The long awaited development project at Swindon is finally getting to a point whereby local owners and trainers will soon see results writes Floyd Amphlett.
Since the start of the project, businesses have been shuffled around, new houses have been built, the track has been shortened, and the north stand has been flattened (all interrupted by a pandemic). Despite it all, many locals point to the modular grandstand still sitting on the carpark, and question the hold-up.
General manager Peter Geeves is used to the negativity, but in the week that the construction plan was approved by the local council, he is incredibly upbeat.
He said: “One of the problems is that a lot of the work that has been taking place isn’t visible. We’ve had to install all the utilities on the far side, there was nothing there. That’s the water, drainage, electrics, everything. We’ve had further setbacks with the weather, first as a mud pond, then the strong winds.
“But the carpark is being laid as we speak and work is continuing on the drainage and ducting which should be finished within the next month.
“The pads will then be laid for the new grandstand. Most people don’t realise that the building that they see on the carpark is actually the second floor. The ground floor will be based on a steel frame structure. It is funny but when Clarke (Osborne-MD) first announced that it would be a modular building, a lot of people talked about it as being a kind of Meccano set. Now these type of buildings are commonplace.”
A final decision is expected this weekend on a new LED lighting system and Gavin Smith is due for an on-site visit in a fortnight’s time in preparation for the fitting of hoists for two new sets of starting traps.
As soon as the new building is operational and the new purpose built kennels have been assembled, the operation will flip with the standard distance starting from the current sprint boxes. Work will then start on demolishing the south stand, which like many buildings of its vintage, will involve the removal of asbestos.
Geeves said: “That will be the last thing to happen when everything else is already up and running. It won’t affect racing.”
