SEPTEMBER 28, 2000

The new Ford Motor Sport Campus revealed

Here are the plans for the Ford Motor Company's "Motor Sport Campus" at Silverstone which have been lodged with the local planning authorities in Northampton. The 50-acre site, which stretches from just behind the main grandstands at Woodcote Corner down to the new Silvesrtone bypass could be ready by 2003 if planning permission is granted shortly.

The plans include a round glass Visitor Centre which will house a Museum and Archive. This will be located close to the main gate at Silverstone. The other 10 buildings will include four buildings for Cosworth, and another four for Jaguar Racing, including a windtunnel and a Formula 3 team area. There will be separate offices and a leisure centre for the 1200 staff who are expected to be working there by 2003. The main area will be surrounded by a moat and by security fences which will be carefully screened with vegetation. It seems that the Ford World Rally Championship programme will be housed elsewhere but the engines for the rally cars will be built in the Cosworth Services department.

According to the planning application the decision to build at Silverstone was made after Ford had assessed sites at the new Rockingham racing circuit, on another site in Milton Keynes and at the Rover testing facility at Gaydon.

Jaguar is waiting to see if the planning authorities have any objections to the plan but hope that work can begin shortly. There are no Green Belt issues and the Silverstone area is already quite developed and indeed large sections of the Campus will be built were there are existing workshops.