Friday May 26, 2006 at 12:00am
There is a type of motorsport to suit almost every piece of land, and the right venues can yield quite lucrative rewards, as Olivia Cooper discovers.
There is a common misconception that motorsport participants are often unruly, mud-plugging thugs, but this could not be further from the truth. In fact, there is a huge range of motorsport activities to suit almost every type of land, and participants range from doctors to farmers and even the odd Farmers Weekly reporter!
Most motorsports are governed by a national body, with which hundreds of local motor clubs are registered. Any events are arranged directly between the farmer and the club, but insurance, safety and noise levels are all regulated by the national organisation. It is therefore vital that farmers check that they are dealing with a reputable, registered club.
Clubs usually rent the land off the farmer, and organise and run the event themselves. Rents vary according to the terrain, acreage, and importance of the event. They can be either flat rate fees, or linked to the number of competitors or paying public. Motorsports can be split into two main categories – car events and bike events. Most car events fall under the Motor Sports Association, although there are also the Stockcar Racing Board of Control and National Autograss Association, amongst other, smaller organisations.
Bike events are usually regulated by the Auto Cycle Union or Amateur Motor Cycle Association.
Bike Events There are a wide range of bicycle and motorbike sports, each demanding a different type and acreage of land. The main ones are as follows:
Enduro: Terrain ranges from fields to woodland, ditches, hills, rivers, and rocky climbs, with a minimum area of 100 acres, up to several thousand. Rent levels depend on the size of event and number of riders, but can be as much as £1000/day.
Motocross / Scramble: This requires a much smaller area of land, from 20 to 250 acres. The land must be either very undulating or have manmade features like mounds to jump. It is a high-impact sport in terms of the effect on the land, and planning permission may be required for creation of the manmade jumps. Rents average £500/day, up to £1000.
Grass track: Based on an oval shaped grass track these events are run on fairly flat ground, over 10-20 acres. Revenue is usually £200/day upwards.
Trials: A slow, skilful sport which typically requires challenging terrain such as gravel or sandpits, woody hill climbs and rocky areas. Depending on the type of terrain clubs usually require 3 acres or more, and will pay anything from a bottle of whisky to £200/day.
Training: Nearly all of this country’s top riders run training days, either to introduce newcomers to the sport or to help those coming through the ranks to improve. The area of land required for this is smaller than for competitions, and revenue to the farmer will be by negotiation with the relevant trainer.
Car Events Again, the wide range of sports demand unique terrain for each discipline, and rents reflect the importance of the venue and the type of event being held, ranging from a bottle to £1500/day. Over 5000 events are held by the MSA's 750 registered clubs each year – 2000 of which are off-road competitions held on farmland. Some of the different types of event include:
Autocross: This is normally held on 5-8 acre stubble fields after harvest and consists of 2-4 cars racing around a kidney-shaped grass track against the clock.
Autotest: One car at a time drives around a complex cone-marked course against the clock. This has very little impact on the ground and can be held on grassland, tarmac or stubble.
Rallying: Cars drive at speed around tracks or field margins, often crossing many adjoining farms.
4-Wheel-Drive: Off-road events usually held on undulating or wooded terrain.
Hillclimbs and Sprints: Cars race singly against the clock on a tarmac track – often held on private estate roads.
Trials: Cars attempt to climb a steep off-road section of terrain – whichever reaches the highest point without stopping wins. Held in the winter, this can have quite an impact on the land.
Most motor clubs have been running for decades and often go to the same farms year after year. However, there is quite high demand for new venues – having additional sites allows the sport to manage and minimise its impact on the land in one particular area.
Planning Permission
Planning permission is needed where there will be a material change to the land use – for example a brand new tarmac track or man-made motocross course.
However, metalling of an existing farm track does not require planning permission if it is needed for an agricultural purpose.
Timed events can be held for up to 14 days a year without planning permission under permitted development rights. Anything over that will generally require planning permission. If the primary use of the track is no longer agriculture, then it could be subject to business rates.
Single Farm Payment Events can be held on SPS registered land at any time outside of the 10-month period, and for up to 28 days within the 10-month period. However, cross-compliance measures must be observed, and the track re-instated after each event, including re-seeding grassland if necessary.
It is important that the track is still used in agriculture – permanent tracks cannot be claimed upon under the SPS. Insurance Any clubs registered with a national body such as the MSA or ACU will have their own liability insurance, indemnifying the farmer against accidents. However, the Health and Safety Executive advises farmers that they must be absolutely clear about how the event will be held, and inform the club of any potential dangers to competitors or the public, such as slurry lagoons or electric wires.
Obviously, it is best if all farm machinery is kept out of the way while the event is running.
Organisation
Once a farmer decides he is interested in hosting an event, he should contact the national governing body, which will put him in touch with any local clubs and can advise him on how to vet the club officials. The club will visit the land and if it is suitable will discuss with the farmer a proposed route/circuit and date. It will then contact the governing body to get a permit for the event. The weekend before the competition off-road courses will be roughly set out and the farmer invited to inspect it to ensure compliance with what has been agreed.
Toilets and other facilities will be provided. The day before the race the final taping, arrows, and fencing are installed. After the event has finished everything is cleared – including litter, and the following weekend any ruts will be filled in if necessary and the track returned to its original state.
Contracts
Contracts tend to be verbal and based on trust, but the farmer must be sure of what he is agreeing to. Written agreements are a good idea where larger sums of money are involved.
What's the downside?
Motorsports can be noisy, and usually generate a small amount of local annoyance. However, good communication with neighbours and the odd charity day or donation are well-recognised ways of easing any hard-feelings.
The governing bodies lay down specific rules and guidance on all aspects of the sport, including noise, organisation and safety. Cars and bikes are often tested to ensure they do not exceed the stated noise level and each event is attended by an official to ensure it is run professionally.
Access and parking Good access is essential, as is plenty of parking for vans and trailers. A one-way system to keep vehicles facing downhill on grass parking is always a good idea, to prevent them becoming stuck in wet weather. Sometimes events are held over a weekend, and camping is usually provided by the landowner for a fee – usually £5-£10/caravan.
Case Study Robert Hitchings and his wife Jan hold 14 speed hillclimbs a year at Gurston Farm, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wilts, and are an established part of the British Hillclimb Championship. The hill was created in 1967 out of a couple of farm tracks, with the British Automobile Racing Club paying for the new tarmac surface and maintenance.
Since its creation the venue has grown in importance, and the BARC has invested in a new toilet and shower block, commentary and administration huts and most recently a new restaurant on site. "It's great to have that facility for the shoot," says Mr Hitchings. Gurston is considered to be one of the best shoots in the country and Mr Hitchings uses the restaurant, parking and track for the 30 let days each year. "Peoples' dogs are a concern and the occasional pheasant gets knocked over, but we have a very good working relationship with the BARC."
Mr Hitchings receives a rent for the venue which more than covers his costs of three lost day's harvesting and some verge trimming in the summer. "It is bottom line income which is very important." Over the years Mr Hitchings' agreement with the club has changed and he is currently on a 15-year lease. "But I wouldn't be able to turn round as a new person and demand the rent I get now." Income from camping fees goes towards the village charitable fund. "I think it is important to do that.
We get the occasional complaint from people in the village but most people are very supportive."
Case Study Anthony Rew farms at Wolborough Barton, Newton Abbot, Devon, and also chairs the West of England Motor Club which holds motorbike events across the region. "Land availability is often a problem," he says. "There is tremendous demand for land across the country." The WEMC organises 26 events ranging from trials to enduro and motocross competitions, and Wolborough Barton hosts one enduro event a year after harvest when the ground is hard. "We also sometimes rent ground for a scramble and some trials events – about three or four days a year in total. I do it at times to suit me – before I plough the arable land, or when the conditions are right on the grassland.
"The first time we held an event we did have a few complaints but now we don't get any trouble at all. Noise is the only thing that the council might get concerned about but there are quite strict rules to restrict noise levels. I would suggest trying a day to see if you get on with it – don't commit to 10 days up front. It is also nice if the farmer has an interest in the sport, but it is by no means essential."
Case Study Philip Wrayford, of Whiteway Barton, Kingsteignton, Devon, says his scramble field is the most profitable field on his farm. He holds 14 scrambles a year on a permanent track which was created almost 25 years ago. He also farms 35 suckler cows, 140 ewes and some red deer. Mr Wrayford would have required planning permission to create the track, but he avoided that requirement through holding the events for more than 10 years without challenge from the planning authorities.
Ordinarily he would have had to restore the field to its original state – including reseeding, removing fencing and so on, but under his existing agreement that is no longer necessary. Scramble tracks are not easy to create or maintain, says Mr Wrayford – and are the only kind of track that requires planning permission due to the essential re-landscaping of the ground. That can be hard to come by, he adds. "The secret is to hold it in a valley so the noise doesn't travel too far." He needs about one hundred 14-16t lorryloads of soil every year to make up the bumps and holes on the track. "You also need to have a bulldozer in after every meeting to level the ruts, but the club pays for all of that." He usually gets paid by building firms to dump the soil on his land, but does require an exemption certificate for tipping from the Environment Agency.
The farm animals are not disturbed by the events – although dogs must always be kept on a lead. "We once had a couple of people who climbed into the deer park. We turned on the electric fencing so they had a hell of shock when they tried to climb back out!" Setting up and clearance of the event takes a couple of days, and can include watering of the track during dry periods. The events often yield some nasty accidents, so landowners should expect to see some injuries, says Mr Wrayford. "But there are so few tracks around, and more are needed – it is worthwhile doing from a financial point of view. It is the worst field on the farm, but it is certainly the most profitable."
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