Donington confident of green light

Organisers of the 2010 British Grand Prix at Donington are confident they will receive the necessary permission to upgrade the circuit at Thursday’s district council planning hearing.

To gain planning permission the circuit’s £100 million development proposal must meet an environmental impact assessment that will focus on noise levels on race weekends and traffic flow along the site’s narrow approach roads.

To counter such concerns the circuit has championed a ‘park and ride’ service to the track on event days as well as agreeing to just 40 motor racing days per calendar year.

Dave Fearn, spokesman for Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, told the Nottingham Evening Post: “We are optimistic that everything will go in our favour.

“It is a culmination of a lot of hard work by everybody on all fronts.

“There is a strong determination to make it succeed.

“Work is set to start as soon as permission is granted.”

The plans include an all new paddock fit for supporting the Formula 1 circus, as well as an extension of the track to create an extra infield loop on one of the steepest inclines in motorsport.

Donington, which straddles the counties of Derbyshire and Leicestershire, had its planning hopes boosted last week following the submission of a report to the planning hearing by South Derbyshire District Council, which gave its approval to the scheme.

Should planning permission be granted then organisers aim to have all work completed by April 2010 giving them just over 14 months to carry out the intended changes.

Bernie Ecclestone has already warned that Britain’s race will simply be taken off the calendar if Donington’s facility does not reach F1’s high standards in time for the 2010 event.

Tags: 2010 british grand prix, Dave Fearn, Donington, Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd, park and ride, upgrade the circuit, £100 million development

Category: Sporting Events