Plans to make Warwick Racing Club community focal point

[dutchman]

Plans are in motion to get Racing Club Warwick “back to where it belongs” as a community hub.



The club in Hampton Road has fallen on hard times in recent years following financial problems which have taken a long time to recover from.

But at a meeting of the full Warwick District Council last week questions were raised about the future of the club and what can be done to get it back to where it once was as a focal point for numerous activities.

At present the club is home to a football team, boxing club and scouts, but all of them are in need of a financial injection.

At the meeting, Cllr John Barrott (Lab, Leamington Wills) raised the subject of funding for the club and is keen to see action taken.

He said: “Racing Club Warwick was a very vibrant community hub and offered all sorts of things which seems, over the last few years, to have quailed a bit.

“There was money that was put aside from the sale of Bread and Meat Close, money that was earmarked for Racing Club and it is still available. We’re going to ask the council itself for some extra money, probably up to £50,000.”

Cllr Sue Gallagher (Con, Leek Wootton) said: “Racing Club has the potential to be a fantastic community facility, I believe it to be a catalyst for a number of community-based initiatives.

“We were determined to support them and explored a number of options to ensure its sustainable future.

“A business plan was produced which is now being taken forward. But the club is unhappy with the council’s position. I am doing all I can to resolve this matter and to persuade the council to support the club.”

A meeting is now due to be chaired by Cllr Michael Doody (Con, Radford Semele) later this month, who said at the meeting: “The last review took place on April 21 2009 and it will be reviewed again right up to April 2023. Unfortunately there has been no agreement.

“I will be listening to what Racing Club would like to get out of the meeting. I believe the club is the way forward to provide the facilities for the whole area.”

Cllr Barrott added: “Hopefully the meeting will have a positive outcome and drive it all forward. It would be great to see it back to where it once was. It’s not just for Warwick West residents, there are people from all over the area who would go there to use it.”