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                      The British Racing Drivers' Club (BRDC) is a membership body founded in 1928 which maintains high qualification standards achieved through personal International motor racing success and which represents the interests of such racing drivers from the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth.

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Vision for the Future of Silverstone Unveiled

The  British  Racing  Drivers’  Club  (BRDC) has today released the first computer generated images of the proposals to redevelop the Pit and Paddock complex at Silverstone. The complex is the vital first stage in reconfirming Silverstone’s position at the pinnacle of the motorsport industry and as the home of motor racing.

Under current proposals the Pit and Paddock complex would be moved from its current location between Woodcote and Copse to a new location between Club and Abbey. Included in the complex are new garages, a race control building, media centre, hospitality and VIP spectator zones and a primary paddock. The proposals also involve creating a new pit straight, with reorganised entry and exit points, a reconfiguration of Club Corner and a new Abbey section.

Designed by award winning sport architects HOK, the new complex will ensure that teams and sponsors are provided with world-class facilities to reinstate Silverstone’s position as a premier racing destination. This pioneering development will act as a catalyst for further investment across the site and set a high architectural standard for any future developments. It also provides the first stage in making Silverstone more sustainable, with facilities provided in the new building to enable it to plug into a combined heat and power system that is currently being considered for the whole site.

The Pit and Paddock complex is the first proposal in a 10-year programme that will see a new manufacturer test centre, business park, extreme sport and leisure complex, two hotels, a new university campus, a ‘Welcome Centre’ and some new homes near the circuit.                       

Taken together, the redevelopment  will  deliver  a  world-class  venue  for motorsport,  education  and  high technology development that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of the motorsport industry and maintains its position as a major regional and national employer.

Damon Hill, President of the BRDC said: “Silverstone is a great track with a great history. These images are the vision of the future for Silverstone, and one we fervently hope will be realised, in order to provide a venue where all forms of motor sport can be celebrated in style, for the benefit of the competitor and spectator alike. This new facility and the redevelopment at  large, will help attract more business to Northamptonshire and create more jobs for local communities. The British Grand Prix alone contributes over £30 million a year to the local area and it is vital that we do everything we can to maintain this income as well as the UK’s world class expertise in high tech engineering and R&D. Also, it should go without saying by now, that in order to retain the British Grand Prix we need a venue of this kind of stature, and the Grand Prix is a key element in the whole project.”

Richard  Phillips,  Managing  Director  of  Silverstone  Circuits  Limited  said: “The  Pit  and Paddock is the first stage in delivering a new mix of facilities at the track that will bring it into the  21st  Century.  Our  intention  is  to transform  Silverstone  into  a  world  leading  centre  for education, business, leisure and technology. This will ensure Silverstone becomes a showcase for British motorsport, rivalling other great sporting venues like Wembley, Wimbledon and Twickenham.

“It is vital that we continue to diversify as a business to make sure that the UK remains at the forefront of the motorsport industry. As the iconic building on the circuit, the new Pit and Paddock complex  will  confirm  our  status  as  a global  leader  and  will  be something  that everyone in the UK can be proud of.”

The release of the images follows a decision by the South Northamptonshire’s Economic and Environmental   Review   and   Development   Committee   to refer the Joint Silverstone Development Brief to a full Council meeting in March. The Development Brief sets out the “Vision for the Circuit” and the principles of sustainable development, which will maximise the social and economic benefits for the local and regional area. It also sets out the land use and  infrastructure  requirements  against  which  any  future  planning application  has  to  be assessed. The brief has already been approved by the Council’s Cabinet on the 4th February.

Spencer Canning, Development Director at Silverstone said: “Taking the development brief to the   full   council   shows   how   serious   Aylesbury Vale   District   Council   and   South Northamptonshire  Council  are  about the  redevelopment of Silverstone. We are pleased the councils are taking due care over a project that is so vital to the future of high technology jobs and motorsport in both the local region and the UK as a whole.

“The   new   Pit   and   Paddock   complex   proposals,   combined   with   the adoption   of   the development  brief,  will  hopefully  enable  us  to accelerate the  plans  for  Silverstone.  CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has been charged with raising funds through the sale of the enabling development sites, which the BRDC currently has approval for, so we can begin with sales almost immediately.   This   demonstrates   the   serious   intent   of   the   BRDC   to maintain Silverstone  as  a  world  class  venue  and,  from  a  development perspective,  will  open  up  the opportunity to deliver other elements of the mixed-use masterplan.” A planning submission for the new Pit and Paddock facility is expected to be made in early March 2008