Fontwell hopes to forge ahead with upgrading

Owner Northern Racing wants to carry out more work to complement the 6.5m grandstand and conference centre which will open on August 19.

The company has applied to Arun District Council for planning permission for the series of improvements and alterations to buildings and landscaping at the site at the junction of the A27 and A29.

Tom Wood, of planning agent Tom Wood Architecture, says in a statement to the council: "There are various areas that need to be improved that are independent of the main grandstand development but create an overall customer experience.

"It is hoped to undertake these improvements this spring or summer, culminating in a harmonious and seamless customer experience or journey throughout the site.

"The overall need is to maintain a collection of buildings of various

ages, and conditions, giving an overall 'style' without compromising

or falsifying the natural development and history of the site."

The areas that are proposed to be upgraded include creating a path

from the main pedestrian gate towards Fontwell House and the new grandstand.

The existing tatty and inefficient single-storey Tote building will be removed.

Its surface will be relaid to create a natural courtyard area between the Salmon Spray bar and the mature trees in the area. This courtyard will be used for temporary food outlets on race days.

A planned small extension to the bar building will be used to house the new control room from the Tote building.

The bar's lounge is planned to become extra office space to enable the racecourse's 13 staff to have more room to cope with the increased number of race goers and events.

Maintenance work on the Comedy of Errors bar, the site's oldest grandstand, will include new awnings and clock and 12 copper panels to replace rotten wooden ones.

Don't miss tomorrow's Observer (June 10) for an exclusive look behind the scenes of Fontwell's nearly-complete new grandstand and news of an offer for Observer readers to get their own tour.