Santa Pod fights new homes
Historic drag strip gains fresh backing to help safeguard site’s future
Santa Pod – England’s only drag strip and home to numerous classic shows – has been given new assurances that the 53-year-old venue will be protected from housing developments.
The Bedfordshire site’s management team and supporters last week received news that Bedford Borough Council’s Government Planning Inspector (who reports to the Secretary of State) wants to keep Santa Pod safe. The venue would otherwise be vulnerable to allocation of plots for large numbers of new homes. The news leaked out via the Say No To Colworth Facebook page, a group opposed to new homes nearby. Bedford Borough Council told CCW that it had not yet identified an area for new housing and was still considering the local impact.
Neale Saunders, Santa Pod’s operations manager, said: ‘We’ve been working on this closely with experienced consultants – nothing is going to sneak up on us. The local plan was strengthened with us in mind. We have a healthy relationship with the surrounding villages with whom we liaise on a regular basis.’
The National Street Rod Association UK (NSRA UK) was quick to add its voice to the supporters of Santa Pod; it had to move its two nostalgia drag meets there after Shakespeare County Raceway in Warwickshire closed. York Raceway in East Yorkshire and drag events at North Weald airfield in Essex also remain closed to enthusiasts.
Hannah Thomas, NSRA UK public relations officer, said: ‘It would be shocking to see our hobby affected by the development proposals. We hope that the effects on existing businesses, the historic importance of the drag strip and the potential effect on the wider UK classic and custom car scene continue to be considered.’