A world class race course and showground hoped to provide a back-up training facility for equestrian events if London is successful in its Olympic bid, have been stalled.

Work has already started on the management complex for an improved Essex Showground at Great Leighs near Chelmsford, which Essex Showground Limited hopes will contain a 7,000 seat grandstand, a restaurant and conference centre.

But the dream cannot become a reality until the company gets additional land for a larger race course.

Sixteen months after planners at Chelmsford Borough Council originally resolved to give planning permission in April 2003, the land has not been bought, and third party signatures in a legal agreement the council requires, have not been submitted.

At a planning committee last week, councillors agreed to grant Essex Showground Limited an amended application to build a smaller oval racetrack on its own grounds.

Councillors also agreed to let this project be built separately on its own, or possibly as the first phase of the larger course plans.

A spokeswoman for Essex Showground Limited said it had looked at how it could improve the course when it realised the importance of the ground two years ago.

She added negotiations to buy extra land adjoining their grounds have started, and amended plans for a smaller course were submitted to the council to move the project forward.

"We had to get the project moving so we put in another course with some other amendments with it," she said. "We have not been able to aquire ownership of the other piece of land, but we are confident that we will get the piece of land eventually."

She added that once the land is bought it would mean the bends on a larger course could be wider.

Andy Bestwick, Chelmsford Council's Senior Planning Officer said both applications were "acceptable in planning terms".

Published Monday August 9, 2004

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