‘Why should taxpayers fund the racecourse?’
MORE anger has erupted over Warwick Racecourse’s precarious future.
MORE anger has erupted over Warwick Racecourse’s precarious future.
Town councillor John Holland says it was outrageous that a multi-million pound commercial organisation like The Jockey Club - which owns not only Warwick Racecourse but 13 others along with the National Stud - should be receiving what amounts to a subsidy from district taxpayers.
Ever since the racecourse was refused permission to build a 100-bedroom hotel earlier this year, managers have been warning that the business is in trouble.
In last week’s Courier, we reported that the course’s chairman, David Hill, had warned councillors the racecourse could close within five years and called on the district to contribute £6,000 towards a future ‘business options’ appraisal.
On Wednesday members of the executive committee agreed the contribution. District council leader Michael Doody said: “With so many racecourses failing the last thing we want is Warwick Racecourse closing.
“This small amount of money - £6,000 - can only be beneficial.”
But Cllr Holland - who continues to represent Warwick West for Labour on the town council but lost his seat on the district council in 2007 - says local taxpayers already appear to be “subsidising” The Jockey Club by allowing it to pay a relatively low rent for the Warwick course on which the district council built a new jockey hostel and stables.
Cllr Holland said: “I was a member of the district council at the time when the decision to fund the jockey hostel and stables was made and this was only done on condition that the racecourse company would then pay a fair rent fixed by the district valuer.
“In fact the council then allowed an independent valuer to fix the rent which I believe to be in the region of £100,000 less than the racecourse is currently paying.
“We may want to keep the course but it’s absolutely outrageous that The Jockey Club - which makes profits of tens of millions of pounds every year - appear to be receiving a subsidy of £100,000 a year and are now to receive a further £6,000 towards the cost of a future business plan.
“It’s seems particularly bad when other stakeholders around the course, including the small voluntary groups who use buildings, have had their discretionary rate relief withdrawn and are now facing a 20 per hike in rates.”
“All I can say is that both they and all the Warwick councillors should be part of any steering group as the racecourse considers its business options.”
At the meeting on Wednesday it was explained that the £6,000 would match-fund the same sum from The Jockey Club.
Cllr Doody (Con, Radford Semele) said: “Wawick without a racecourse would be falling rapidly - not only for residents but for the district as a whole. This would be money well spent and I hope the outcome brungs us to a point where we can show bigger support for the course in the future.”
Cllr Michael Coker (Con, Kenilworth) said: “We have just celebrated the fact that we have brought the Men’s Bowls Championships to Leamington. Warwick is the jewel in our crown and the town without a racecourse would be a disaster.
“We want the district to be thought of as somewhere everybodyw ants to come and a small investment to show the racecourse that we want it to prosper is worth it.”
New councillor Stephen Cross (Con, Warwick North) asked: “If we lose the racecourse what are we going to do with the land? I’m not sure the people in Warwick who have concerns about the racecourse have an answer to that.”
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Weather for Warwick
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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Temperature: 4 C to 15 C
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