Trainers in bid to stop track going to the dogs
BELLE Vue dog trainers have launched a campaign to save the historic stadium from being turned into houses.
The stadium on Kirkmanshulme Lane in Gorton was the first purpose-built dog track in the country when it opened in 1926.
Now developer Countryside Properties has published plans to turn it into 234 homes. A planning application is expected to be submitted soon although Countryside does not currently own the site.
Crown Oil Pensions Fund, a subsidiary of the Bury-based firm, bought it in 2014 for £2.5m.
When contacted earlier this month, director Andrew Greensmith said there was currently no deal in place to sell – but did not rule it out as a possibility.
The M.E.N. has also approached Crown Oil for an official statement.
A group of trainers at Belle Vue fear a deal is inevitable if planning permission is approved by Manchester council.
They have vowed to fight the application and have started a petition, which was signed by 500 people on the first night.
Jill Llewellin, one of the stadium’s most successful trainers, is leading the charge. She says the prospect of Belle Vue closing has ‘frightened everybody.’
“There’s a huge workforce here,” Jill added. “There’s whole families who rely on the income that it generates. The staff work around the clock to keep it in tip-top condition. There’s people like myself who need to feed the dogs. We are not there to gamble.
“We need that money from Belle Vue – it’s a very frightening and worrying situation.”
The Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) sold the stadium to Crown Oil in a deal which included an agreement to rent it back.
The GRA has not replied to requests for comment from the M.E.N.
When asked about the potential housing development at Belle Vue, Coun Suzanne Richards, Manchester council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said in a statement: “The Gorton area has seen significant housing investment in the past few years and there will be opportunities for further residential growth in the coming years.
“Manchester needs residential building at scale to meet growing demand and we are investigating potential housing investment sites across the city to meet that demand.”