With plans for a £250 million motorsport centre in Ebbw Vale expected to be submitted next month, ALISON SANDERS and EMMA MACKINTOSH look at how the plans are progressing and what the development could mean for the Gwent Valleys. PLANS for a multi-million-pound racing circuit in Ebbw Vale have moved a step closer.

If the plans get the approval of councillors when submitted to Blaenau Gwent council next month, the Circuit ofWales is expected to create 9,000 jobs and boost the Welsh economy by £50 million a year by attracting 750,000 visitors to the region each year, with two hotels planned for the site as well.

The plans will comprise a 3.5-mile race track, karting and motocross tracks, a race academy to develop elite riders and drivers and a technology park next to the circuit for research, development and support services.

The 830-acre development could be capable of hosting MotoGP, World Superbikes, World Motocross and touring cars.

The Circuit of Wales will not just face competition from local circuits such as Llandow and Pembrey, but also from its biggest rival – the home of British motor racing – Silverstone in Northamptonshire.

Silverstone already has a long-established reputation and television presence from hosting the British Grand Prix.

But where the proposed Rassau, Ebbw Vale, circuit may be able to tip the balance is its racing academy, technology park and medical centre.

The Circuit ofWales would be built to the top industry standards – FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme).

But what will this actually mean for local people?

The Heads of the Valleys Development Company told the Argus it wants to help develop skills and training for local people.

It said it plans to create a partner organisation which will work with all of the contractors involved in the Circuit ofWales to understand what skills are needed and to help meet those needs. This organisation will then work with job centres, colleges and training programmes and together with Blaenau Gwent council, it will appoint training providers to address any skills gap.

The company said the short-term focus will be on construction opportunities, the medium-term focus will be on hospitality and service providers while the long-term focus will be on manufacturing and skilled engineering.

The developer behind the Circuit of Wales said it also wants to work with local young people to get them excited about the development, inspire them and help boost their skills.

It has formed a partnership with The Transformation Trust, a social mobility charity dedicated to opening opportunities for young people, and will offer extra-curricular activities to schools in the surrounding areas.

These activities will aim to be enjoyable and inspiring and will be based around engineering and sustainability in motor sport and encourage pupils in science, technology, engineering and maths.

One of the projects will see students work in teams to design, build and then race a full-size single-seat electric car. The Heads of the Valleys Development Company said this will aim to encourage team work, nurture local talent, help students build important skills, provide role models in the industry and ultimately inspire young people not just in Blaenau Gwent but across Wales.

The idea of a Welsh race track perhaps inspiring a generation of youngsters to go into motorsport is something felt by Andy Dodd, the team manager for Swansea University’s Formula Student team.

The team is a group of 40 students, a mix of first years and postgraduates, who have built their own Formula One-style car as part of the annual Formula Student competition, hosted by Silverstone, and is currently ranked best inWales and seventh in the UK.

Mr Dodd, 19, who studies electrical engineering, said the Circuit ofWales could open up a lot more opportunities. “I’m currently looking for a summer placement and some racing companies are based at Silverstone so if there was a Welsh base it’s so much closer for a lot of people.

“It might also help partnerships and funding for our team having a local race team, as well as information if we had any questions.”

Mr Dodd said that with 37 different countries competing, including university teams from New Zealand, Australia and America, the competition is an ideal avenue into the industry.

He said: “It’s a great experience, everyone is trained up on workshop machinery so it’s the best thing to do if you want to go into motorsport.”

Formula Student is a competition to design, build and race a single-seater race car.

With a £15,000 budget provided by the university, the team still seeks out partnerships with local companies.

Mr Dodd said: “I definitely think the specialist centre at the Circuit of Wales will help it stand out.

Ourselves, Swansea Metropolitan and Cardiff University all have Formula Student teams and the Circuit of Wales could have all the facilities of Silverstone without having to travel all that way.”

He said the track would make testing their vehicles a lot easier, too.

“In the competition there is a 1km sprint around a cone circuit and the best 50 teams qualify for the endurance event which also tests fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

“Silverstone is the home of British racing but I was in a couple of meetings at the competition where they were talking about changes over the next few years, and they were talking about possibly finding other venues for the competition.”

“Having somewhere like the Circuit of Wales could be excellent. It could inspire a generation to get into motorsport.”

Response positive as consultations continue

THE Heads of the Valleys Development Company said that more than 400 people have now attended community consultations about the proposals.

There have been some concerns raised by local residents and charities such as the Gwent Wildlife Trust over issues such as noise and wildlife but the developers say that overall the response to the proposal has been “overwhelmingly positive”.

It said the first series of exhibitions in August and September had been a “resounding success”.

The company’s chief executive, Michael Carrick, said the aim of the first round of consultations was to explain to local people what exactly the Circuit of Wales is and listen to their opinions.

He said: “As people who have lived in the Valleys their whole lives, to hear what they thought Circuit of Wales could bring to the area was very insightful.”

The second phase of consultation with the local community has just started this week, which the company said is to give residents “further insight” into the plans.

Mr Carrick said: “The nature of projects of this scale is that there are ongoing developments and things that maybe we weren’t able to disclose in the previous exhibitions. This time around, we will be able to answer certain questions more thoroughly because of the advanced stage of development in which we find ourselves.”

These exhibitions will include information on the construction partners who have been appointed for the work and more information on jobs and training schemes.

Chris Herring, a director of the Heads of the Valleys Development Company and of racing motorcycle manufacturer FTR Moto, said: “We want to reassure people that Circuit of Wales isn’t just a fanciful notion. Years of hard work and design have already gone into making sure it becomes a reality.”

He said: “The passion of many of the local people who attended the previous consultations is infectious. They really know their stuff, and it just reinforces the desire to have an elite motor sport venue in Blaenau Gwent. Even those who don’t know the difference between MotoGP and Motocross can appreciate that Circuit of Wales will be a great thing for the area.”

Representatives from the company will be at the consultation events at Rassau Community Hall today, at Nantybwch OAP Centre on Thursday, at Beaufort Theatre on Friday and at Garnlydan OAP Centre on December 4.

Each session will run from 4pm to 7pm.