The Motor Sports Association (MSA) has granted the first Event Organising Permit for a closed-road competition in England to Chelmsford Motor Club (CMC) for a stage rally in Essex next April.

New legislation facilitating closed-road motor sport commenced on 10 April this year, following a long campaign by the MSA. The first full event under these new laws is set to be a stage rally of up to 45 competitive miles near Clacton-on-Sea on 22 April 2018.

The MSA inspected CMC’s original proposed route in July and has since worked with the club to develop its plans. The governing body has now issued a Permit, which allows CMC to apply to Essex Highways for a Motor Race Order under legislation set out in the Deregulation Act 2015.

Rob Jones, MSA Chief Executive, said: “The granting of this MSA Permit is a landmark moment for British motorsport; we campaigned long and hard to achieve closed-road legislation and now the first event is within sight. We have been working closely with Chelmsford Motor Club and will continue to do so, to help ensure that the local area benefits from a safe and successful event that paves the way for others to follow.”

Independent research commissioned by the MSA and conducted by the Sport Research Institute at Sheffield Hallam University has shown that local communities across Britain could generate up to £40m of additional revenue by closing roads to host a limited number of motor sport events.