Go-karting at Westridge in 2005.
GO-KART racing could return to Westridge and with it up to 27 new jobs as well as apprenticeship opportunities.
Plans to reinstate the outdoor go-kart track behind Westridge Leisure Centre in Brading Road have been lodged with Isle of Wight Council planners.
If approved, applicant Andy Foulkes, of Prestige (IW) Ltd, plans to breathe new life into the redundant track and open next Easter.
Mr Foulkes knows the site well after his family business, Island Survey Systems Ltd, was commissioned to carry out the land survey of the original planning application in 2003.
Now he is keen to regenerate the business, which he said had a track record of benefiting the Island’s economy and employment since the 1970s.
He said: "As an all-year-round sporting attraction, there are many benefits for Island employment, tourism, residents and particularly to offer young people the opportunity to develop new skills and exciting experiences."
Previous operators faced concerns about noise and residents have again raised it as an issue on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning website.
Mr Foulkes told the County Press he hoped to address these by using new four-stroke karts, which, he claimed, were much quieter then previous two-stroke karts used.
He said ultra-silent Luna exhausts, engineering specifically for urban tracks, would be fitted to the vehicles while a strategically placed acoustic wall would further reduce and deflect kart noise. He added they would not have a PA system.
Mr Foulkes said the track, which is proposed to be open daily from 9am to 9pm all year round, would employ up to 27 staff and provide apprenticeship opportunities for 16 to 24 year olds in customer services, mechanical engineering, catering and hospitality.
The plans include the refurbishment ofthe existing cafe and shop.
People have until September 14 to comment.