Coventry Stadium Appeal dismissed

The Inspector has determined that the need to keep the stadium, and its national importance to speedway and stock car racing, outweighs the proposed benefits of the redevelopment scheme.
 
The application, which was for residential development, open space and a 3G sports pitch, was originally refused by the council’s Planning Committee in November 2022. The appeal was heard by the Planning Inspector at public hearings in autumn 2023, which included evidence from the council, the appellant, and the Save Coventry Speedway group.
 
Cllr Ian Picker, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for Growth and Investment, said: “I am very pleased that the Inspector agreed with members of the Planning Committee that the benefit of the proposed housing scheme did not outweigh the loss of a historic venue for speedway and stock car racing.
 
“The Save Coventry Speedway and Stox campaign group deserve enormous credit for the work they put into providing evidence around the viability of the sport and its potential should the stadium site become available again. I congratulate Jeff Davis and his team and thank them for their work with the council over the last few years.
 
“We will always robustly defend the decisions taken by our Planning Committee and this outcome justifies their judgement in this case.”
 
The Inspector’s full decision can be found at www.rugby.gov.uk/coventrystadium.