New Swindon speedway arena could be built close to M4

Swindon Motorsports Ltd, which is a joint partnership between Swindon Speedway Ltd and Abbey Stadium owners Gaming International, had previously announced a location had been secured but did not say where. 

But now, as pressure starts to mount on both Swindon Borough Council and the Clarke Osborne-led Gaming International to bring speedway back, more information has been released. 

The venture says it has secured a new site location at Studley Grange, Cancourt, not far from junction 16 of the M4 and will soon be submitting a planning application for a new motorsports hub. 

The website said: "Single motorsports events are no longer financially sustainable when run in isolation, however, when combined with other events and activities, there is a strong commercial foundation for success.

The 'redeveloped' Abbey Stadium was announced as no longer being the home of Swindon Speedway in 2022 (Image: Daniel Adams)

"In November 2022, we issued a ‘call for sites’, asking speedway fans and interested parties to submit suggestions for a new site within a 45-minute drive of central Swindon. We were overwhelmed by the number of responses we received, and in February 2023, appointed Savills, one of the UK’s foremost property agents, to lead the process of formally reviewing potential sites. This led us to identify the Studley Grange site."

Swindon Motorsports Ltd says it has now commenced formal pre-application discussions with Wiltshire Council, which oversees the land just outside Royal Wootton Bassett, and intends to submit a full planning application later this year.

It says the new arena - a 15-minute drive from Swindon town centre - will consist of a speedway oval, a karting track and motorsport leisure development as well as associated garages, storage and car parking and capacity for up to 5,000 spectators. 

The news comes just after a planning row over the redeveloped Abbey Stadium was concluded with Swindon Borough Council finding no evidence of planning breaches. 

But following redevelopment as part of the planning conditions to allow the building of houses by Taylor Wimpey, the stadium as it currently stands is not operating speedway, and there appear to be no plans for it to do so.

This led to the campaign group Swindon Needs Speedway being formed. The group want the Abbey, which had been home to speedway since 1949, to be fully fitted out so that it can host races again, despite the team officially leaving in 2022. 

(Image: Swindon Motorsports Ltd) But on the Swindon Motorsports Ltd website, it is claimed that this is now not possible because of the very same housing that forced Gaming International to redevelop it in the first place. 

It said: "Speedway racing as a single activity promotion is no longer viable and any intensification of motorsports activity beyond the permitted 20 occasions per year is not possible as residential housing now surrounds the old stadium."

Adding: "Environmental considerations, such as noise and air pollution, are also a factor, with the Abbey Stadium now surrounded by residential development, posing an unacceptable impact on the livelihoods of neighbouring residents."

Swindon Borough Council's planning officers after inspecting the site said: "Subject to obtaining all relevant safety and licence certifications the stadium is physically capable of hosting speedway again.

"That it does not do this at present is a matter for the operator."

In terms of timeline, Swindon Motorsports Ltd said it did not expect a decision from Wiltshire Council until 2025, and then the new venue would need to be built. 

The firm would also need to win back the promoter's licence to run a team after Terry Russell from Swindon Speedway Ltd had his revoked by British Speedway, as well as navigate a counter-bid mounted by prominent local speedway figures Lee Kilby and Alun Rossiter. 

So it is likely to be some time until the Swindon Robins can compete again, having not taken to the track since 2019.