Donington Park has finalised its planning permission after the process was thrown into doubt following a legal challenge for unpaid rent by the circuit owners.
The track was granted conditional planning permission in January, dependent on a legal document setting out details of traffic plans, construction rules and other issues that must be agreed for major developments.
That was due to be signed off several months ago by track owner Tom Wheatcroft in addition to personnel from the leaseholder Donington Ventures Leisure Limited.
However it was thrown into doubt after Wheatcroft’s company launched legal action against DVLL – but a last-minute settlement meant the signatures were obtained. No details of the settlement have been released.
DVLL director Simon Gillett confirmed on Friday that the agreement has now been approved – meaning that construction work can now start in earnest at the track.
Gillett said: “It’s great to have cleared another hurdle and to see the hard work of the entire team at the circuit paying off. There’s no denying that we still have a lot of hard work ahead but we’ll continue to remain positive and do everything that we can to deliver against the promises that we have been made.”
The next hurdle for the redevelopment will be securing the funding to pay for those parts of it that are essential to staging the 2010 British Grand Prix. It appears that the venue is still planning to offer a debenture scheme, despite funding for an earlier scheme falling through.
Gillett says funding issues will be resolved by the end of July with work set to start at the beginning of August.
Andrew Hampel, CEO of sports marketing firm ISG which is overseeing the scheme, recently said: “Without doubt, as paying customers, motorsport fans are ready for the same level of quality that fans of other leading sports have become accustomed to, and there is no reason that Donington Park cannot provide that.”