- An iconic canine monitor that’s almost 100-years-old is ready to be demolished
- The house owners did not renew their lease on the grounds and can vacate the positioning
The iconic Henlow Stadium has shut it is doorways for the ultimate time, with the Bedfordshire canine monitor now set to be demolished.
The monitor, which has been in operation since 1927, held its last race on Sunday. It comes after makes an attempt to renew the lease of the race monitor with the positioning’s landowner of had failed.
Planners had accepted of a development on the site back in 2020, however in 2023, a courtroom dominated in opposition to Henlow Racing Ltd’s utility to increase it is lease.
According to the BBC, 75 new properties will likely be constructed on the positioning of the historic canine monitor which boasts a restaurant, bistro and 1,000 seater stadium. They will all have to be faraway from the premisis by April 5, when Henlow will lose their possession of the land.
Managing director, Kevin Boothby, who had taken over the race monitor in 2004 stated earlier in Janaury, per Greyhound Star, ‘The first level I ought to make is that I’m completely gutted however we’ve got reached the tip of the street.
‘We have been making an attempt to renew the lease over a number of years and felt we had a robust authorized case, despite the fact that the choose disagreed. The recent courtroom case has cost within the area of £150K and though we stand by that preliminary view, there is no such thing as a guarantee that we might win an enchantment.
‘In phrases of our native trainers, all are welcome at our different tracks. The majority are already indicating that they are going to switch to Towcester the place Graham Payne, one of many three Henlow on-site trainers, could have a brand new vary within the steady block.
‘We solely have round 60-80 Henlow based mostly graders anyway and most of the trainers already race at Towcester. There isn’t any welfare problem.’
Trainers are reportedly being given the choice to switch to tracks in both Northamptonshire, Oxford, or Suffolk.
Had the the lease been prolonged, Mr Boothby had supposed to re-open the restaurant on the stadium and produce occasions such because the Bedfordshire Derby again to the canine monitor.
The monitor had added a brand new restaurant on the stadium again in 2006, which in accordance with the Daily Star, cost £400,000 to build.
Despite that, animal welfare teams have been protesting the operation of the canine monitor for some years.
Shut Down Henlow Greyhound Stadium, a neighborhood animal rights organisation, stated to the BBC: ‘Greyhound racing is a dying trade and it’s victorious to know that no extra dogs will lose their lives at Henlow.’
