The rare wildlife hiding at United Downs Raceway

For years, the arguments around United Downs Raceway centred on noise, emissions and what the land should be used for. Then someone took a proper look at what was growing there, and the whole picture shifted.

The Cornwall venue, which has staged Stock Car & Banger racing since 1969 and is the last of its kind in the county, has become an unlikely meeting point for two groups that rarely share ground. A long-running dispute between the raceway and a local environmental group has turned into a joint effort to protect what sits beneath the engines and the churned-up tyres.

A survey that changed the argument

The turning point came when the venue’s future was thrown into question after its lease expired. Botanist Dr Colin French carried out an independent ecological survey of a site that looked like a barren, heavily used former mining landscape.

What he found was the opposite. The raceway is home to more than 200 plant species, several of them on conservation red lists. A follow-up BioBlitz in May 2025 turned up even more, confirming the site as a biodiversity hotspot.

From dispute to partnership

United Downs Environment Group (UDEG) had its own doubts about all this. Some within its membership were uneasy about working alongside a motorsport venue at all. The science settled it. The group is now partnering with the raceway’s leaseholder, Crispen Rosevear of Purple Cornwall Ltd, to protect and enhance the wildlife living there, as part of environmental commitments tied to a new 10-year lease and conditions set by Cornwall Council.

The cooperation is already taking physical shape. In a recent joint effort, racing teams, environmental volunteers and conservation specialists worked side by side on scrub clearance to improve habitats.

“This project has turned expectations on their head,” said a UDEG spokesperson. “What began as a potential point of conflict has become a shared effort to understand and protect something genuinely special. It shows that when you look more closely, common ground can often be found.”

A spokesperson for the raceway added: “The discovery of such significant biodiversity has given us a completely new perspective on the land we operate on. We’re proud to be part of a partnership that ensures the site is both enjoyed and protected for the future.”

See it for yourself

The findings are being shared with the public at Nature’s Rare Treasures, an all-day event on Sunday 28 June.

It opens with a morning of talks at Crofthandy Community Hall (TR16 5JQ) near St Day, chaired by John Carley. Dr Colin French covers the flora of Cornwall’s mine sites and what it means for the racetrack, Dr Marcus Rhodes talks butterflies, and Matt Stribley looks at the mosses and liverworts found on old mine ground. A light lunch follows from 12.30, catered by Food Troops, with donations requested.

The afternoon moves to the racetrack itself (TR15 2EH) from 2pm, with a choice of four guided nature tours plus refreshments and cake, wrapping up at 4pm.

There is also something for younger visitors. From 2.45 to 4pm the track opens for Children on Wheels, a free session where kids can bring their own bike, scooter or go-kart and have the run of the circuit. No electric or battery vehicles are allowed, and children are welcome to join the lunch and activities from 12.30.

The main event is ticketed. To book or find out more, contact [email protected].