Post by Nevs on Apr 3, 2007 0:15:02 GMT
Taken from Saturdays Express and Echo and link on www.thisisexeter.co.uk under sport 31/03/07
FALCONS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR FINAL PIECE OF JIGSAW
11:40 - 31 March 2007
Exeter speedway bosses have announced that Falcons fans will be able to get free transport to their proposed new track on Haldon Hill - should they finally secure planning permission this year.Club backer Allen Trump has revealed the travel plan for the proposed stadium at Exeter Racecourse and it involves providing free buses from the city and from Torbay in a bid to attract more fans, while also restricting the number of cars making the journey up the A38.
Trump, who is confident the Falcons will return to the sport's Premier League next season some three years after the closure of their former County Ground home, has launched a 'Go Green at Haldon' campaign to promote how environmentally friendly his plans to bring speedway back to Exeter are.
His plans include the free buses, priority parking for car sharers and cycle access and parking at the new track, which is located about five miles south of the city.
He said: "We are working our way through the planning application and we are taking it all very seriously, especially becoming environmentally friendly.
"We are going to promote the free buses and car sharing as much as possible for both green and commercial reasons.
"We want the people who used to get the bus down to the County Ground to still be able to come and watch the Falcons race.
"And, with the fact that speedway is 100 per cent efficient and produces no pollution, we want to try and minimise the amount of environmental damage caused by the people who want to watch the sport.
"I will be going to other tracks around the country that are out of town - like Somerset, Swindon and Coventry - to study how many vehicles and people they have on a race night.
"It's our intention to go as green as possible up at Haldon. If I had to run 60 coaches up there every week I would be more than happy."
Once the Falcons have submitted their travel plan to Devon County Council and wildlife impact survey - which will be finished in early August - to Teignbridge District Council, their planning application will finally be complete. Trump hopes the Teignbridge council will then be in a position to make a quick decision and pave the way for the Falcons to return to action next March or April.
"We are virtually there," Trump confirmed.
"Hopefully once we've got everything in place they could maybe make a decision in September and we can get going.
"As soon as we get the okay we will be in there. We're still on course to be opening on either Easter Monday or April 1 next year."
The Falcons have been without a home for three years now, since they were forced out of the County Ground in St Thomas as landlords the Exeter Chiefs rugby club prepared to move to their own new stadium at Sandy Park.
They had hoped to be back in action this year, but they were told to carry out the wildlife survey at Haldon and that set them back a full 12 months.
FALCONS ANNOUNCE PLANS FOR FINAL PIECE OF JIGSAW
11:40 - 31 March 2007
Exeter speedway bosses have announced that Falcons fans will be able to get free transport to their proposed new track on Haldon Hill - should they finally secure planning permission this year.Club backer Allen Trump has revealed the travel plan for the proposed stadium at Exeter Racecourse and it involves providing free buses from the city and from Torbay in a bid to attract more fans, while also restricting the number of cars making the journey up the A38.
Trump, who is confident the Falcons will return to the sport's Premier League next season some three years after the closure of their former County Ground home, has launched a 'Go Green at Haldon' campaign to promote how environmentally friendly his plans to bring speedway back to Exeter are.
His plans include the free buses, priority parking for car sharers and cycle access and parking at the new track, which is located about five miles south of the city.
He said: "We are working our way through the planning application and we are taking it all very seriously, especially becoming environmentally friendly.
"We are going to promote the free buses and car sharing as much as possible for both green and commercial reasons.
"We want the people who used to get the bus down to the County Ground to still be able to come and watch the Falcons race.
"And, with the fact that speedway is 100 per cent efficient and produces no pollution, we want to try and minimise the amount of environmental damage caused by the people who want to watch the sport.
"I will be going to other tracks around the country that are out of town - like Somerset, Swindon and Coventry - to study how many vehicles and people they have on a race night.
"It's our intention to go as green as possible up at Haldon. If I had to run 60 coaches up there every week I would be more than happy."
Once the Falcons have submitted their travel plan to Devon County Council and wildlife impact survey - which will be finished in early August - to Teignbridge District Council, their planning application will finally be complete. Trump hopes the Teignbridge council will then be in a position to make a quick decision and pave the way for the Falcons to return to action next March or April.
"We are virtually there," Trump confirmed.
"Hopefully once we've got everything in place they could maybe make a decision in September and we can get going.
"As soon as we get the okay we will be in there. We're still on course to be opening on either Easter Monday or April 1 next year."
The Falcons have been without a home for three years now, since they were forced out of the County Ground in St Thomas as landlords the Exeter Chiefs rugby club prepared to move to their own new stadium at Sandy Park.
They had hoped to be back in action this year, but they were told to carry out the wildlife survey at Haldon and that set them back a full 12 months.