Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee rejected proposals by Legal & General Affordable Housing to demolish the former speedway and greyhound venue on Lady Lane and replace it with housing.
Planning officers had recommended refusal before the meeting. They cited the loss of a protected sports facility, inadequate parking and the lack of guaranteed replacement community provision before any homes were built.
Committee members agreed, meaning the scheme cannot go ahead in its current form.
Following the decision, St Andrews ward councillor Jake Chandler said the outcome should prompt urgent talks about what happens next.
“The community have expressed frustration at the lack of progress with the stadium and want to see it back in use,” he said.
“A put up or sell up ultimatum needs to be put to the site’s owners, Gaming International.”
He said: “Planning now clearly recognises speedway as a protected use of the site, so talks need to be held now with the Swindon Robins about returning to the Abbey as soon as practically possible.”
Chandler accepted that speedway alone would not be enough to sustain the venue financially.
“Speedway didn’t cease at the Abbey because of Swindon Borough Council or the homes that have been built around it,” he said.
“The reality is that around 20 race meetings a year, with a closed winter season and declining attendances, is not enough to fund the operations day to day.
“That is why the venue historically relied on revenue from greyhound racing.”
He said any long-term solution would need to combine several leisure uses to generate sufficient income.
“The only way to properly secure speedway on the site is by creating a wider sporting and leisure hub, where different activities contribute to the overall revenue,” he said.
Chandler said councillors have already held discussions with potential partners about a multi-sport facility in north Swindon.
“We’ve met representatives from football, rugby and cricket clubs based in north Swindon who would be delighted to be involved in something like this,” he said.
“There’s also potential for indoor sports, cycling and social spaces such as a members’ bar or café.
“It could become a mixed sporting and leisure attraction similar to the model at Moredon Sports Hub.”
Planning officers advised that demolishing the stadium without securing replacement leisure facilities would conflict with local planning policy.
Under the council’s Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sports Strategy, adopted in 2025, Abbey Stadium is classed as an important sporting asset. It is to be protected until an alternative speedway venue is provided.
Officers also raised concerns that the proposed housing would not meet parking standards, which could have increased pressure on nearby streets.
Despite the refusal, the long-term future of the stadium remains unclear.
Chandler said a separate proposal for a new speedway stadium at Studley Grange, currently under consideration by Wiltshire Council, adds further uncertainty.
“I have no expectation this will be resolved quickly, particularly while the Studley Grange application is still being decided,” he said.
“But what the committee’s decision makes clear is that the Abbey site still has a future as a leisure destination, and we now need the owners to bring forward a serious plan to make that happen.”
Abbey Stadium has hosted speedway since 1948 and was home to greyhound racing for decades before both sports stopped in recent years.
While housing has been developed on other parts of the wider site, the remaining land is still designated for leisure use, leaving the future of the stadium at the centre of ongoing debate in Swindon.
