Winter break from Matchams noise

AN ambitious scheme for a Christmas wonderland at Matchams Leisure Park could be the start of silent nights and days.

Residents have complained for years about the noise generated by motor sport racing at Matchams and it looks as if their calls for peace and quiet could be answered.

Matchams South Coast Ltd has applied to East Dorset District Council for permission for a temporary Christmas Fair from 28th November to 24th December. This will feature an ice skating rink, an ice slide, Christmas decorations and involves erecting nine log cabins. The fair will be a joint venture between the company and Lapland New Forest, a Brighton based company with 25 years experience of running Christmas fairs.

The important task of creating Santa’s frozen Arctic world has been given to experts Snow Business whose film credits include Narnia, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and The Day After Tomorrow. Plenty of snow and icicles, seasonal food, the North Pole Post Office and of course Santa himself will give families the Lapland experience without the long flights and of course the cold.

Santa will even be bringing three reindeer for the children to see.

If planning permission is given, it will just be for this Christmas and all signs it was ever there will have magically gone in the New Year. However this event could signal the start of a new direction for Matchams.

A spokesman for land owners Eaglebeam Ltd and leaseholder Matchams South Coast which organise the motorsport explained that there are plans for great changes at the site. Instead of noisy motor sports, cycling would be promoted at Matchams. An application has been made for Lottery funding for a velodrome and BMX and cross country cycling tracks also be developed.

He said: “The other major velodrome is in Manchester and it would be wonderful to have one here. BMX is now an Olympic sport and we would hope the facilities would be used by athletes preparing for the games.”

There are also plans for a permanent winter village in the woods which could be enjoyed every Christmas.

He added: “The last motor sport event this year is on 15th November and there will be no racing over Christmas and New Year. Motor sport is too noisy for residents and has been contentious. We want to get rid of the noise and make the site more welcoming for residents and the community.

“We are using our best endeavours to make sure that all noisy activities cease and we are asking residents to be tolerant while will achieve this.”

Wednesday morning car boot sales and karting at Matchams will continue.

Neil Lancaster, EDDC’s development control manager said: “We are awaiting the outcome of the consultation of interested parties before any decision is made on the application.” By Liz Turner