UK watchdog slams Donington upgrade

(GMM) A UK government watchdog has slammed Donington Park's plans to refurbish the circuit for the 2010 British grand prix.

The venue has achieved local planning permission to commence the 110m euro works, but the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) believes the project is "disappointingly weak".

The renowned F1 circuit architect Hermann Tilke is involved with the redesign, including track reprofiling and new facilities, but CABE said the lodged plans show a "poor understanding of the site and the opportunities it offers".

"The design principles governing the approach to landscape and built form in this project are disappointingly weak and have resulted in a proposal which falls far short of what the local authority and the nation should be aspiring to in a modern formula one venue," said the design review.