Brooklands Go Karts owners secure meeting with council in their bid for survival
A petition to save the attraction, which is due to be removed as part of the council’s masterplan for Brooklands Park, has received more than 2,800 signatures.
In an update to the petition, owner Moona Flinders said the council has arranged to meet with her and her husband, Marc, to discuss their future.
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Hide AdThe update said: “The council have finally got in touch to set up a meeting for mid-November to begin discussing another location. However they have ‘stressed there is no guarantee’.
“We still have a long way to go. Firstly we don’t want to move and are pushing to find out the details of the actual consultation – which we as stakeholders should have been invited to participate in. We would like the chance to address the reasons (if any) that we are deemed to not fit in with the new plans.
“Secondly, we would like the council to take more responsibility in ensuring that we as a business are safeguarded. If we were employees, we are effectively being made redundant and after 16 years would be treated far better.
“The community clearly still want us and we would like to stay doing what we love, so to be told there is a possibility we would have to shut down permanently is quite frankly heartbreaking.”
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Hide AdThe council’s masterplan, released at the beginning of October, would see the go-kart track removed to make way for a car park.
A council statement around that time said discussions were underway with the Flinders about relocating – a claim rebuffed by the couple.The long-awaited plan for the regeneration of Brooklands Park aims to turn the site into a science adventure park, with the removal of attractions such as the go-karts, miniature railway and golf courses.
The plan has divided opinion since its inception.
In the update to the petition, the Flinders also thanked everyone who signed the petition and said they were touched by the ‘lovely words of support’.
Councillor Edward Crouch said: “We will continue to work constructively with the operators of Brooklands Go Karts as we move forward with our plans to make Brooklands Park a place for everyone to be proud of.”
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