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Chicharito
1,017 posts
20 months
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Stupid idea.
It's an absolute dump of an area which wouldn't be changed by the addition of a race track - the promised jobs would only be temporary, as very few permanent staff are required to run a circuit on non race days.
Road access would be a nightmare - Black Rock desperately needs dualling to enable easy access from the Midlands, as would the A465 from Ron Skinner's to Rassau.
I'm sure there are much better locations around Newport / Cardiff for such a development - and although Pembrey is a pig to get to, it's a very good circuit, just lacking investment.
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Symbolica
8,956 posts
84 months
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We're missing the bigger picture here: would anybody take a half-decent car to Ebbw Vale?  A bigger problem is access. If you're from Cardiff, Swansea or West Wales then it's not too bad, but for those who would be crossing the Severn (who presumably would be a big target audience) it's a royal pain in the arse to get to.
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taffyracer
2,092 posts
112 months
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I'm all in favour of regeneration but I just can't quality hotels and businesses moving to the area because of a track, what do these busineses do when there is no events on......I disagree the transport links there are decent, it's a nightmare to get to from the M4 or from the M5, it could work in a better area but let's face it, Valentino Rossi is not going to come to Ebbw Vale on holiday, that's the problem with all this, its a great idea on paper but reality is that take away the events and you are still left with a depressed area with little to offer and for £250 million investment it's going to need to return a huge amount and it won't, so it's not viable and I'd stake money on it not happening
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torqueischeap
5 posts
17 months
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pits said: The Welsh government, quite rightly, has to ask serious questions. Can it afford this kind of money?No
Can the scheme deliver on its promise? Probably not, just isn't enough money in Ebbw Vale, and there isn't much up there tourism wise, pretty poor location really
Are there better ways of spending the money? Certainly, £250m worth of road repairs, £250m cash injection for small businesses etc
I would be surprised if this goes ahead, location is crap, local infrastructure wouldn't be able to support big races, and quite honestly the money could be spent elsewhere and put too much better use, building a track doesn't mean people will want to race there, doesn't mean people will want to go and use it, most people don't even know where Llandow or Pembrey are. Youre missing the point Pits, £250m reapairing roads isnt going to encourage investment, create jobs, and as much as we like nice tarmac, attracting long term investment will be far more important. Also the investment wont be made by the government, its private investor money, though the council have offered the land for free I hear. Also road links are far better than you may think, with the ongoing dualling of the A465 this will give quick access to Ebbw Vale, and also from West Wales. Dual carrageway up to the front gates is a huge plus point! Ebbw Vale is 1 hour from Bristol, 40 mins from Cardiff and though the immediate area may not be the most thriving, the neighbouring towns in monmouthshire and Powys have thriving tourism. As for comparisons with Llandow, well its not really fair; Llandow is a tiny circuit with a lot poorer road links, Pembrey is just too far west for most. However Santa Pod doesnt seem to suffer from its difficult road links, its a very popular drag strip
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torqueischeap
5 posts
17 months
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Chicharito said: Stupid idea.
It's an absolute dump of an area which wouldn't be changed by the addition of a race track - the promised jobs would only be temporary, as very few permanent staff are required to run a circuit on non race days.
Road access would be a nightmare - Black Rock desperately needs dualling to enable easy access from the Midlands, as would the A465 from Ron Skinner's to Rassau.
I'm sure there are much better locations around Newport / Cardiff for such a development - and although Pembrey is a pig to get to, it's a very good circuit, just lacking investment. Both these sections of the A465 are to be dualled in the next 2 years and the advantage Ebbw Vale has over Newport/Cardiff is that there is a lot of spare land. Let us not forget the valleys made Cardiff and Newport very rich during the industrial revolution, maybe some investment is due in Ebbw Vale? On another note, is the former LG factory still empty in Newport, biggest factory in Wales sat empty for how many years?
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Dimski
Original Poster
1,867 posts
68 months
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torqueischeap said: pits said: The Welsh government, quite rightly, has to ask serious questions. Can it afford this kind of money?No
Can the scheme deliver on its promise? Probably not, just isn't enough money in Ebbw Vale, and there isn't much up there tourism wise, pretty poor location really
Are there better ways of spending the money? Certainly, £250m worth of road repairs, £250m cash injection for small businesses etc
I would be surprised if this goes ahead, location is crap, local infrastructure wouldn't be able to support big races, and quite honestly the money could be spent elsewhere and put too much better use, building a track doesn't mean people will want to race there, doesn't mean people will want to go and use it, most people don't even know where Llandow or Pembrey are. Youre missing the point Pits, £250m reapairing roads isnt going to encourage investment, create jobs, and as much as we like nice tarmac, attracting long term investment will be far more important. Also the investment wont be made by the government, its private investor money, though the council have offered the land for free I hear. Also road links are far better than you may think, with the ongoing dualling of the A465 this will give quick access to Ebbw Vale, and also from West Wales. Dual carrageway up to the front gates is a huge plus point! Ebbw Vale is 1 hour from Bristol, 40 mins from Cardiff and though the immediate area may not be the most thriving, the neighbouring towns in monmouthshire and Powys have thriving tourism. As for comparisons with Llandow, well its not really fair; Llandow is a tiny circuit with a lot poorer road links, Pembrey is just too far west for most. However Santa Pod doesnt seem to suffer from its difficult road links, its a very popular drag strip From a selfish perspective, I'd love a world class circuit there. I just worry that to create a lot of tourism sector jobs, there needs to be more attractions in the area. A circuit alone will bring people in for events for a few days a month, surely tourism/service sector businesses need more than that? How many jobs can a circuit bring to an area? Genuine question BTW.
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Chicharito
1,017 posts
20 months
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Well, in terms of other tourism... there's 'Big Pit'.
And erm, Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr.
One massive issue would be hotels - no decent hotel brand is going to set up near Ebbw Vale, even Abergavenny doesn't have enough business trade for a Holiday Inn or similar.
Wales would benefit from a decent circuit - but not one in the valleys.
On the other hand - even if a decent circuit is built, actually securing long term and profitable race deals is a different matter.
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zasker
326 posts
73 months
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torqueischeap said: Both these sections of the A465 are to be dualled in the next 2 years and the advantage Ebbw Vale has over Newport/Cardiff is that there is a lot of spare land. Let us not forget the valleys made Cardiff and Newport very rich during the industrial revolution, maybe some investment is due in Ebbw Vale? On another note, is the former LG factory still empty in Newport, biggest factory in Wales sat empty for how many years? The Black Rock section is not even due to start until 2014, while the Brynmawr to Tredegar is due to start next year some of the survey work is not due to end until the middle of the year. They then have to get the plans approved etc so that is unlikely to even start until some time in 2013.
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TankRS
1,425 posts
23 months
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with regards to the Tourism side of things guys, looking at most other Race venues round the UK, most are old airfields in the middle of nowhere, so getting the tourists into the area wont make much of an impact on the decision I wouldn’t have thought.
True tho on the lack of accommodation in the area, apart from a few b&b’s theres nothing major unless you go into the big cities. But if this plan did go ahead it may give one of the roadside hotel firms and incentive to put up a development with decent links to the track and nearer the link roads to the rest of the southern attractions.
I’d love to see it go ahead, but my head says penny is going to drop sooner or later for the investors that they wont get all of the things their hoping for motorsport wise, MotoGP,WSB etc, at least not for a few years after the tracks opened and had a chance to find its style/identity.
I for one would be very surprised if the big series’ said “ok we’ll hold it there” on a brand new unproven circuit.
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dai1983
218 posts
18 months
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I would love this to happen as I was born and raised in nearby Nantyglo. Admittedly I can't see it happening as there are always false promises for the area, which continues to be a s  thole. Rossi and Stoner can stay at my mums free of charge if they want!
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torqueischeap
5 posts
17 months
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Chicharito said: Well, in terms of other tourism... there's 'Big Pit'.
And erm, Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr.
One massive issue would be hotels - no decent hotel brand is going to set up near Ebbw Vale, even Abergavenny doesn't have enough business trade for a Holiday Inn or similar.
Wales would benefit from a decent circuit - but not one in the valleys.
On the other hand - even if a decent circuit is built, actually securing long term and profitable race deals is a different matter. The Brecon Beacons National park borders the area of which there is plenty of places of interest, along with the historical market town of Abergavenny, and the Brecon mountain Railway near Merthyr, Clydach Gorge and Ironworks,Sugar Loaf Vinyards and also a new Museum/interactive centre at the General Offices on the former steel works site in Ebbw Vale. A major chain type motel would not be allowed to come to Abergavenny due to the protection of the local trade rules, ever noticed the lack of McDs. KFC in the town (SAUCE - Save Abergavennys Unique Character and Environment)? However theres a Premier Inn in both Ebbw Vale and Merthyr along with lots of B&Bs in neighbouring towns
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Chicharito
1,017 posts
20 months
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Most of those 'attractions' are rubbish, though!
Aside from that, the last thing the Beaons need is more tourist trade, especially during the spring / summer / autumn - main roads are already 30-40mpg slogs on busy days, so it takes forever to get anywhere.
As for hotels - local B&Bs and Premier Inns are hardly the kind of places World Champions are going to want to stay.
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TankRS
1,425 posts
23 months
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Chicharito said: local B&Bs and Premier Inns are hardly the kind of places World Champions are going to want to stay. true as that is, the WRC boys get ferried about by team cars to hotels in Cardiff during the event, there will be no difference to it happening if the track got the go ahead. chances are they will be Helicoptered in as most F1 boys do for Silverstone.
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suprasonic
5 posts
75 months
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the point for attractions seeing as most visitors would have at least a passing interest in car's or bike's would the aera's rep for some of the best driving roads in the uk be a plus point?
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ad220
132 posts
96 months
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So I've managed to see some early Development plans for this project and all I can say is I really hope it goes. Looks a fantastic scheme that would no doubt bring some great racing to the area!!
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Blue Dragoon
31 posts
72 months
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The WAG are on the case now. A presentation is in place, I'll let you know more as I find out.
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Evil.soup
1,999 posts
74 months
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Blue Dragoon said: The WAG are on the case now. A presentation is in place, I'll let you know more as I find out. Inside knowledge oldboy?
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ad220
132 posts
96 months
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The Developer (Heads of the Valley Development Corporation) are holding Interviews with potential Contractors today in London. A Contracting (Building) Partner should be appointed towards the end of July/early August.
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taffyracer
2,092 posts
112 months
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disaster waiting to happen, would love a world class circuit here in Wales but anyone who thinks that it can pay back 150million investment is barking mad
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MG CHRIS
2,691 posts
36 months
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Could still happen though would love to have a good circuit 20 mins from my house and it would be the ideal place for the blackwood cruise to if anybody knows about it, if managed well it could be used for everything just look at castle combe used pretty much every week. Also we need a new track in the uk last new built track was 12 years ago.
Allthough im doubtfull of it actually being built but would support it if does get built.
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