Feedback: Ashton Park transport, green-belt battle, City Stadium
I write in response to P R Sterland's Soapbox letter Neighbours won't be winners if stadium gets go ahead (Monday May 4). The proposed Ashton Vale development project is a property project, not a football stadium project.
The stadium itself, as I understand from Bristol City FC's public consultations, is only about 33 per cent of the proposal. The bulk of the project is for housing, offices, hotels and restaurants – which the backers need in order to finance a stadium that the club itself can't otherwise afford to build. Yet again almost all of this development is on supposedly protected green belt.
Steve Lansdown may be investing (not giving) up to £47 million of his own money, but once the whole project is up and running and Bristol City FC are seemingly the only debt-free football club in the country, how long before he threatens to sell the lot, pocket the money and go into tax exile like his business partner Mr Hargreaves?
And what of the supporters, the lifeblood of the club? Are they really happy to swap a modest, but refurbishable, stadium (that the club actually owns) for a larger "state of the art" edifice that they will be renting from Mr Lansdown?
It will be interesting to see how Bristol's new Lib Dem cabinet deals with this project, given the amount of un-minuted backroom briefings and wheeler-dealing there will probably have been with the previous administration. (It's the Local Government Ombudsman that sees this as a feature of Bristol City Council decision-making, not me.) This will be a real test of their green credentials. Do the city's Lib Dems want to go down in history as the party that triggered the "domino theory" whereby each piece of green belt land around the city was built upon because they sanctioned the first planning application?
No, far better to simply protect the city's green belt, along with all the other green spaces. Taken together they form the green lungs that make this city a tolerable place in which to live in the 21st century.
Ron Morton Shortwood Green Belt Campaign
3 Comments
by Richard Lane, Knowle
Thursday, May 21 2009, 11:09PM
“Dear Trisha.
I do not believe I am out of touch with public oppinion but I am out of touch with people in minority groups that only have their concerns at heart and like to influence the majority.
What other motives could there be for building a football stadium? (on a former rubbish tip and mining area) perhaps a nuclear processing plant is to be hidden under the pitch
I do understand that if you take your concerns to a wider audience you will win support from other areas. What this proposed development has to do with Mr Morton and his campaign I fail to see, other than bringing the whole debate to a bigger field to further his cause in protecting his property in Shortwood.
Let us not forget that had the greenbelt been introduced earlier Mr morton could himself be living in a protected area, namely a field, Ashton Vale wouldn't be there and neither would the delightful trading estates that border it.
I think it is Trisha that is out of touch with the real world and a lot of people think likewise.”
by Trisha, Bristol
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 10:26PM
“Thank goodness for people like Mr Morton who sounds very honorable to me. At least he is prepared to state a view, which actually represents more views than you might imagine. There are other things more important than profit and he is right to be sceptical about the motives for developing a new football ground. Green Belt Policy was developed to protect land and prevent developments such as this eroding small communities. Standing up for principles is very important, heaven knows after the recent political revelations, I welcome someone who is prepared to stand up and be counted for protecting something which once lost will never ever be returned. Thank you Mr Morton for stating what so many other people think. Mr Lane is I think out of touch with public opinion.”
by Richard Lane, Knowle
Monday, May 18 2009, 8:49PM
“How very honourable of Mr Morton to show such concern for the supporters of BCFC. They do at present attend matches in a modest stadium which is also refurbshable but only to a limited standard and doesn't meet the requirements to match the ambitions of the club or it's supporters.
The whole content of his letter does seem very bitter and you do have to question his motives for this (could he support Rovers?).
I believe the reality is his fear of development swollowing up his idylic village of Shortwood not the removal of the green lung which makes living in this city tolerable, so he thinks that if he can stir up a hornets nest in other communities this will help his cause.
Mr Morton you don't live in this city you live in the village of Shortwood and would still have the green lung the other side of you but thanks for your concern.
As for the finances of the scheme I believe the club could afford to build the stadium with the sale of it's existing stadium, development grants and sponsorship, the other (proposed) parts of the scheme could be to provide housing for less fortunate people who can't afford village property”