Beverley Racecourse puts £3.6m redevelopment on hold due to pandemic

Work was due to begin this September on a £3.6m refurbishment of the main grandstand, and conference facilities, at the Westwood course – one of the most successful in the country.

However construction is to be delayed indefinitely until the racecourse better understands the financial fallout from the UK-wide lockdown – and whether new developments will have to be modified to take account of social distancing and other public health protocols.

Beverley has already lost its first six fixtures of the 2020 campaign, including the Hilary Needler Trophy which is a key trial for Royal Ascot, and the BHA is due to published a revised fixture list for June later today.

But plans to resume racing behind closed doors on June 1 are still contingent on the approval of the Government – and safeguards being agreed to reduce any risk of Covid-19 being spread.

And the timetable remains tight – Boris Johnson and the Cabinet are only due to meet again late next week to discuss, in the wake of the latest public health guidance, whether to lift the lockdown or keep restrictions in place.

“Planning permission was granted by East Riding Council and we were all set to start this September,” said Beverley racecourse chief executive Sally Iggulden.

“Because the future is uncertain, the board of directors took a view just to put the project on hold for now and keep it under review.

“We want to do the work – it is a refurbishment of the major grandstand – but, at the moment, there is no timeframe.”

The plans – first unveiled in August 2018 – promised improved viewing for spectators, both inside and outside the building; enhanced hospitality facilities; and fit-for-purpose kitchens, toilets and other amenities.

The new building was intended to replace the existing 1960s main stand which has rudimentary facilities and no disabled access beyond the ground floor.

One aspect that will be looked into, says Iggulden, will be the grandstand’s proposed use as conference venue.

Having planned one of the biggest such facilities in East Yorkshire for use of non-racedays, one of the economic legacies of Covid-19 could be reduced demand by businesses for away-days, marketing events, functions and so on.

However the build-up of financial reserves for such a major project mean that Beverley is better placed than other courses to withstand the sport’s shutdown – the last meeting in Britain took place at Wetherby on March 17.

Nevertheless, it still had to furlough eight staff and leave a skeleton team in place to plan for racing’s return on a date which is still unknown.

Iggulden is, however, optimistic that Beverley will be in a position to host nine to 10 fixtures – especially if the Flat’s turf season is prolonged into the late autumn to provide additional opportunities for horses.

She stresses the team is already working to ensure that the track is ready to host racing as soon as the BHA allocates new dates. She also confirmed that productive talks have been held with Pasture Masters, who are responsible for Beverley’s common land, over restricting any public access on racedays.

And she’s looking forward to the finishing touches being put to the modernisation of the weighing room that took place over the winter – an investment prompted in part by the intervention of former champion jockey Paul Hanagan.

First built in 1998, they’ve been overhauled following improvements to facilities for jockeys at both York and Catterick.

“It is difficult because you don’t know when to resume planning for racedays,” added Iggulden.

“It has also been hard to keep morale up but we (racecourses) are all in the same boat so to speak. If it was just us, you would be feeling bad, but we know we are all feeling the same pain. We are working hard and doing everything we can so, when we do get the green light, we are ready to do.

“We will be ready when racing is ready to return.”

As for the BHA, it hopes protocols required for racing to take place behind closed doors will be signed off early next week – a comprehensive blueprint for Ireland has already been published.

A BHA update earlier this week said: “British racing continues to plan for resumption on Monday 1 June, in line with the UK Government’s provisional timetable for the return of sport behind closed doors.

“All relevant details and guidance will be communicated to the industry in good time, to ensure that participants, staff and officials understand the requirements and how these will apply before, during and after a race meeting.”

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