Speedway campaign seeks Google's help over arena

The Arena Essex Raceway was home to a Championship speedway team but closed in 2018

A nomadic speedway team wants to work with Google to bring the sport back to a disused stadium.

The Arena Essex Raceway, near Purfleet, was shut in 2018 with the 129-acre (52-hectare) site primed for housing redevelopment before being sold in 2023 to a subsidiary of Google.

Thurrock Hammers, a group campaigning to bring speedway back to Essex, said it wanted to work with Google to reopen the arena as part of any new development.

A spokesman for the tech giant said: "Google is an engaged owner of the site and we intend to work closely with local groups and the community."

The Lakeside Hammers were based at the arena from 1984 until it closed in 2018

The Thurrock Hammers campaign also runs a nomadic team that currently has no home arena.

Mark Sexton, its managing director, said: "In 2018 the old Lakeside Hammers team raced their final race at the arena. Since then, the stadium and site laid effectively fallow.

"We are determined to see speedway return to Thurrock. It was a cornerstone of the local sporting landscape for nearly 40 years.

"[We are] quite determined the Arena Essex is the best place for speedway."

Mr Sexton said the campaign believed bringing the arena back into use would create "community benefit" and that it could become a venue for other sports and community events.

"What we're seeking is a persuasive argument with Google that we can add considerably to their community involvement and community engagement," he said.

"It's a win, win, win. We believe everyone can have what they want.

"Google can build on and develop the site, we're quite keen to have the site developed."

In January 2023, Thurrock councillors agreed to use the authority's local plan process to support the retention of speedway in Thurrock and identify a new home for Grays Athletic in the Grays area.

A spokesperson for Google added: "The Thurrock Hammers speedway team raced at the Arena Essex Raceway until September 2018.

"Google purchased the land in 2023. We continue to consult with local stakeholders."