BRANDON FIGHT GOES ON

MEMBERS of Rugby Council’s planning committee have unanimously voted to refuse the application submitted by developers to replace the iconic Brandon Stadium with a housing estate.

The committee overturned a recommendation to approve from the planning officer, on the basis that a proposed 3G football pitch ancillary to the housing development in no way compensated for the loss of the previous speedway and stock car use.

The stadium, home to the Coventry Bees and a venue which regularly hosted the sport’s Major Events, was closed by the developers at the end of the 2016 season as they pursued their planning application.

Campaign Group spokesman Jeff Davies said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the verdict of the Planning Committee, and we’re very grateful to the elected councillors of Rugby Borough for making this unanimous decision.

“Six years of hard work have come to fruition tonight, and we couldn’t be more pleased.

“We can only take each step at a time, and so far the developers have failed to get onto the Local Plan, they’ve failed with their original speculative application, and they’ve now failed with a second speculative application, this time at Committee.

“Whatever comes next, we will fight that too, and if it’s an appeal on behalf of the developers we will fight it with the same enthusiasm and vigour as we’ve done with this one.”