DEVELOPERS have attacked a decision to block plans to build a speedway track in Barnard Castle.

Bosses at Positive Promotions, in Northumberland, have criticised planning officers and councillors at Teesdale District Council over their decision to reject plans to create a speedway training school and track at Barford Camp, near Barnard Castle.

The company claims that traders in the market town will miss out on as much as £250,000 a year in revenue if plans to build the speedway track are rejected by the planning inspector.

The council rejected the plan earlier this year after receiving numerous complaints from residents, who feared the track would create too much noise.

Positive Promotions has appealed against the council's decision to reject the scheme, and the company says it is confident that it will get the backing of the planning inspector before the end of the year.

Ken Marshall, director of Positive Promotions, said the venture would be a massive boost for Barnard Castle.

He said: "I just can't believe that planning officers and members of the council won't support this. They just seem to be shooting themselves in the foot.

"Barnard Castle needs this sort of development, but the council really doesn't seem to realise how much investment this speedway track will bring to the town.

"It seems crazy that they won't support the application. It is such a shame that we have to appeal to the Secretary of State to get the go-ahead."

If the plans get the backing of the planning inspector, the track will also provide the country's first speedway training school.

Positive Promotions has already had inquiries from riders from as far away as Denmark and New Zealand, and the company claims that thousands of people would be attending the training academy every year.

Mr Marshall said: "The main worry for local residents is the amount of noise the speedway events would create, but I can assure them that it will not be loud.

"This is just the sort of thing Teesdale needs."

No one from Teesdale District Council's planning department was available for comment on the issue yesterday