and frequently pay the ultimate price for not taking the route down south. If we have a bad winter, there will be little for English Nature to gauge.

Nightjars are summer visitors and would not be affected by any build, as they would be sunning themselves in Africa. Amazing creatures; we used to enjoy seeing them on our way home from the County Ground over Haldon on Monday nights – until WE were disturbed by other ‘creatures’ …..but, that is another story which I do not wish to relate and the council should be sorting….

Both species have been seen at Haldon this summer; it is just such a vast area and welcoming habitat for birds and wildlife, despite much activity already in evidence.

It is interesting to note that the model aircraft club enjoy the airspace as well as the Dartford Warblers and Nightjars and both seem to live in harmony…..

It’s just an agenda at the end of the day for which English Nature must provide answers. Miserably, we must respect this and be patient (yet again)…..

The report in the Express and Echo by David Short was an optimistic one. Let’s keep the faith in Allen and Co. for 2008!

[tonyl]

Thanks headmistress for bringing some sound knowledge to the debate. Everything sounds different when we know the true facts, but I am still hugely concerned that the 'faceless ones' will find another reason to delay Allen's plans. Let's hope for a really bad winter.

[Clumsy Rumsey]

Presumably this means every time the Racecourse wants to build a new stand, car parking, hold a display, car boot sale etc etc they will have to have a wildlife study for 15 months before hand because the council and English Nature couldnt possibly be seen as being biased could they.

[squibby]

I know I am well known in certain quarters as having a great dislike of the sporting egg-chasers so I am definitely biased here, but it just pi***s me off whenever I drive past the eyesore that is the Sandy Park Stadium & the footbridge over to it and realise that these were allowed to go ahead whilst we cannot get a speedway track on land hidden away from everyone.

I very much share Tony's concern that having to wait for the nature study next year may just be the tip of a very large iceberg and you all know what an iceberg did to the Titanic ! Yes, yes - I'm being pessimistic, but as the thing drags on longer & longer it's damned hard not to be !!

Now we are reading in the Echo that Exeter City FC are looking at options for their future ground-wise, and one of the three mentioned was looking for a site to build a new stadium. Where is there likely to be a sufficiently large plot of land for a football ground, pray tell, if, as we have been told by Exeter City Council, there is no such land left within the city boundaries big enough to accommodate a speedway stadium ? Do you ever get the feeling it is not what you know, but who, that gets results in Exeter ?

If there is no such sizeable plot, why are the Council even suggesting in the local press that they are thinking of providing a permanent site for ' travellers ' ? I reckon most residents of our fair city would rather have a speedway track next to them than a permanent site for travellers !

It just seems that it is all doom & gloom for us speedway fans, and now we've got the bl***y dark winter months to go through - I think I'll hibernate under a big flower pot at the bottom of my garden, like a tortoise, and maybe when I pop my head out again there'll be some good news and bright sunshine !!

[wealdenwillie]

It does look to me as if Exeter Speedway is doomed. Clearly the powers that be and the various nature bodies between them will ensure that there is no speedway at Haldon. Face it folks, these guys can always find a way of posponing things. Speedway just isn't politically correct enough for this rather absurd world we now live in. Did someone say you have a travellers ( now where did that word come from) camp up there?.