THE long-awaited return of speedway to Reading is back on track - reports today's Reading Chronicle.

Stadia UK can proceed with its 'Racino' plans for a speedway and greyhound stadium in Island Road, off the A33, after signing the necessary legal agreements on Friday, October 14.

The plans also include a casino, 530-space car park and shuttle bus service to the town centre. They were approved in 2007 and the company was granted a three-year extension in April, subject to the legal deals.

Amanda Saunders, spokeswoman for Boyer Planning - part of the Romans Group - which is handling the application for Stadia UK, said: "Work will start on the site in the next three years but there is no date set for it to begin."

Speedway in Reading dates back to 1968 when it was based at the Tilehurst Stadium in Oxford Road. It moved to Smallmead Stadium, near to the Island Road site, in 1975 and stayed there until 2008.

Enthusiast Bryan Horsnell, who saw his first race on the opening day of the Tilehurst Stadium, said: "I'm really glad to hear it is moving forward at long last. It has been dragging on since racing finished in 2008.

"We are three years on from the last meeting. A lot of people in Reading want to see it return but if it takes another three years it will be such a long gap, people will be out of the habit of going and it will be hard to convince them to come back. Monday night in my house was always speedway night."

He added: "People were more or less expecting speedway to be back by last year. Looking at the programme from the final Smallmead meeting it said 'we look forward to seeing you again in 2010'. I hope this won't be another three years of disappointment."

Reading Speedway spokesman Andy Povey added: “Although it is positive news to hear that some progress has been made, the three-year starting date mentioned is an obvious concern.

“This effectively gives Stadia UK a nice wide time-frame for nothing to happen, hence it will be another two-and-a-half years before people can start asking again when something is going to happen.

“We’ve had no speedway in Reading since our 2008 closure and initially we were informed that it would be just a one-year absence and we would be back on track in 2010.

“Well that has long-since passed and we’ve had very little explanation from Stadia UK, apart from reports of endless unexplained delays and planning extensions from Reading Borough Council.

“It’s now time for Stadia UK to go public with their new stadium plans to reassure the Reading people, and not slip back into the shadows for another two-and-a-half years.”

Reading Borough Council has given permission for the casino to be open seven days a week, from 2pm-4am, greyhound racing three nights a week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 6-11pm, and speedway on Mondays from 6-11pm.