Ebbw Vale race track project faces final hurdle (From South Wales Argus)

Ebbw Vale race track project faces final hurdle

10:20am Friday 15th February 2013 in News By Chris Wood, Reporter

PLANS for a £250 million racing complex in Ebbw Vale have been submitted to Blaenau Gwent council, with a decision on the proposal expected in May.

A spokesman for the Heads of the Valleys Development Company said after months of detailed planning and meetings with councillors and business leaders, this represents the final hurdle.

The application was submitted late on Wednesday, with the company’s chief executive Michael Carrick saying: “We’ve made certain we’ve covered all bases because we are so passionate about making this project work – not just for us as a company but for the people of Blaenau Gwent.”

MrCarrickcalled it a “strong application” adding “a great deal of work has gone into ensuring its meticulousness.”

Already called the Circuit of Wales, head of MotoGP Carmelo Ezpeleta has thrown his weight behind the proposal, saying a MotoGP could be staged there in 2015 if the application is approved.

He said the Rassau scheme has the potential to revitalise the area, with events attracting around 70,000 people, boosting the local economy by £2.5 million per event.

The development would bring around 9,000 jobs to the area through the circuit, a technology park, a race academy and hotels.

Construction partners FCC Construction and Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd were named recently, and the spokesman said: “Planning permission is the final hurdle in what could prove to be one of the defining moments of Blaenau Gwent’s post-industrial history.”

He said a detailed environmental impact assessment was undertaken, with design details changed and documentation on what the circuit would mean to the area.

It is anticipated Blaenau Gwent council will factor in a consultation period before a final decision is made at a planning committee meeting in May.