Hope McLaren Tax Windfall speeds up visitor centre

Tribunal judges have ruled that McLaren’s fine for a spying ‘controversy’ with Ferrari can be considered tax deductible.  McLaren can now claim a corporate tax deduction on the £32Milion fine.

This huge (and I would say seemingly disproportionate fine) was one reason given for McLaren not creating a visitor centre at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.  A visitor facility was a requirement when McLaren were given planning permission for their new HQ more than a decade ago.

Woking Borough councillors made much of the failure to provide a visitor centre when McLaren applied for planning permission to build on the other side of the A320.  Permission for the development of the McLaren Applied Technology Centre was granted early in 2012.  In agreeing the application planners sought to work with McLaren to bring a visitor centre to a town centre location in Woking.

Let’s hope this tax windfall helps McLaren to fund a town centre presence sooner rather than later.