Bristol Rovers: Sainsbury's Given Go Ahead After Judicial Review
20 March 2014, 14:27
Sainsbury’s were today given the go-ahead to redevelop the Memorial Stadium site, paving the way for the new UWE Stadium to be built.
Judge Mr Justice Hickinbottom today threw out the complaints put forward by TRASHorfield at last week’s Judicial Review hearing.
This means that Rovers can push ahead with the remaining contractual issues surrounding the stadium build, with the hope of being on site to start in the summer.
Chairman Nick Higgs said:
'I am delighted that common sense has prevailed, and the right decision has been made here today.
'This delay has cost us a lot of time and money, but we are now able to push forward once again.
'We will now work closely with our partners at UWE, Sainsbury’s, South Gloucestershire Council, Bristol City Council and Buckinghams to finalise the outstanding contractual issues which have been slowed down because of this process.
'Once these have been ironed out, we still aim to be on site to start the build in the summer, with the hope of moving into the new stadium during the 2015/16 season.
'The new stadium is not only vital for securing the future of Bristol Rovers, it will also be a massive boost for the local economy, creating many much needed jobs at two different sites.
'We will also be providing state of the art sport facilities to the local community – something that Bristol and South Gloucestershire has been crying out for for some time.
'I would like to thank everyone who has supported us through this process, especially all those who worked on the BristolsNotTrash petition.
'It is great news that a small minority group has not been allowed to derail a project that will have such wide reaching benefits to the local community, but we must not lose sight of the costs associated with the delays which for the Football Club alone amount to over £1 million.'
The Judicial Review was lodged by TRASHorfield, who claim to represent the traders and residents around the Memorial Stadium site.
They claim that Bristol City Council did not correctly follow the planning procedure when considering Sainsbury’s application.
A new stadium will not only allow Rovers to build for a better future, it will also act as a boost to the local economy providing community use and employment opportunities.
The plans for the 21,700 all-seater stadium include an extensive club shop, banqueting and hospitality suite, convenience store, gym, jogging track and teaching space.
The economic design of the new stadium will be a bowl design, which makes use of the sloping ground to minimise the height of the structure and the impact on the local skyline, and reduce light and noise pollution.
It will also benefit from excellent transport links, including; the A4174, Abbey Wood and Parkway train stations and excellent bus services and close links to the motorways. There will also be a large car park with space for 1,000 cars and coaches - with an additional 1,500 spaces available on the campus if deemed necessary.