Work to improve racing surface and fight flooding at Southwell

Parts of the all-weather track at Southwell Racecourse, where the Chad Family Day is held every year, are to be replaced in a £120,000 investment.
RACING on the all-weather fibresand surface at Southwell.RACING on the all-weather fibresand surface at Southwell.
RACING on the all-weather fibresand surface at Southwell.

And the future of the course has also been safeguarded after plans for work to fight flooding at the track were unveiled.

Because of severe flooding. some areas of the fibresand course were replaced in 2007 and 2012. Now a strip about 1f long on the golf club bend and one beyond the 6f start will receive similar treatment.

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The work will take place this month and be completed in time for Southwell’s next all-weather fixture on Thursday, November 10.

The course’s owners, Arena Racing Company (ARC), are confident it will result in a more effective and reliable racing surface.

In addition, ARC have received approval from Newark and Sherwood District Council to carry out wider flood-defence works to bolster the future of the popular racecourse.

The plans, which were developed in partnership with Ardent Consulting Engineers, the Environment Agency and Trent Internal Drainage Board, were submitted for detailed planning consent in August 2015.

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The work includes the construction of a four-kilometre-long flood-alleviation bund around the circumference of the course and its buildings, together with the creation of flood cells and four hectares of wetland area, with significant drainage infrastructure improvements.

Once these changes are in place, any flood waters will be attenuated and diverted to flood storage areas within the site, thereby avoiding the racecourse and the nearby village of Rolleston.

The racecourse will seek to continue their partnership with the Environment Agency and Trent Internal Drainage Board and have agreed to make available £25,000 every year as a contribution towards enhanced maintenance works to the surrounding River Greet, associated tributaries, dykes and culverts.

The executive director of the course, Mark Clayton, said: “This investment is great news. The works to the track will ensure a consistent racing surface and when the flood defences have been completed, we can have confidence that the racecourse will not be so susceptible to flooding in the future. We thank the authorities and local residents for their support during the planning process.”