Multi-million pound plan will transform enclosure at Goodwood Racecourse

The complete revamp of the Lennox Enclosure will bring its design into line with the rest of the enclosures and make it a much more appealing place for people to enjoy a day at the races.

The Lennox’s old stand will be demolished and the area landscaped and developed to give the eastern end of the racecourse a whole new look, with an opening planned for the 2028 season.

Plans have been submitted and Goodwood bosses say that – importantly – they have the backing of South Downs National Park officials.

See the full set of images here.

Goodwood Racecourse director James Crespi told the Chichester Observer and sussexworld.co.uk the development was the biggest undertaken at the site since a new Sussex Stand was built well over 30 years ago, and bosses were excited to bring the Lennox Enclosure up to modern-day standards.

"We all know the Lennox is a tired enclosure and has been for some time now. We got to a position where was time to bite the bullet. And we were very keen not to replace like for like,” Crespi said.

"The grandstand is condemned so we're going to take it down, but we didn't want just to put another grandstand back up. We wanted to find a different way to create the sort of experience we want people to have at Goodwood. We spent quite a lot of time in the history books, actually.

See our focus on the exctinig Lennox Enclosure plans in this week’s Chichester Observer

"We consulted the ‘200 Years of Glorious Goodwood’ book and there was a time, in the early 20th century, that trees, hedges and grass were removed.

"It led us on this track that we wanted to put it ‘back to nature’. We're right in the midst of the South Downs National Park, we all know the view to the north is incredible, and behind us, where our car parks are, is ancient woodland.

"The racecourse breaks it up a bit so we're looking at this as an opportunity to make that a bit more seamless experience, so that when people come racing they get to really recognise and enjoy the beauty of Goodwood and the South Downs.

"We will reshape the whole enclosure using a sort of terrace grass system. There'll be banks of terrace, it will be re-landscaped so you'll still have an elevated view. And we're going to plant trees where others were taken out.

"It's a nod to the18th century and the idea of people meandering through the trees. We're going to keep a lot of ancillary buildings in the same way the Motor Circuit did – a lot of those brick buildings, the toilets and what have you, we will refurbish with modern techniques. We can get more toilets in, we can get better facilities.”

Crespi said the plans would ‘completely and utterly’ transform the eastern end of the racecourse.

"It will feel, first and foremost, that it's about racing, about enjoying this amazing sport. Everyone coming in, we want to have the best experience possible. But we want to do it differently.

"I can't think of any racecourse around the world that would do it in this way. We want people to feel like, ‘my God, I'm in this incredible National Park with these unrivalled views and there's a world-class racecourse in front of us’."

The area will feature elevated grass areas and terrace areas. “There'll be a lot of grass, but there'll be hard walkways, sympathetically designed running through it – all very accessible,” Crespi said.

"The whole entrance will change. Instead of walking down the ramp, there's a new entrance which the architects have spent a lot of time thinking about, using the inspiration from the Bronze Age architecture that you see up the Trundle.

"And the first thing you will see coming in is that view. The main gate will be where the existing stand is, so everyone will see that unrivalled view across the Downs. And then you can turn left or right. There will be seated areas, there'll be covered areas, there'll be a much better food and drink offer. It'll uplift the whole experience.”

The overall capacity of the whole racecourse will remain the same. And what about the timings?

“We are hoping to have it done for the 2028 season,” Crespi said. "For this year it (the Lennox Enclosure) will be open but running at a much smaller capacity – the stand is out of bounds.

"We are waiting the final ecology surveys with a view to hopefully starting to take the stand out next month. Then we aim to start work at the end of this year. There is a slim chance some of it might be open for 2027 but at this stage we are not sure, so we are looking at a full opening for 2028.

"We also, as part of this, get to work on the East Lawn behind the Sussex Stand, which has always been a bit of a mismatch, with bumpy ground. We will bring that up to standard as well. That will be levelled out, then at the back of the Sussex Stand there will be trees and swathes of grass planted up there as well. It will feel like a much nicer space.

"All in all, it is the biggest investment the racecourse has seen since the Sussex Stand was built about 35 years ago.”

All the funding is coming from Goodwood itself. Crespi said: “The racecourse is 225 years old next year. And we need to make sure it is there for another 225 years. You have to make sure what you do now will last a long time.

"It is the Duke of Richmond and his family's commitment to invest everything back into the estate.”

Refurbishment of the Goodwood Hotel is going ahead at the same time as the Lennox plans. "There is a lot of work going on at the hotel to improve how that will look and feel and to improve the experience of staying,” Crespi added.

"We think the two work quite nicely hand in hand, particularly as we have become more of an international racecourse.”

Crespi said they had consulted closely with South Downs National Park officials – as they must be for any plans within the Downs’ boundaries.

"We've got to do it well, do it sympathetically and do it in a way that enhances the area,” he said. “It has to be ‘of the land’, not ‘on the land’.”

The public will get their chance to comment before Chichester councillors vote on the scheme and Crespi said they’d welcome race-goers and other local people giving their support.

"We want to share with everyone what an amazing place it's going to be – with existing customers, and customers that haven't been here for a while.

"Interestingly this year, particularly with the music nights, we're looking at the demographic of customers and there are a lot of newcomers coming. That links back to making sure it's here for others, with new people coming all the time. The whole point of this is to make sure everyone who comes enjoys it.

"The racing will still be amazing, it always will be. It's a world-class track and we're getting better and better horses coming to compete with us. So you will always enjoy the racing, but you want everyone to enjoy it.

“Even if they're not bothered about the racing, it's still a nice place to come and there's lots to do. And I think that's the sort of approach we've taken to make sure it's got something for everyone.”

The Lennox is the cheapest Goodwood enclosure and sees particularly good numbers during Glorious week.

Crespi said that pricing approach would continue and added: “There will always be an affordable sort of entry point into Goodwood.”

Racegoers flocking to Goodwood later in the season will be able to see displays about the Lennox plans Crespi adding: “We absolutely want people to see what we’re planning.”