Scotland’s last standing greyhound track is depriving Fife up to £6million in prime housing land, it has been claimed.
A glossy report commissioned by a US-based campaign group has calculated the Thornton Stadium currently contributes a total economic impact of just £62,000 –and two jobs – towards the Scottish economy. But the 26-page report by Edinburgh-based Biggar Economics claims alternative use as a site for housing development would add to the capital stock of Fife, to the value of £5.9million.
Animal rights groups have claimed the latest evidence underlines why the track must close. But supporters of the track have hit back, claiming a report by campaigners in the US on the economic situation of a small town in Fife lacks credibility. GREY2K USA Worldwide, the largest greyhound protection organisation in the world, commissioned the economic impact study.
Its president and founder Christine Dorchak, from Arlington, Massachusetts, said: “Wherever it persists, greyhound racing is a dying and exploitative form of gambling that results in severe pain, suffering and death for the gentle dogs forced to race.
“It is staggering that this infamous and discredited form of entertainment has been prioritised at Thornton over alternative land uses, such as housing, which would bring significantly more benefit to the local community, and help tackle a growing crisis in Scotland and Fife.
“Dog racing at Thornton has had its day, and it’s long past time that this run down, dilapidated site be repurposed for something which would bring wider community benefits, rather than just a flutter for a tiny minority who like to bet on cruelty.”
One owner who races at Thornton, who asked not to be named, said he was stunned at the way Thornton was being singled out for extinction. They said: “There are so few owners left here and we are racing the dogs for a hobby. There’s very little betting and there is absolutely no cruelty – these dogs are pets for most of us.
“It looks like they’ve paid a lot of money for a glossy report just so they can say that building loads of houses is a good idea – but
you could say that for any bit of land that doesn’t have houses on it. It’s ludicrous. My advice to Christine Dorchak would be to keep her nose out of what’s going on in Fife, as she really doesn’t have a clue.”
Thornton has been clinging on for two years after the Scottish Government opted against an outright legal ban on the sport. It still faces a possible death knell, through a private Bill by MSP Mark Ruskell at the Scottish Parliament.
Ruskell said: “Over the years most greyhound tracks in Scotland have been successfully repurposed for housing. The owners of Thornton should weigh up their options for the future alongside the local community.”
With Scotland in the midst of a housing crisis, campaigners are demanding a complete closure of the track, where only 30 or so owners still race their dogs, mostly as a hobby. The report “Economic Impact Assessment of Thornton Greyhounds and Alternative Uses” claims benefits of selling off the track would also include the creation of more than 50 jobs.
Andrea Carlo Magnaghi, senior economist at BiGGAR Economics, said greyhound racing at Thornton “makes a limited contribution to the local economy”. He added: “In addition to delivering against local priorities and addressing existing pressures around housing, a
residential development of the site would deliver larger benefits than its current use.”
Thornton Stadium owner Paul Brignal invited Dorchak to visit the track to see the dogs in action. He said: “If Christine Dorchak came to our track she would see that all our dogs are well looked after, and come off the track wagging their tails.
“Her report shows that we are not doing it for the money so how can she accuse us of exploiting our greyhounds. Greyhound racing at Thornton Stadium is just for fun, just like whippet racing, dog agility, and flyball, which bears little resemblance to commercial greyhound racing.”
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