Date: 4 May 2023
Location: St Leonards, Dorset
Plans to turn the historic Matchams Stadium racetrack into a 390-bed retirement and care village have been rejected unanimously by Dorset Council.
Developers proposed a large complex featuring apartments, cottages, bungalows, and a wellbeing centre with a swimming pool, gym, treatment rooms, restaurant, and community facilities. A section of the 52-hectare site near Ringwood was also earmarked for nature conservation.
However, councillors raised major concerns about the site’s proximity to protected heathland and the New Forest National Park, as well as fears over extra traffic on Matchams Lane.
Councillor Bill Trite said that while Dorset needed more accommodation for older residents, “this is quite the wrong place for it,” warning that the development would harm the green belt, wildlife habitats, and the region’s dark skies policy.
Councillor Alex Brenton highlighted the danger of evacuating residents during a heath fire, calling it “quite problematical,” while Councillor Shane Bartlett cautioned that isolating so many elderly residents in a rural setting could add strain to local health and care services.
The Dorset Wildlife Trust, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, and the RSPB also objected to the plans on environmental grounds.
Despite some residents suggesting the care village would be a quieter neighbour than the racetrack, others voiced sadness over the loss of a much-loved motorsport venue. Long-time supporter Jane Trimm spoke of the strong community built around Matchams’ banger racing and stock car events, describing it as a “real loss to local people” if racing ceased.
The rejection secures the future of the stadium’s legacy — for now — as a key part of Dorset’s grassroots motorsport scene.