VALLEY STADIUM {South Wales}

[BVADMIN]

[GRUNDY]

I would have thought the Valley would have been given the green light by the GBGB by now ?

[SALFORD GIRL]

:::NOTIFICATION OF GREYHOUND SALES 2023:::

The Valley Stadium
Tuesday 22nd August 2023
(Greyhound Trader)

[GRUNDY]

This is good news for the greyhound folk down in South Wales.

[topcat]

Good to see another track coming on board under GBGB rules.

[SALFORD GIRL]

WALES ONLINE 25-7-23

Controversial plans to expand Wales'
last greyhound racing track approved

Some animal rescue charities
have opposed the plans on welfare grounds




Plans to extend Wales’ only greyhound stadium have been approved despite welfare concerns from charities. Valley Greyhounds racing stadium in Ystrad Mynach has been granted planning permission to change its athletic football club to greyhound boarding kennels.



The plans will include 40 kennels which would home a maximum of 80 dogs and be split across two rooms with 20 kennels in each. It also includes extensions to the existing clubhouse and grandstand building to provide office space, hospitality space and veterinary facilities





The planning application, which was approved on July 7 by Caerphilly County Borough Council, has granted Valley Greyhounds permission to expand its venue and also create a function room, storage facilities, a new lobby, toilets and a camera room.


Malcolm Tams, who has ran Valley Greyhounds since 2008, said that the new expansion also hopes to bring around 30 new jobs into the area. He noted that ten of those positions have been created already with plans for more job opportunities within their own Welfare Centre in the future.



Valleys Greyhounds is the last greyhound racing track in Wales. Malcolm previously told WalesOnline that he believes his track offers people a unique place to not only enjoy the sport and place bets on the dogs but also a place to come together and socialise that is both family-friendly and has a buzzing atmosphere.



"When people come here, there's women, children, men and people from all backgrounds," he said. "We have signs up which clearly say no foul language. We are all about family entertainment and we've got CCTV right around the track. But the greyhounds love it too because when they race, they're doing what they were born to do."

You can read more here.
www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wales-last-greyhound-racing-track-26670036



However some animal rescue charities have opposed the plans citing welfare issues for racing greyhounds. Working together the Cut the Chase Coalition, Dogs Trust, the RSPCA, Blue Cross, Hope Rescue and Greyhound Rescue Wales have worked to try to improve conditions for the dogs involved in the greyhound racing industry.

They say greyhound racing is inherently dangerous for the dogs involved as running at speed around oval tracks causes significant injury to many, and they claim that in some cases the injuries are so severe that it is necessary to euthanise the dog.



A spokesperson for the Cut the Chase Coalition said: “We’re devastated at this decision to grant planning permission when all the evidence shows greyhound racing is dangerous for the dogs involved. Greyhound racing is an interconnected industry and the decision to allow this development to go ahead will have far-reaching negative consequences for greyhounds across the British Isles. Greyhounds can experience welfare issues at every stage of their lives, and with more dogs involved in the industry this will inevitably impact more dogs. This is likely to include many more greyhounds facing injuries or even death through racing. Once again, greyhounds have been let down in the name of entertainment.”



Jane Dodds, Leader of Welsh Liberal Democrats said: “This is going to lead to more dogs suffering, more dogs being injured and more dogs needing rescue spaces. And all for the sake of sport and betting. This is not the country I want Wales to be.”

[SALFORD GIRL]

VALLEY – READY TO GO!

TAKEN FROM THE GREYHOUND STAR — JULY 31, 2023



Malcolm Tams (left) and Dave Barclay

Greyhounds will be racing around Valley Greyhound Stadium within the next month. That is the view of Malcolm Tams, who has been running the Ystrad Mynach venue in South Wales as a flapping track for the last 15 years.

It has been a long frustrating journey for Tams and Harlow promoter Dave Barclay who were rewarded when receiving the final planning notification this morning.

The plans to extend the former athletic ground and include new facilites such as a vet’s room, judge’s box, air conditioned kennels and improved spectator facilities were passed by Caerphilly councillors in early July.

The last remaining application, to build an on-site trainers’ kennel, was finally given the go-ahead following a query over flooding. It will be operated by Lee Williams and Robert Short, who will each have room for 60 greyhounds.

It has cost in the region of a million pounds to enable Valley to become the first Welsh track “under rules” since Cardiff Arms Park, which closed for greyhound racing in 1977.

On the track, the new hare and inside rails have been fitted along with £30K worth of starting traps, manaufactured by Gavin Smith.

All necessary staff appointments have been made and the racing manager will be Dave Cartright.

GBGB’s Duncan Gibson and Mark Peacock have already visited the site and it is hoped that the approval to begin trialling with arrive by tomorrow, August 1.

Tams said: “I know Mark was particularly impressed with the running surface and type of sand that we have laid. There were a couple of minor issues. The main one was that they wanted an emptying area of the paddock for the dogs, but everything else was fine. That last work has now been done, so we are just waiting to hear confirmation that we have our licence.”



New air-conditioned track kennels

Tams and Barclay are planning to begin racing on Saturday nights, with ‘almost immediate’ effect.

Valley will be racing over 260m, 460m and 645m. The sprint clock is 16.06 and the four bend record was broken on Saturday for the track’s last flapping meetings by Gunsmoke in the final of the Welsh Derby. He recorded 28.48.

Any of the locally trained greyhounds, not previously registered with GBGB, will be ineligible to trial prior to being processed, though many are likely to be hounds with previous GBGB form.

Various options are open to greyhounds in different stages of the system. Open racing could commence almost immediately, along with inter-tracks. Graded runners could be ready to go within a fortnight after a couple of trials.


Spectator facilities

The battle with animal welfarists who clearly saw Valley as an easy domino to topple on their way to banning greyhound racing nationally, followed in turn by other animal participant sports, is far from over.

Bizarrely, one of the welfare groups , Hope Greyhound Rescue even took an on-line swipe at Caerfilly Council stating that planning approval “was made by officers rather than planning experts” (Doh!)

The Senedd are still considering their options – and are due to hear a debate following a 10,000 signature debate in favour of greyhound racing. Should they decide negatively, they are certain to be faced with a multi million pound claim for closing an amenity has been racing since 1977.

Malcolm Tams said: “We’ve got used to the lies. We are waiting to hear how many hundreds of greyhounds Hope Rescue will claim have been abandoned. Most will continue to run here anyway and we only had 40 local dogs to begin with.

“These people make a big show about ‘welfare’ yet we are going down that route by joining an organisation, the GBGB, which is entirely focused on welfare. And apart from working within GBGB rules, the stadium is also looking to buy its own re-homing kennel.

“As for the idea that there is no interest in greyhound racing in Wales. . .there were 250 people here on Saturday and the atmosphere was fantastic.

“I can’t wait for our first meeting.”



Valley

[SALFORD GIRL]

TAKEN FROM THE RACING POST
WEDNESDAY 2-8-23..

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🌟 ** UPDATES TO FOLLOW ** 🌟

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Greyhound Trader


Our next track sale is just around the corner and we can't wait to be at the newly opening Valley Stadium in Wales!

Trials start at 10.00am on the day and everyone is welcome to attend, although our usual online services will be in place!

Catalogue to be released tomorrow!
{Tuesday 15-8-23}