Posted by Bristol councillors have approved the new 30,000-seat stadium at Ashton Vale but have rejected a housing development that was part of the plans.
Seven of the nine councillors on the Development Control Committee (South and East) – Lesley Alexander (Con, Frome Vale), Royston Griffey (Lab, Hartcliffe), Jacqueline Bowles (Lib Dem, Southmead), Mark Weston (Con, Henbury), Mary Sykes (Lib Dem, Hengrove), John Bees (Lab, Kingsweston) and Cheryl Ann (Lib Dem, Horfield) – voted in favour of the stadium, after a marathon four and a half-hour meeting at the Council House tonight. Two councillors voted against – Liberal Democrats Fi Hance and Simon Rayner.
Closer to reality: Councillors are 'minded to approve' plans for the new Bristol City FC stadium
Their decision, which mirrored recommendations by the council’s planning officers published last week, dealt a blow to Bristol Football Club by rejecting plans for the Southlands housing development near the new ground.
The club had said that rejection of that housing development would leave a funding gap in their plans of up to £10million.
The councillors also expressed serious concern over transport issues in the area and the sustainability of the stadium.
This was in line with the statement from Cllr Neil Harrison yesterday and reported by Bristol24-7, in which he said the city’s bid for World Cup status could be undermined if the stadium did not match higher environmental standards set by the Football Association.
But planning officers said that they could not make the sustainability of the stadium a condition of approval.
While the decision makes it almost certain that the new stadium will be built, the final decision has yet to be made. The planning application will return to the committee in six months, to address the concerns raised by officers. As the land to be used is on the Green Belt, the final decision will rest with the Secretary of State for the environment at Defra.
In a passionate statement, chief executive of Bristol City FC Colin Sexstone said the existing stadium at Ashton Gate was “totally inadequate for a club of our standing” and that the club – and the city as a whole – needed to keep pace with its regional competitors such as Swansea, Cardiff and Coventry.
He added that the new stadium was “crucial if Bristol is to meet its potential as one of England’s major cities”.
Team manager Gary Johnson was the first to speak to the packed hall – with supporters and opponents of the plans divided down the middle of the room.
He told the meeting that the new stadium was crucial for the future of the club. “If we do get it,” he said, “then we move on and take some major steps forward. If we don’t then I’m afraid we’ll be taking some major steps backwards.
“So much work has gone into this scheme, it would be a crying shame were it not to happen.”
Opponents of the scheme, meanwhile, pointed out the damage that would be inflicted on the city’s Green Belt. Councillors attempted to take a vote solely on the Green Belt issue – as they saw it as such a fundamental issue that all other issues would be made irrelevant if they felt that the harm caused by development on that land outweighed the benefits of the stadium.
But they were denied by officers who insisted that the full application had to be decided on, rather than individual items.
Reservations about the design of the stadium were also raised, with Cllr Royston Griffey describing it as a “monolithic block”, while Cllr Lesley Alexander – chairing the meeting – said the night-time scenes provided would mean residents would have “an enormous brothel hovering over them”.
There was also confusion over the true cost of the stadium. Initially, Bristol City FC claimed the stadium would cost £50m more to build than it would be worth. By contrast, planners believed it would be break even, and the club then revised its figures to say there would be a deficit of £30m.
Despite the objections, the councillors have agreed that the benefits of the stadium outweighed the damage to the Green Belt. To cheers from supporters, the meeting ended at 10.25pm after nearly four and a half hours. Campaigners against the stadium said after the meeting though that the fight would go on.
The focus for Bristol City FC will now be on the redevelopment plans for Ashton Gate. A deal with Sainsbury’s to redevelop the stadium were announced last week, and a revised planning application for that site will be submitted in March next year.
For the city, the guarded approval of the Ashton Vale stadium now increases its chances of winning World Cup host city status. A decision will be made by the FA next month.
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