South Gloucestershire Councillors have today (Thursday 19th July) approved plans to build a new 21,700 seater stadium near the University of the West of England (UWE) in Stoke Gifford.
The stadium, which will become the new home for Bristol Rovers Football Club, was approved subject to a planning obligation relating to a suite of transport measures including contributions toward local transport infrastructure and the prevention of uncontrolled on street car parking and a number of planning conditions relating to the implementation and management of the scheme.
The stadium plans include a range of additional facilities such as a gym and convenience store as well as teaching space for UWE. A thousand car parking spaces will also be provided as part of the development.
Welcoming the decision, Cllr Dave Hockey, Chair of the Council’s Development Control (West) Committee, said:
“This stadium has been a long time in development and will be a very welcome addition to South Gloucestershire’s cultural and sporting amenities.”
“The Council has worked closely with the applicants to ensure that the stadium benefits the local community and includes necessary transport and parking arrangements.”
He added:
“The stadium is also set to become a major employer in the area, as well as generating many new construction jobs in the short term. Committee members were pleased that local residents took the time to comment on this planning application. The consent is subject to 40 conditions which recognise the importance of the issues raised. I anticipate that the commitment to set up a Monitoring Group including local residents will help to deal with their anxieties.”
The Council received 1,126 letters of support for the proposal and 154 letters of objection.
Objections to the proposal included the stadium’s potential impact on local traffic, noise and the loss of open spaces.
Supporters highlighted its impact on jobs and its potential as a multi-use facility for the South Gloucestershire and Bristol area.
Work on the stadium is expected to begin in January 2013 with an anticipated completion date of Spring 2014.
Source: Press release from South Gloucestershire Council
How the story was reported elsewhere:
Bristol Rovers new stadium plans approved (BBC)
Bristol Rovers’ stadium given the go-ahead (Post)
Bristol Rovers get the go ahead to build South Gloucestershire’s first stadium (Gazette)