06/03/08 : Club CH 2008 AGM

Just as was indicated in last years AGM, the committee of Club CH decided to stand down following this years trip to Cardiff.  Despite organising trips to other tracks, quiz nights, disco's etc support has dwindled recently and some social events have been poorly supported.
Ian (Enock) and some of the committee decided to stand down and make it open for discussion for someone else to take over the running of the Club, bearing in mind that it has to be run on a professional basis and supported by the remaining members.
The Club will remain in operation until after the trip to Cardiff for the British GP in June, then an Extraordinary General Meeting will be organised for members to decide how the remaining finances will be used if no one else wants to be considered to run the Club.

Chris Haynes spoke for C.R.A.S.H on behalf of Bob Edwards who was unable to attend due to work commitments, we were told what had happened regarding the application for the Oldnall Road site, and assured by Chris that we would not give up hope of finding another site.  However Bob Edwards would not be able to spend as much time as in previous years, although any sites put forward by supporters would be considered for suitability and followed up accordingly.
Chris also said that although Tony Mole does not want to be regarded as C.R.A.S.H's proffered developer he would endeavour to find an alternative developer who may take it forward should a suitable site (with Council backing) be found.

Margaret has asked us to point out that there are just a few seats left on the coach to Cardiff and for those booking tickets for the British GP to ring her on: 01384 375934

16/02/08 : Supporters Must Decide the Way Forward

Following the announcement that plans for speedway at a site off Oldnall Road have been shelved, supporters have been taking stock of the news and discussions have been raging about any future hopes to revive the Heathens.

Currently, there are various fragments of supporters groups in existence; C.R.A.S.H. (Cradley Raising Aid Saving Heathens) was formed by fans after the closure of Dudley Wood in order to fight the battle to save the stadium or find a new home for the club. Thanks to the vision and dedication of Bob Edwards, it has remained at the forefront of the ongoing campaign. A separate organisation, Club CH, was formed in 1999 in order to reunite Heathens fans on the terraces of tracks up and down the country. The intention was also to bring Cradley Heath back into the minds of British Speedway fans and reiterate the determination to see the club return to racing by running a Conference-level team in a series of challenge matches. After operating in this respect for three seasons, the club reverted to organising coach trips for interested supporters to visit selected matches, without the organisation or ownership of a team. Independently of both groups, our website and fans forum were created in 1998 to become a central focus for all activities both past and present regarding Cradley Speedway, and more recently the successful Track Shop was launched by Sophie Hill, along with the organisation of local social events.

Now, Club CH have called their Annual General Meeting for Wednesday 5th March and will be "seeking guidance from the supporters as to the future of the club". In the newsletter mailed last week, the committee state that "Unless there is anyone prepared to carry the Club forward, this raises the question as to what happens to the remaining monies if the club ceases to operate". Suggestions to be discussed include donating to charity, transferring to CRASH, keeping as a balance or donating to the Black Country Museum for Cradley Speedway memorabilia. Any further suggestions will be listened to and put forward to members at the AGM. The meeting starts at 8pm and takes place at Cradley Heath Labour Club in Graingers Lane, with everyone welcome.

Meanwhile, Bob Edwards has summarised the developments of the search for a new site over the last few weeks, whilst also indicating that the time may be right for any other interested supporters to take a leading role in the campaign;

"Since the news broke I have had a number of discussions and these are a few of the outcomes: Lynda Waltho MP has offered her support in asking the Council to promote the development of a stadium in the Borough; Sport England have said that they still support the reintroduction of Speedway to the area and  are prepared to attend any further meetings with Councils to lend their support; Tony Mole has decided not to pursue any other applications personally, but is currently trying to identify another developer who could take a project forward if a suitable site arises.

"In addition I have also written to a major developer in the area who own a couple of sites that featured in the original site search to establish if their position has changed in such a way that would allow speedway to feature on either of them. In terms of what we do next, I have suggested the following to CRASH:

• We re-engage consultants, Checkleys, to review all of the sites that we viewed as suitable (i.e. the ones we felt could work if the Landowner and Council were supportive) to establish if there is any scope for moving forward on any of them.
• We write to Dudley Council to ask them what they are prepared to do to meet their commitment in the UDP to "encourage and facilitate" the development of a Stadium and how they can assist Checkleys in the process.
• We follow up any leads to determine if there are any developers out there who would be interested in taking the project forward if a site can be identified.

Speaking personally, Bob added: "I stress that these are just my ideas at the moment. They key factor is what level of support we are likely to get from the Councils. Certainly I think we have proved that it is impossible to make progress in Dudley without it and I'm sure the same goes for anywhere else. Finally, I have recently taken up a position which involved working in Edinburgh and other locations, being away for a significant time each week. Whereas in the past I have always created time to take things forward on behalf of CRASH, often in the early hours of the morning, this is not possible any longer. While I will always be very happy to do what I can, I cannot invest the same amount of time in future and, ideally, the time is right for someone else who does have the time to take things forward from here."

The future of the campaign to see Cradley Heath Speedway back in action is now subject to some important decisions and above all is dependent on the views, ideas and commitment of all Heathens supporters. Click here to register or login to the Fans Forum and discuss this news: [ http://cradleyspeedway.proboards98.com/index.cgi?board=future ]
 

20/01/08 : Oldnall Planning Application Withdrawn

The proposal to resurrect Cradley Heath Speedway at the new site off Oldnall Road has hit major stumbling blocks and it has sadly now been decided that the planning application will be shelved.

The plans were a culmination of several years hard work after the site had been identified by consultants and thousands of pounds spent on preparing reports and surveys to support the application. However, prospective promoter Tony Mole has made the following statement:

"Following a meeting with Dudley Council officials on the 3rd December 2007, my company has reviewed the prospects of the Oldnall Road Planning Application.

"After seeking discussions with them for over six months, the meeting finally clarified the full list of Council stipulations. These were considerably more extensive than previously indicated in correspondence and included the potential provision of a large additional payment to them, which would have made the project uneconomical. In addition, the likely restrictions on development would have made it impossible to provide the standard of facilities that supporters have a right to expect.

"Whilst we still feel that Oldnall Road could provide an acceptable location for the reintroduction of Speedway, this would require the full support of the Council and it became clear at the meeting that we were very unlikely to achieve this. On that basis, we have reluctantly decided to withdraw the Planning Application.

"We would like to thank the Feoffees of Oldswinford School for their cooperation and patience and C.R.A.S.H. and the Supporters of Cradley Heath Speedway for their hard work and tireless efforts in support of the Application."

With local councillors and residents speaking out against the proposal, but many backing the return of speedway elsewhere in the borough of Dudley, Bob Edwards says that it is now time the Council showed their true support;

“Whilst we are extremely disappointed that the Application has been withdrawn, we would like to thank Tony for his hard work and investment in trying to achieve a solution over the last few years. This result, and the rejection of other more suitable sites such as Dudley Zoo, Castlegate and Yorks Park, is a clear indication that it is difficult to succeed in such a venture without the cooperation and leadership of the Council.

"The Unitary Development Plan requires the Council to “encourage and facilitate” the development of a Stadium for the Borough. The need for such a facility for Speedway and other uses clearly remains and is supported by the 10,000 signatures we have recently collected to support the reintroduction of Speedway to the Borough. We will now be seeking a commitment from the Council to take the lead in identifying a solution, which can deliver their UDP Commitment.”

Another prominent figure who has recently spoken out on the debate is Stourbridge MP Lynda Waltho. She commented on the news, saying “Whilst I am pleased that the Planning Application will not be proceeding on the Oldnall Rd site, I would like to see Speedway return to the Borough at a more suitable location. It is part of the Council’s responsibility to plan for the future of the Borough and a Stadium would be a tremendous asset to the leisure industry in the area and give Dudley a chance of making its way back onto the national and international sporting stages. I will seek an assurance from the Council that they will take this aim forward.”

Battling Heathens fans must now take in the bitter blow and decide upon the best way forward in order for the famous club to return to its rightful home. The thousands of signatures collected on petitions to support the return remain valid and indeed crucial to further developments. Both paper and online versions support the general principle to 'Bring Back Cradley Speedway' as well as the application. We continue to encourage all supporters to be collecting further signatures and require all completed sheets to be returned to the address printed on the bottom.

Click here to register or login to the Fans Forum and discuss this news: [ http://cradleyspeedway.proboards98.com/index.cgi?board=future ]

 

1^st Jan 2008: OLDNALL PLANS STILL ON TRACK

Plans for the return of Cradley Speedway are still on track with a new target to resume league racing in 2009.

The finishing touches are still being added to the planning application which was announced near the end of last year. A successful outcome will see the Heathens return to the Dudley Borough at a new site off Oldnall Road in Cradley, just over a mile from the former Dudley Wood Stadium.

Reports and surveys were compiled throughout the latter part of 2007 which should ease the concerns of local residents over issues such as noise, environment and traffic. Fears that the development would mean the loss of a greenbelt site have been allayed with the land designation remaining the same.

The application has not yet been submitted to Dudley Council as a further report is required in order to fulfil all the necessary criteria for a successful conclusion. Consequently, the Council have not yet been able to discuss the plans and no decision can be reached until the application is eventually submitted and registered.

Supporters from all around the borough and across the rest of the world have continued to pledge support for the proposal through the paper and online petitions. We will advise when and where fans can write further letters of support in the near future, via this website.

We wish everyone a happy and successful 2008!

 

30th October 2007 : PLANNING APPLICATION LAUNCHED - New Home For Heathens?

Almost 12 years to the day since the final speedway meeting was staged at Dudley Wood, a planning application has been launched to bring the Heathens back to the borough.

The application is in respect of a site off Oldnall Road, only a mile from the former Dudley Wood Stadium, and comes as a result of a huge undertaking of work since 1995. During that time, Dudley Council set a number of conditions to be met by supporters’ group C.R.A.S.H. (Cradley Raising Aid Saving Heathens). The list included compiling a business plan proving the viability of the sport, obtaining the support and approval of Sport England, securing suitable investment from a developer, finding an experienced promoter to manage the operation and both funding and carrying out a professionally led site search. All of the conditions have now been satisfied and, after a site search lasting over 18 months and costing £14,000, we believe we have a site than can work.

During the search, many alternative sites were suggested to the planners, only to be told that Speedway would not be allowed on them. Some of these decisions have been both surprising and disappointing, but we can now look forward rather than back. The application will be submitted by vastly experienced speedway promoter, and current owner of the recently revived Birmingham Brummies, Tony Mole. A huge petition is supporting the proposal and signatures continue to be added on a daily basis. Fans are welcome to pledge further support by signing the petition online, collecting signatures on paper or lobbying their local councillor.

The site itself is adjacent to a separate site which was ruled out in the early stages of the search. It is designated 'Green Belt' and there is no proposal to change that. The Green Belt already provides homes for Stourbridge and Dudley Kingswinford Rugby Clubs, Halesowen Cycling, Tennis and Athletics Clubs and Stourbridge Tennis Club, amongst others. The proposal is to stage Speedway racing, mainly on Saturday nights, from 7p.m. to 9.30 p.m. on approximately 30 nights per year.

There are many clauses in Dudley’s Unitary Development Plan, which support the proposal. The Council has said that it will “encourage and facilitate” the development of a stadium in the Borough and the opportunity is now being presented for them to deliver on that pledge. There are major benefits to the Borough in terms of drawing the community together behind a common sporting interest, creating jobs and bringing visitors and their money to the area. We have done all we can to get the Borough’s most successful and best supported sports team back on its feet. Now it is down to the Council to give us the permission we need to complete the job. We hope they will seize the opportunity.

Images below (click each to open in new window); from left to right: [1] The plans for the new site, [2] & [3] Photos of the site in it's present state, [4] The location and surroundings of the site courtesy of Google Maps, [5] The proximity of the new site to the old Dudley Wood stadium, courtesy of Google Maps.

       

---

4th September 2007 : PETITION GOING STRONG

The petition urging Dudley Council to Bring Back Cradley Speedway is going strong with thousands of signatures now recorded. Paper and online versions remain active and anyone wishing to sign or collect further signatures is still encouraged to do so. The online petition can be found at http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/bring-back-cradley-speedway.html and is now amongst the Top 20 petitions on the host website with more than 2100 names. The paper version can be downloaded here and this has also attracted thousands of names with more sheets waiting to be received. The address to which forms should be returned is at the bottom of the sheet and volunteers are reminded to return any completed forms as soon as possible.

We have analysed the location data from the first 2000 signatures of the online petition, revealing some useful information. Just under half of the submissions are from the local area including Cradley Heath (Sandwell) and Birmingham. 29% of the overall total are from the region within Dudley Borough Council. From the remaining signatures outside the area, most come from the United Kingdom but around 5% of the submissions come from the rest of the world. Sixteen different countries are represented with support coming from Australia & New Zealand, USA & Canada and a dozen countries throughout Europe. From the UK signatures, 67 different counties are represented including 43 from England and 15 in Scotland. The data goes a long way to show that there is a huge strength of feeling both within the Black Country as well as right across the world for one of the planet's most famous and successful speedway clubs.

We're urging everyone to keep the signatures coming - make sure you remind friends and family to sign up if they haven't already. Meanwhile, the eagerly anticipated planning application could now be submitted within the next fortnight. Media speculation has increased as to the locality of the potential new site and this will undoubtedly rise further still when more details are announced.

13th August 2007 : PETITION HAS THE MIDAS TOUCH

Support has poured in from people of the Black Country and around the world to support the return of Cradley Speedway. In the first week since the launch of the Online Petition, over 1200 names have been registered to back the campaign. Hundreds are from the Dudley Borough with others from almost every county in England and over a dozen other different countries in every part of the globe. The Internet list is only a fraction of the total signatures with many local people already signing the paper petition which has been circulating in recent weeks. Both versions will be combined to present to Dudley Council and show the strength of feeling behind the forthcoming planning application for a new track in the area.

Amongst the names to add their weight are Heathens American World Champions Greg Hancock and Billy Hamill, plus other former riders including Denmark's Morten Andersen, Sweden's Jonathan Forsgren and Australia's John McNeill. Other riders joining the cause are current Grand Prix stars Leigh Adams, Hans Andersen and Scott Nicholls, plus Sky Sports presenters Sophie Blake, Kelvin Tatum and Sam Ermolenko.

A different addition is local band, Midas (pictured right), who hail from Stourbridge and are about to release their second single 'Red Shoes'. Despite being unsigned, their first hit recently made the Top 60 Singles Chart and all the band broke off from a current tour of Wales and the South Coast to sign the petition. Lead singer, Kris Lloyd said "We are delighted to support the campaign to get Cradley Speedway back on track and we will be encouraging our fans to sign the online petition. Kids today are often criticised for hanging around but the truth is there is so little for them to do. This iniative is great and we hope the Council will take the opportunity to back it and put the area back on the sporting map".

For more info on Midas and the new single, click here. To sign the Online Petition, click here.Or to view the signatures so far, click here.

You can sign the petition at: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/bring-back-cradley-speedway.html - Please pass on the link to anyone who you think may be interested.

17th August 2007: COMMENT ON FURTHER SITE SPECULATION

Speculation has continued to mount over plans for the eagerly-sought return of Cradley Speedway. The local free press, the Halesowen News, has printed stories suggesting two different sites recently, the second one appearing this week. We don't particularly enjoy the press playing games with the future of Cradley Speedway. We were upset with the previous story naming Dudley-Kingswinford Rugby club as a preferred site, and disappointed over the wasted time that this created for many people.

We do consider the proper place for a debate to be with Dudley Council and we are still trying extremely hard to arrange a date with them for further discussion over our chosen site. We have always felt that it was better not to comment on any specific site and don't intend to do so now. Whilst trying to meet the requirements of Dudley Council before submitting a planning application, we have been able to focus on gathering together the obvious support that exists for a return of speedway to the area. We have been delighted to see the number of people signing the petitions which have been set up and reading the positive comments that people have chosen to add.

Despite only speculating about specific sites, the Halesowen News has attempted to stir a debate about green belt locations. We would encourage supporters to continue to express their own views on this or any other matter. After submitting over 40 sites to Dudley and Sandwell councils, we are aware that there is National planning policy guidance which states that outdoor sport is indeed compatable with any green belt location, and that there are similar precedents. Current speedway tracks, both old and new, exist in a variety of locations including Newcastle and Glasgow which are overlooked by houses and Buxton which operates in the middle of the Peak District National Park. We are confident however that the two teams of professional consultants employed have identified the location most suitable for Cradley Speedway. To comment and give your continued support for any new speedway location, click here.

6th August 2007 : ONLINE PETITION IS LAUNCHED

Following the fantastic response to the launch of the petition to Bring Back Cradley Speedway, we are pleased to announce a valuable addition to aid the collection of signatures. The online version is an extension to the petition which has already been signed by some fans, but the Internet based option is designed to allow more people to sign up who have not been able to access the paper copy. If you have not yet pledged your support to the campaign, then SIGN UP NOW! Whether you are from Cradley Heath or Canada, Dudley or Denmark, Netherton or New Zealand, we need you to show Dudley Council that you want to see the Heathens return to the Black Country.

You can sign the petition at: http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/bring-back-cradley-speedway.html - Please pass on the link to anyone who you think may be interested.
 

23rd June 2007 : PETITION TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF SPEEDWAY TO DUDLEY

IT'S TIME TO SIGN! We are launching a new petition for people to register their support for the campaign to bring Cradley Speedway back home to the Dudley Borough. To download a paper copy of the petition, right-click on the Microsoft Word icon and choose 'Save Target As'. Print as many sheets as you require and make sure you ask any family, friends, neighbours or work colleagues if they would like to register their support.

Ten years ago, a similar petition aimed at preventing the residential development of Dudley Wood attracted over 30,000 signatures - believed to be the largest of it's kind ever received by Dudley Council. Now, the first planning application is imminently due to be submitted which - if successful - would see the Heathens return to the local area. In order to demonstrate the continued support for the club, we are embarking on a new petition which will combine a printed paper version for people to sign, complimented by an online 'e-petition'.

A number of fans have recently enquired about the possibility of collecting signatures at the British GP in Cardiff to support the campaign. Anyone wishing to do so, may now download a copy of the paper petition. Arrangements are also being made for official petitions to be distributed in due course at Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and we will give more details on this at a later date.

Margaret Bytheway of CRASH will be collating the paper petition and all completed sheets should be returned by post to the address shown on the forms. Over the coming weeks, we will mount a determined effort in the media to raise the profile of the campaign and we will issue more details regarding the online version of the petition. It is vitally important that we show the council the weight of feeling behind the campaign. After a ten year absence from competitive speedway, it's a tall order to beat the 30,000 names previously achieved - but let's make it our aim to give it a shot!

Meanwhile the Halesowen News website are running an online poll asking whether you would like to see Speedway return to the borough. [Click here to vote in the Halesowen New Poll]

9th June 2007 : Planning Application for New Track Expected Soon

Supporters group CRASH and promoter Tony Mole are continuing to work closely together to prepare the Planning Application to bring Speedway back to the Dudley Borough.

 

Tony has already invested heavily in the project and a team of Consultants have been working on the selected site. Very good progress has been made to date, with noise, ecology and transport reports virtually complete and Architect's plans being finalised.

 

In most circumstances, this would mean that we could make the Application very soon. There are, however, a couple of issues with the site, which are unusual. We have already agreed with the Council that one of these can be addresed after the Application has been decided but the other will require further discussions with them before the Application can be made.

 

Whilst this means that it is unlikely that the Application will be submitted before the end of June, the intention is that it will be submitted as soon as possible, once this issue has been addressed.

 

When the Application is submitted, a Public Meeting will be organised so that the plans can be viewed and Tony will be on hand to outline his proposals for the long awaited reintroduction of the Club.

 

In the meantime Cardiff is coming and some fans have asked about the possibility of collecting signatures in support of the campaign. Even though the site may not be revealed prior to the Grand Prix, this should still be possible and Bob Edwards will produce a template that can be used prior to the event.

 

Bob said " We cannot stress how important it will be for all Cradley fans to play their part in supporting the Application and if they can spend a little time collecting signatures in Cardiff that should allow us to get off to a flying start. More information on this will appear on the web site shortly."