Moves to secure Musselburgh’s future

Elected members of East Lothian Council unanimously agreed to a restructuring of the governance of Musselburgh racecourse in what was considered a “further significant step” towards securing the track’s future.

The racecourse’s temporary licence from the British Horseracing Authority, which expires in April, was conditional on the requirement for an independent governance review of the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee (MJRC) and implementation of its recommendations.

The independent review was carried out by solicitors Pinsent Masons with the joint agreement of East Lothian Council and the Lothians Racing Syndicate Ltd, which provide membership of the MJRC, which is responsible for the management and operation of the council-owned track.

At yesterday’s meeting of East Lothian Council, members agreed to implement the independent review’s option of operating the racecourse as a newly-formed and compliant associated committee, initially on an interim basis.

The MJRC will now be reconstituted as the Musselburgh Racing Associated Committee (MRAC), comprising four elected members with cross-party representation and two members representing racing interests.

Councillor Fiona O’Donnell said: “Musselburgh Racecourse has been a home to horseracing for more than 200 years.

“It is a much-loved venue which we want to see continue operating successfully–in the interests of racegoers, our economy, local community and its valued employees.

“I am pleased with the progress made as we look to secure the racecourse’s future and ensure we have a stronger governance structure comprising the right balance of skills and experience.”