04/03/2008
NEWS STORY
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The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) has today released the first computer generated images of the proposals to redevelop the Pit and Paddock complex at Silverstone.
The complex is the vital first stage in reconfirming Silverstone's position at the pinnacle of the motorsport industry and as the home of motor racing. Under current proposals the Pit and Paddock complex would be moved from its current location between Woodcote and Copse to a new location between Club and Abbey. Included in the complex are new garages, a race control building, media centre, hospitality and VIP spectator zones and a primary paddock. The proposals also involve creating a new pit straight, with reorganised entry and exit points, a reconfiguration of Club Corner and a new Abbey section.
Designed by award winning sport architects HOK, the new complex will ensure that teams and sponsors are provided with world-class facilities to reinstate Silverstone's position as a premier racing destination. This pioneering development will act as a catalyst for further investment across the site and set a high architectural standard for any future developments. It also provides the first stage in making Silverstone more sustainable, with facilities provided in the new building to enable it to plug into a combined heat and power system that is currently being considered for the whole site.
The Pit and Paddock complex is the first proposal in a 10-year programme that will see a new manufacturer test centre, business park, extreme sport and leisure complex, two hotels, a new university campus, a ‘Welcome Centre' and some new homes near the circuit. Taken together, the redevelopment will deliver a world-class venue for motorsport, education and high technology development that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the motorsport industry and maintains its position as a major regional and national employer.
Damon Hill, President of the BRDC said: "Silverstone is a great track with a great history. These images are the vision of the future for Silverstone, and one we fervently hope will be realised, in order to provide a venue where all forms of motor sport can be celebrated in style, for the benefit of the competitor and spectator alike.
This new facility, and the redevelopment at large, will help attract more business to Northamptonshire and create more jobs for local communities. The British Grand Prix alone contributes over £30 million a year to the local area and it is vital that we do everything we can to maintain this income as well as the UK's world class expertise in high tech engineering and R&D. Also, it should go without saying by now, that in order to retain the British Grand Prix we need a venue of this kind of stature, and the Grand Prix is a key element in the whole project."
Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited said: "The Pit and Paddock is the first stage in delivering a new mix of facilities at the track that will bring it into the 21st Century. Our intention is to transform Silverstone into a world leading centre for education, business, leisure and technology. This will ensure Silverstone becomes a showcase for British motorsport, rivalling other great sporting venues like Wembley, Wimbledon and Twickenham.
"It is vital that we continue to diversify as a business to make sure that the UK remains at the forefront of the motorsport industry. As the iconic building on the circuit, the new Pit and Paddock complex will confirm our status as a global leader and will be something that everyone in the UK can be proud of."
The release of the images follows a decision by the South Northamptonshire's Economic and Environmental Review and Development Committee to refer the Joint Silverstone Development Brief to a full Council meeting in March. The Development Brief sets out the "Vision for the Circuit" and the principles of sustainable development, which will maximise the social and economic benefits for the local and regional area. It also sets out the land use and infrastructure requirements against which any future planning application has to be assessed. The brief has already been approved by the Council's Cabinet on the 4th February.
Spencer Canning, Development Director at Silverstone said: "Taking the development brief to the full council shows how serious Aylesbury Vale District Council and South Northamptonshire Council are about the redevelopment of Silverstone. We are pleased the councils are taking due care over a project that is so vital to the future of high technology jobs and motorsport in both the local region and the UK as a whole.
"The new Pit and Paddock complex proposals, combined with the adoption of the development brief, will hopefully enable us to accelerate the plans for Silverstone. CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has been charged with raising funds through the sale of the enabling development sites, which the BRDC currently has approval for, so we can begin with sales almost immediately. This demonstrates the serious intent of the BRDC to maintain Silverstone as a world class venue and, from a development perspective, will open up the opportunity to deliver other elements of the mixed-use masterplan."
A planning submission for the new Pit and Paddock facility is expected to be made in early March 2008.
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