The course cost �30m to build but may now face demolition

Great Leighs racecourse has been bought off the administrators by a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland for an undisclosed sum.

Buyers West Register Investments will look to re-sell the Essex site.

RBS was one of the main creditors of the track, which became Britain's first new course for 81 years when it opened in April 2008.

The group of companies which owned the track, just north of Chelmsford, went into administration in January 2009.

In June administrators Deloitte gave up trying to sell the land as a racecourse and decided to offer the concern as an opportunity for redevelopment.

I think whatever the new owner comes up with must reflect the rural nature of where the racecourse is Neil Gulliver from Chelmsford Borough Council planning department

One option could be to create residential property, but Neil Gulliver, cabinet member in charge of planning at Chelmsford Borough Council, says that is unlikely to happen.

He told BBC Essex: "It isn't a site that is suitable for housing or an industrial estate.

"I think whatever the new owner comes up with must reflect the rural nature of where the racecourse is.

"While I wouldn't want to pre-empt what any planning committee decided it is not suitable, in our opinion, for anything other than a rural usage."

Great Leighs cost £30m to build but opened just as the economy hit the downturn and despite reasonable attendances the business soon racked up big losses.

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