By Duncan Mackay
December 19 – A major doubt has been cast over Bristol City’s planned new £92 million 44,000 stadium at Ashton Vale only two days after it was chosen to be part of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
Conservative MP Liam Fox, the Shadow Defence Secretary, has written to the Government department which will be making the final decision on whether it is given the go-ahead spelling out a series of objections of votes in his constituency in Woodspring, the location for the new stadium, one of 17 chosen by England 2018 to be included in its campaign.
He has also written to North Somerset Council leader Nigel Ashton opposing a new entrance to the proposed stadium which would use the access road to the Long Ashton park and ride site.
Fox is supported by local Councillors, led by Conservative Bob Cook, who have unanimously rejected the proposal to provide pedestrian and vehicle access to the stadium via the site.
This went against officer recommendations to approve, so will go to North Somerset’s main planning and regulatory committee on January 20 for a final decision.
In his letter to Councillor Ashton, Fox said: “I have written separately to GOSW (the Government Office of the South West) asking them to refuse to endorse Bristol City Council’s proposed approval of the football stadium’s planning application.”
Fox said: “I am opposed to the stadium on the green belt because of the wider picture
“I think it’s fair to say that for me and lots of my constituents that because we are fighting over housing targets in the green belt, this has become an added complication.
“I think there are many people who would be much less concerned about the siting of the stadium if they knew it would not lead to the loss of green belt to more housing.”
Fox claimed there was a danger that if the stadium was built on green belt land, then it would set a precedent and strengthen the hand of developers.
He said this was due to a planning document called the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) which sets out Government targets for housing during the years ahead.
Fox claimed if the Tories won the next General Election then the RSS would be scrapped and it would then be possible for the stadium plan to be considered as an isolated issue.
In his letter to John Bright, GOSW’s regional director, Fox says he has been asked by constituents to put some points to him.
The letter goes on to say that the stadium plan “flies in the face of good planning” and “would make a mockery of the Prime Minister’s well-publicised promises to protect the green belt”.
Fox (pictured) wrote: “If approved by GOSW, the precedent would be set for piecemeal incursion into the green belt – riding roughshod over local plans and interpreting financial advantage as ‘very special circumstances’ to permit building.
“Indeed, we hear already of a ‘me too’ proposal to build an indoor arena, previously proposed to be built on brown-field land, in the green belt adjacent to the proposed stadium.”
Fox said he would be “very interested” in Bright’s views as to whether the possibility of a World Cup match being played in Bristol constituted “very special circumstances” for giving approval.
In order to win planning permission for development on the green belt, the club must show there are “very special circumstances” for building a new stadium at Ashton Vale.
It means that there is already a doubt over three of the stadiums proposed to be part of England’s 2018 bid.
Besides Ashton Vale, the proposed new stadium in Nottingham is at the centre of a bitter politicial wrangle while the future of the Olympic Stadium in London remains in doubt, with a final decision potentially delayed until 2011.
Bristol City’s scheme has already suffered one setback earlier this month after Tesco withdrew as the football club’s partner and were replaced by Sainsbury amid fears that proposed plans for a superstore on the site would be rejected by Bristol City Council.
The club says its current ground at Ashton Gate, their home ground since 1904, is too small and outdated and does not meet its aspirations to play in the Premiership.
It also says it has commissioned consultants to look at alternative sites but none is viable.
GOSW will draw up its own report on the stadium plans before putting the matter to Communities Secretary John Denham for a final decision.
The issue has to be dealt with by the Secretary of State because the application is for use of green belt land.
A spokesman for the Communities and Local Government department said the Secretary of State would take into account all views.
Bristol City chief executive Colin Sexstone was so angry at a Council meeting earlier this week that he stormed out when faced with the opposition of Cook.
Cook said: “People in Long Ashton are telling me, they [Bristol City] got to the [old] First Division once but I don’t think they’ll do it again.
“The club doesn’t need a bigger stadium because it’s not going to get a bigger crowd.”
Sexstone described the planning meeting as “like a circus”, adding that “it was absolutely farcical”.
Cook said: ”I have no axe to grind with the club.
“I have never had anything to do with football.
“I was simply passing on comments made to me by people in Long Ashton.”
All eight Councillors on North Somerset’s main planning and regulatory committee rejected the application proposal, concerned about traffic issues and the potential loss of green belt land.
The developer suggested a number of possible solutions to parking traffic issues, including introducing a match-day Residents’ Parking Zone.
Officers suggested excess park and ride spaces could be used for match-day parking, but this did not convince members either.
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