City hall advisors reject plan for new racecourse on Lincoln's West Common

PLANS to bring back racing on Lincoln's West Common have been rejected by advisors to City Hall.

The commons advisory panel, made up of councillors and interested groups voted 11 in favour of rejecting the plans.

Four of the panel, who make recommendations to the City of Lincoln Council's executive, abstained and one voted against the motion to reject.

The authority's executive will decide later in the year whether to accept the recommendation.

Carholme Ward councillor Neil Murray proposed the motion which said: "The commons advisory panel urges the City Of Lincoln Council to reject the plan put forward by Lincoln Racecourse Regeneration Company (LRRC) to build a racecourse on Lincoln's West Common.

"We do not view the West Common as a development opportunity. We believe that LRRC's plan would alter the nature of the common forever and deny access to much of it to Lincoln citizens and visitors.

"We urge the council to reaffirm its support for the 1985 City Of Lincoln Council Act, which protects all the commons from development."

The motion was seconded by panel member George Woolfenden, of the West End Residents' Association.

Karen Rastall, spokesman for LRRC Ltd, which launched a proposal to bring back racing in June, asked the panel earlier this month for a "heads of term lease" – a document which effectively leaves the door open for further discussion of the plan.

But scepticism reigned last night as panel members reasserted a lack of detail in the proposal meant they simply could not agree to anything.

Others agreed if the company wanted to create a masterplan, it should go ahead without the lease, which the company wants to demonstrate that the authority is interested in the project.

Vic Hughes, of Lincoln Civic Trust, said: "They are looking for this lease because there are investors. It is to give comfort to the investors by saying the City of Lincoln Council has asked us for more information and that they have serious interest."

Lincoln MP Karl McCartney is a director of the racecourse company, which has been keen to point out that no-one involved in the project would make money from it.

But Mr Hughes said: "It may be true there is no financial reward, but it must be noted that it is a £100 liability company, which means there are one hundred £1 shares not worth much now but should a lease be allowed then those shares are sold and they could be worth an awful lot of money."

The recommendation and points from the last meeting including the cost to citizens with the loss of their common, traffic disruption and lack of public consultation will also go to the council's executive which will meet in August.