Bristol City’s Steve Lansdown wants quick decision on ‘ridiculous’ town green status

Steve Lansdown wants a quick decision from Bristol City

Council on the fate of the Ashton Vale site.

Bristol City’s move away from its Ashton Gate site – which would

be sold to Sainsbury’s as part of an enabling arrangement – hangs in the

balance again as talks with Ashton Vale residents broke down yesterday.

The site chosen by Bristol City for its new 30,000 seat

stadium was recommended for town green status last year, after a campaign by

local residents. If town green status is awarded, it would rule out any future

development of the land.

Planning permission exists both for the club to build its

new stadium at Ashton Vale and for Sainsbury’s to build its biggest store in

the South West at Ashton Gate.

With mediation having failed, both developments are in

doubt. Supporters of the plans had hoped that discussions between the Ashton

Vale landowners and local residents would find a solution that suited both

sides.

Decision time

It is now for Bristol City Council to decide whether to approve

the recommendation of independent inspector Ross Crail, that the 42-acre site

at Ashton Vale should become a town green. It would be unusual for a council to

ignore an inspector’s findings.

The council has three options:

·        

It can refer the matter to its Public Rights of

Way committee, which has seven members.

·        

It can put the matter to the whole council, on the

basis that it would be a decision of city-wide importance.

·        

It could seek to hold a second inquiry because

of claims by both the landowners and Ashton Vale residents of new evidence.

 

Steve

Lansdown ‘won’t give up’

Steve Lansdown has made it clear that he wouldn’t be

impressed with the third option. He wants the council to make a decision

shortly – and if it doesn’t go the way he wants, he’s equally clear that he won’t

give up.

He said: "I would like to see the council make a

decision as soon as possible.

"The choice is very clear - the council can either say

no to a town green, in which case, we can go ahead and build the stadium, or

they say yes, in which case we go to appeal.

"The message is that we are not going to give up. I'm

intransigent about this. We will proceed until the land is released from this

ridiculous legislation."