ADMINISTRATORS are going back to the drawing board after failing to find a buyer for a racecourse.

Deloitte has been unable to sell the Great Leighs track as a going concern.

Joint administrator Carlton Siddle said: “Unfortunately, despite significant effort over a period of 17 months, we have been unable to conclude a sale.

“The numerous highly complex title issues have not been capable of resolution.

“Consequently, we are now in discussions with the group’s principal secured lender, RBS, about the next steps.”

Mr Siddle and colleague Nick Edwards were appointed as joint administrators to the group of companies that own and operated the racecourse, on January 16 last year.

Roy Whitehead, leader of Chelmsford Council, said: “We were sorry, because we had, over the years, expected it to become another attraction in this part of Essex.

“It got so close, yet clearly opened at the wrong time, given the recession. Now we have read in other newspapers that another few racecourses appear to be struggling as well.

“They were talking about closures of some of the smaller ones, and that would not have helped the receiver’s job.”

He said speculation the site could be turned into housing went against the council’s housing policy, which was agreed by councillors this week.

He said: “We passed our North West Chelmsford Area Action Plan and it certainly did not include housing there.

“It is not assigned for housing in any shape or form so if anyone did apply for housing there, it would be against our plan.”

Cllr Whitehead said the council would welcome another form of leisure operation at the racecourse, and suggested the next step could be to auction the site.

Great Leighs was Britain’s first new racecourse for 81 years and opened in April 2008.

It cost £40million to build on the site of the former Essex County Showground.