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Post by admin on Oct 18, 2023 22:11:50 GMT
All six are long-time Panthers’ fans and include two former promoters and four of the club’s current major sponsors. And, should they purchase the club from current owner Keith Chapman, they are committed to keeping Panthers at the East of England Arena. b0252 The club’s lease at the venue expires at the end of October and Showground agents Asset Earning Power Group (AEPG) Limited insist it won’t be renewed, even on a yearly contract. If that happens speedway in the city would disappear after 53 years. CARL JOHNSON (48) - Current Peterborough promoter and former team manager who has held an official management role since 2014, but has been involved with the club for 49 years as a supporter, rider and official. that's some trick!MICK BRATLEY - Attended his first Peterborough meeting in 1972, two years after the sport arrived in the city. A former IT Management Consultant and ex-promoter at Peterborough and Birmingham and long-time sponsor and advisor to ex-Panthers’ skipper Hans Andersen. MICHAEL TOMALIN - CEO of Panther’s major sponsors, Orton-based City Auction Group and Purple Rock, the fastest developing automotive fleet, logistics and remarketing company in the UK and Northern Ireland. His family have been supporters since Peterborough speedway opened in 1970 and he was taken to his first meeting in 1975 when he was five. Lives in Northern Ireland, but commutes weekly to Peterborough with his company and attempted to buy the club last winter. ANDY FAIRCHILD - Broking advisor and non-executive director. Educated at the city’s Deacons School and is again living in Peterborough after being away for 20 plus years. His first meeting was in 1972 and he still names ex-Panthers Brian Clark and Mike Lanham as his favourite riders. (Lanham  went to Wimbledon to watch him in the riders championship). DAVE HEWITT - Lifelong fan who even had a few laps around the Showground track on his own speedway bike as an amateur when he was younger. Director of Kimbolton-based Kim Systems Limited, leading designers and manufacturers of specialist electrical control systems in the UK. JOSH HEWITT - Senior Controls Engineer at Kim Systems Limited – current club sponsors of both the Panthers and Ipswich and Redcar rider Danyon Hume. A lifelong speedway fan having been introduced to the sport by his father Dave and grandfather. A motorcycle trials rider in his spare time. Consortium spokesman Johnson said: “Before we can do anything, we have to see if we can agree a deal with Mr. Chapman to buy the rights to the Peterborough operating licence and until that happens it is difficult to move forward. "We are planning to have further talks with him this week.” peterboroughtoday/the-pt-reveals-the-six-potential-speedway-saviours-of-speedway-in-peterborough-18/10/23 More on the consortium plans in the PT and online tomorrow 19/10/23 |
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Post by admin on Oct 19, 2023 8:39:06 GMT
More on the consortium plans in the PT and online tomorrow 19/10/23 The PT revealed yesterday the passionate Panthers fans determined to save their club are Carl Johnson, Mick Bratley, Michael Tomalin, Andy Fairchild, Dave Hewitt and Josh Hewitt. They are hoping to purchase Panthers from current owner Keith Chapman before launching a campaign to keep speedway at its current East of England Arena base, even though Showground agents AEPG insist that can’t happen. Planning permission is currently being sought for a housing development on the site. Spokesman Johnson, a Peterborough speedway promoter and former team manager, said: “AEPG have put the block on everything and I feel there’s no need for that. b0252 "We have had a conversation with the registered charity, the East of England Agricultural Society, who still own most of the Showground and they said they would have no objection to having speedway there under new ownership as Mr Chapman wasn’t interested in taking the club anywhere as basically he just wanted to see out this season.
“If the planning applications for the housing development get refused because of all the different objections in place then the Showground can go back to staging all the big events they used to stage every year, including speedway.“Our policy is to oppose the planning application and seek the return of speedway to the current track at the East of England Showground which already has planning permission that has been in force since 1969 and for which no further approval is required. “We don’t want to go anywhere else. There’s a perfectly suitable track which is recognised as one of the best in the world, ready to be used tomorrow. “Looking at the number of objections already lodged by local residents they are fully in support of the retention of speedway at its current location. “We all have Panthers in our blood and have been supporters for many years and have seen thousands of meetings between us. “We will do everything we can to keep speedway in Peterborough and the aim is to be at the Showground next season and for the foreseeable future. “We have got nothing to lose and we will fight this to the bitter end. peterboroughtoday 19/10/23 b0252 Excellent article. I don't usually pay too much attention to stuff that I read but that is a really good write up. The situation is pretty basic at the end of the day and that hits all of the right notes |
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Post by rodders on Oct 19, 2023 9:48:58 GMT
More on the consortium plans in the PT and online tomorrow 19/10/23 The PT revealed yesterday the passionate Panthers fans determined to save their club are Carl Johnson, Mick Bratley, Michael Tomalin, Andy Fairchild, Dave Hewitt and Josh Hewitt. They are hoping to purchase Panthers from current owner Keith Chapman before launching a campaign to keep speedway at its current East of England Arena base, even though Showground agents AEPG insist that can’t happen. Planning permission is currently being sought for a housing development on the site. Spokesman Johnson, a Peterborough speedway promoter and former team manager, said: “AEPG have put the block on everything and I feel there’s no need for that. b0252 "We have had a conversation with the registered charity, the East of England Agricultural Society, who still own most of the Showground and they said they would have no objection to having speedway there under new ownership as Mr Chapman wasn’t interested in taking the club anywhere as basically he just wanted to see out this season.
“If the planning applications for the housing development get refused because of all the different objections in place then the Showground can go back to staging all the big events they used to stage every year, including speedway.“Our policy is to oppose the planning application and seek the return of speedway to the current track at the East of England Showground which already has planning permission that has been in force since 1969 and for which no further approval is required. “We don’t want to go anywhere else. There’s a perfectly suitable track which is recognised as one of the best in the world, ready to be used tomorrow. “Looking at the number of objections already lodged by local residents they are fully in support of the retention of speedway at its current location. Wish the all the best hope they are successful. Still do not understand how the owners can be forced to continue or grant another lease if they do not want to. “We all have Panthers in our blood and have been supporters for many years and have seen thousands of meetings between us. “We will do everything we can to keep speedway in Peterborough and the aim is to be at the Showground next season and for the foreseeable future. “We have got nothing to lose and we will fight this to the bitter end. peterboroughtoday 19/10/23 b0252 Excellent article. I don't usually pay too much attention to stuff that I read but that is a really good write up. The situation is pretty basic at the end of the day and that hits all of the right notes |
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Post by admin on Oct 19, 2023 10:22:35 GMT
Assume that you wanted to comment Rodders but something went wrong? You can edit your post and add your comments after the last quote.
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Post by rodders on Oct 19, 2023 11:43:21 GMT
Assume that you wanted to comment Rodders but something went wrong? You can edit your post and add your comments after the last quote. What I was trying to say was: Wish them all the best and hope they are successful. I do not see however regardless of planning outcome , how then owners have any obligation to extend or renew lease. Also think that LP70 or whatever may well have been to conserve Speedway but in hindsight could have been worded more strongly . |
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Post by admin on Oct 19, 2023 12:49:33 GMT
Assume that you wanted to comment Rodders but something went wrong? You can edit your post and add your comments after the last quote. What I was trying to say was: Wish them all the best and hope they are successful. I do not see however regardless of planning outcome , how then owners have any obligation to extend or renew lease. Also think that LP70 or whatever may well have been to conserve Speedway but in hindsight could have been worded more strongly . You've been saying that for a while and it made sense then, and still does at the end of the day, but now that AEPG are having to play their hand in public it does feel like there has been a change. They are clearly not liked or trusted and their performance in front of the PCC planning and environmental committee was poor to say the least. AEPG may not wish to play ball so going direct to the East of England Agricultural Society is a smart move. As bratters once said, do they know who they have got in to bed with here? I think that they may be learning pretty quickly now and that's not the type of legacy to have on their charity CV. LP30 is fine but these things could always be made foolproof in hindsight. AEPG's weak argument about it not specifically mentioning speedway could possibly be argued although Butterfield has already suggested (whether true or not, who knows?) that they have produced a paper which looks at the loss of Peterborough Speedway as it relates to the local plan (one assumes LP36 & LP30) and this has been sent to PCC. I'm not sure why you would mention, or allegedly do that if you thought speedway wasn't mentioned so not relevant? Thankfully Policy LP36: East of England Showground is clearer; "The loss of any existing leisure and sports facilities will not be supported unless replacement facilities are provided in accordance with policy LP30. Much of the AEPG communication seems to focus on this: Policy LP30: Culture, Leisure, Tourism and Community Facilities. The council will support the development of new cultural, leisure, tourism and community facilities, especially if: it will help to improve the range, quality, and distinctiveness of facilities that the city and surrounding areas have to offer; it improves access by sustainable transport modes to such facilities; and it will help to promote the image of Peterborough and attract more visitors. Will their brochure and vision deliver that in a decade's time? Can they be trusted to deliver and bring the community with them? The jury is certainly out on that one, especially after Tuesday. |
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Post by admin on Oct 26, 2023 12:24:39 GMT
peterboroughtoday 26/10/23
Talks are still ongoing with a six-man consortium wanting to buy the club from current owner Keith Chapman and if the deal goes through they will step up their fight to stay at the Showground where agents AEPG have applied for outline planning permission to build a 1,650 home development, hotel and leisure village.
There is still no confirmed date as to when their controversial application, which has been opposed by Sport England and other authorities as well as local residents, will be heard.
The PT revealed last week that Carl Johnson, Andy Fairchild, Mick Bratley, Michael Tomalin, Dave Hewitt and Jacob Hewitt have been negotiating to purchase Panthers from Chapman.
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Post by admin on Nov 5, 2023 16:58:32 GMT
The six-man consortium are still locked in talks with Peterborough Panthers club owner Keith Chapman, but are confident that they will reach a formal take-over agreement within the next week or so.And they will then step up their fight to extend the Panthers’ 53-year history of racing at the East of England Arena despite being given notice to quit at the end of October. More than 1,000 objections ( yes many more  ) have been lodged against an outline planning application from the East of England Agricultural Society’s agents AEPG to transform the 165-acre Showground site into a 1,650 home development, including a 220-bedroom hotel and a leisure village. The consortium, which includes former Panthers’ promoters Carl Johnson and Mick Bratley, are determined to continue their fight to get AEPG to reverse their decision. Nov 4 www.peterboroughtoday/peterborough-city-centre-will-host-a-rally-to-save-speedway-in-the-city (Cathedral Square on Saturday, November 18)-as-panthers-club-takeover-gets-nearer |
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went to Wimbledon to watch him in the riders championship).
) have been lodged against an outline planning application from the East of England Agricultural Society’s agents AEPG to transform the 165-acre Showground site into a 1,650 home development, including a 220-bedroom hotel and a leisure village.