Silverstone Heritage Experience set to become reality after £2 million Aylesbury Vale District Council loan facility becomes available

An exhilarating journey through motor racing past, present and future is set to become a reality, thanks, in part, to support from Aylesbury Vale District Council.

AVDC has under-written a £2 million loan facility that will help make the Silverstone Heritage Experience possible. The financial backing is part of a £9 million loan guarantee, which has also been supported by other local authorities, including South Northamptonshire Council and Cherwell District Council.

In addition, the project has been awarded a £9.1 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Silverstone is a significant hub for leisure, tourism, employment and high-tech industry in the north of Aylesbury Vale and it is hoped that SHE could attract up to half a million visitors a year to the area.

The permanent exhibition at the entrance to the circuit will take the public on a two-hour journey, bringing the incredible history of Silverstone and British motor racing to life.

The attraction will be housed in the only remaining WWII hangar on the site and it will be fully refurbished and re-clad to create an authentic backdrop.

The latest technology will be used to tell the amazing stories of the people that have been part of the site’s history from medieval monks and WWII air crew, to the racing drivers, riders, engineers and marshals of today, It will educate and inform, as well as being dynamic and interactive.

Cllr Steve Bowles, AVDC’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development Delivery, said: “AVDC is happy to give its backing to such a worthwhile project. Silverstone is hugely important to the economy of the Vale, it generates tens of thousands of jobs, as well as being a vital draw for tourism and leisure. The Silverstone Heritage Experience will enhance this and bring in further recognition for the area as the home of British motor racing and Formula 1.”

Sally Reynolds, CEO of Silverstone Heritage Limited said “We are delighted that with the support from the local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships and the grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, work on the Silverstone Heritage Experience can now get underway. We look forward to welcoming visitors to this exciting new attraction in spring 2019.”