Councils to secure powers to close roads for motor races: PM

Councils will gain powers to close roads to stage motor races, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

Speaking at the opening of a new Formula One Williams factory in Oxfordshire, he said this would include staging motor sports events on public roads, stage rallies, hill climbs and speed trials. The move follows a consultation earlier this year.

Mr Cameron said: “We have a great tradition of motor sport in this country and today we are bringing British motor racing back to British roads, to benefit local communities.”

He said hosting the first three stages of the Tour de France had brought some £100m into the UK economy and motor races could be worth £40m over five years, with the motor sports industry estimating that demand exists for up to 20 significant events each year.

Local authorities already have the power to authorise a road closure for sporting and leisure events, but are not allowed to close one for a motor race or to suspend speed limits, traffic signals or the requirement for a vehicle to be legal on a public road.