ONE of Scotland's top racecourses has been forced to postpone a controversial multi-million-pound plan to hold floodlit meetings next year, because it might not get planning permission in time.
Managers at Musselburgh Racecourse had to ditch plans to hold up to 30 night meetings because of uncertainty over whether they will win planning permission to install an all-weather track and floodlights.
The expansion plans at the track, owned b
y East Lothian Council, were the subject of a recent public inquiry and a final decision will be taken by the new SNP ministers within the next three months.
Last night, race officials admitted the delay in the planning decision meant they would not meet the 13 June deadline set by the British Horseracing Board to bid for 2008 fixtures.
Bill Farnsworth, the course general manager, said: "If we wanted to be racing on a floodlit, all-weather track in 2008, we would have to be ready to bid for fixtures next week.
"We can't consider bidding for any fixtures until we gain approval for the development."
Course officials estimated that the 30 planned new meetings - on top of around 25 a year currently planned - would raise revenue by £500,000 to £1.5 million over the next ten years.
The cancellation of the 2008 plans is a new blow to the course and comes after it was revealed that the Executive believes a £9 million cheap loan agreed by the then Labour-controlled council to fund the expansion breaks EU competition rules.
A spokesman for the course said the cancellation of the fixtures was not related to the dispute over the funding.
He said that after "lengthy debate" at a meeting of the new directors of the course on Monday, there would be changes to the business plan which will be sent to the council later this month.
John Caldwell, an independent councillor, has been appointed as the new chairman of the seven-member board, on which four new councillors who were against the plans replaced the four Labour members who were in favour.
Mr Caldwell, who was elected to the council because of his outspoken campaign against the development, last night refused to comment.
An Executive spokesman said the report of the inquiry by reporter Philip Hutchinson had been sent to ministers on 23 May. Stewart Stevenson, the SNP minister for infrastructure, will take the final decision.
Ian Colville, a spokesman for the Hands off our Links campaign, HOOL, in Musselburgh, welcomed the cancellation of the 2008 programme.
"This is another obstacle in the way of the development which Musselburgh people do not want. It is now extremely unlikely that, even if the development is approved, the council will give the course the loan.
"The SNP and the Lib Dems were elected on a platform of opposing the development and we now know the loan could break EU law. The public who voted in these new councillors would be extremely unhappy if they were to go ahead with this plan or the loan from the council."
The full article contains 514 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
