Donington decision delayed

[TheStig]

Future Formula One venue Donington Park will be forced to wait to discover if the proposed redevelopment of the circuit can take place after a planning decision was delayed until the new year.

Donington was due to discover its fate this month, but North West Leicestershire District Council has announced that the final call on the redevelopment has been delayed until January 27 2009.

Having been named as the new home of the British Grand Prix from 2010 in a 10-year deal earlier this year, Donington applied for planning permission to help bring the venue up to the standards required for F1 - with an extension of the circuit and the development of a new pit and paddock complex at the centre of the plans.

However, officials have now ruled that a full environmental impact assessment is required and have added that document to the application - which in turn has delayed a final decision on whether the proposal will go through.

That in turn has led sceptics to suggest that Donington will not be ready for the race in July 2010, with a decision in late January leaving the circuit with little time to push ahead with its plans.

If Donington failed to meet its self-imposed deadline of April 1 2010, it could leave Britain without an F1 race after commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone (pictured) insisted it was Donington or nothing for the British GP.

However the circuit insisted that the work would be completed on schedule, even with the planning delay.

"There is no question that Donington's ability to stage the race will be jeopardised by this delay to the planning procedure," a spokesman told the Daily Telegraph. "As soon as permission is granted construction work will begin."

Donington has said it expects the modifications to the venue to take around nine months.



http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/21112008/58/donington-decision-delayed.html

TheStig


Silvertone is the Home of The Grand Prix!...Lets all hope the cancellations and events around the World bring it back?

WHERE IS MR HILL AT THIS TIME ?

[Steven Roy]

There never was going to be a race at Donington.  Bernie only signed the contract to get the cancellation fee when they fail to deliver and to wind up Silverstone.  Apart from anything else Donington has to find all the funding and who is going to give them money.

[johnbull]

I've just written my thoughts about this elsewhere in this forum.

[TheStig]

I am so sorry i have rained on your'e parade.

I will make sure i always post prior to you in the future

Stig

[cosworth151]

Sadly, I think Steven is right. The whole Donnington deal was just Bernie's backdoor method of taking away the British GP.

I hope that Bernie's triple S problems (Shanghi, Singapore and Slavica) will bring a change, but I hoped that about Max's problems, too.