BARRY Hayes, 50, a solicitor from Exeter, a season ticket holder and fan for 40 years: Is redeveloping Ashton Gate with a new stadium back on the agenda?

Mr Sexstone: No. We have spent a hell of a lot of time, energy and money to get where are now. It has taken three years to get this far. You wouldn't believe the opposition that has come at us, but now we have got planning permission from Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council.

The Secretary of State has said there is no need to have public inquiries and so we have got planning permission on the new stadium. We are also close to signing 106 agreements – when you get planning permission, they are subject to a lot of legal agreements which must be complied with before you can start construction. It takes time but we are almost there now and these agreements are about to be signed.

We have gone through the contract selection process and we have a preferred contractor who is ready to start work.

This latest decision is the first serious knockback we have had. But that's all it is. We are certainly not going to throw the towel in and start the whole process again by looking at Ashton Gate. I don't think Steve (Lansdown) would do that anyway.

I have heard it said that the stadium does not breed success. That is absolutely true, it does not guarantee success but if you get success, you cannot maintain it without a stadium. If we stay here, we would end up like Portsmouth because we cannot be a Premiership club with a stadium that holds less than 30,000. If we get success, we will not maintain it without a new stadium – that's why it is absolutely crucial to us.

Tony Tipler, 55, a bus driver from Ashton Vale, who has been a Bristol City fan since 1966: Regardless of whether Sainsbury's move down to Ashton Gate, will we get a new stadium?

Mr Sexstone: We have always said the sale of Ashton Gate will realise in excess of £20 million, which is essential for funding a new stadium. In any case, where else is that money going to come from? Ashton Gate is the only land asset we have and we have got to get the market value for it. The council knows that and has known that from the start but there are some people in the council and elsewhere who seem to think they know how deep Steve Lansdown's pockets are, what he's thinking and his tax position – but they don't.

I cannot tell you how much he has supported this club. Forget how wealthy he might be, he has shown massive commitment to this club, but he is not going to be rode roughshod by a couple of chancers who are shouting their mouths off.

Steve (Lansdown) has put a huge amount of money into this and it's essential we do our bit as well, which means selling Ashton Gate.

Michael Thresher, 42, a motor mechanic from Long Ashton, who is a life-long Bristol City supporter: Is it too much of a risk to start building without getting Sainsbury's sorted out?

Mr Sexstone: Yes, it would be. We are in partnership with them and we have a contract with them. If we started building now, it would take away one of the major planks of their case. One of the major planks of the application, which was completely ignored by the planning committee, was that this is essential enabling work for the new stadium, a well-proven route in which to get planning permission. So no, we will not start work, it will have to wait.

Andy Jones, 47, a carer from Bedminster Down, who has been a Bristol City supporter for 40 years: Has Sainsbury's been in touch with the club and are they going to appeal?

Mr Sexstone: Sainsbury's are in constant touch, almost by the hour. There's a big meeting tomorrow. We are co-applicants so it will be a joint decision. I am not going to tell you we are going to appeal, but what I can tell you is I am confident as I can be that we will. We have an outstanding chance of success.

Frank James, 68, retired, from Westbury-on-Trym, who has been a Bristol City fan for 12 years: How do we get the rest of Bristol behind us?

Mr Sexstone: There is massive support for the new stadium, obviously from Bristol City fans which is fantastic, but a lot as well from non-City supporters. I've even had Rovers supporters get in touch with me to say the decision was absolutely ludicrous. There is a big tide of opinion in Bristol for the stadium and we need to continue to push that home to make sure we get our friends, neighbours and work colleagues to write to their councillors, MP or write to the Evening Post to drive home that this is a massive mistake that has been made.

Kieran Trigg, 41, a courier from Horfield, who has been a Bristol City supporter for 28 years: Do you think it's time to start handing out brown envelopes?

Mr Sexstone: I don't advocate handing out brown envelopes myself but I can't stop you if you want to start handing out a few yourself. I think it was an absolutely ludicrous decision. The rationale that it was a bigger store, it would create more pollution and create more opposition to the retailers in North Street, East Street and West Street.

But to be honest, I spend most of my lunchtimes in North Street – and it shows! – I have never heard so much blarney from some of these people. They ought to get out there themselves – the fact of the matter is most people welcome the store because of the massive benefits it would bring; a big store down the road would allow free parking for up to three hours so people could drift up to North Street.

A retail assessment, which the council and us paid for, said so but four councillors who are clearly experts in the field as well decided they were wrong. Our own retail assessment said that as well, so we've had two sets of experts give long reports which said there would be minimal effect on retail North Street, East Street and West Street.

Of course, that comes as no surprise to those of us who go there, but four councillors said they (the reports) were wrong and they were right. That's why an appeal will have an outstanding chance because the same report by the council themselves will support our bid. That's what makes it so annoying.

I work here every day and lived here for many years. I was born and bred in Bristol but nothing is actually happening down here – you won't see a crane anywhere in south Bristol.

We should all be worried about jobs for our youngsters, not least ourselves, and here was an opportunity to lift the whole area, creating hundreds of millions of pounds of investment and what have we got? Absolutely nothing.

That was the answer that those four councillors gave to us, absolutely nothing – we will stay as we are because we are frightened that a deli in Southville might close.

Laurie Hobbs, 44, an HGV driver from Clevedon, is a season ticket holder who has supported Bristol City for 39 years: I don't wish to sound negative, but if we move to the new stadium and we don't get to the Premiership, what happens then?

Mr Sexstone: The business plan for the new stadium is very good and it's based on Championship football because we thought that would be a reasonable assessment to make. The football club will have no debt on the stadium. The stadium company will have some but that will be more than offset by the income streams that it will bring in. That means things like naming rights, which I know are not very popular with some fans, but if you get a company which is willing to sign up for 15 years at X million a year or a catering company that is willing to sign up for hundreds of thousands of pounds guaranteed, even if nobody walks through the door, that will underpin any commercial debt.

Christopher Brown, 49, currently unemployed, from Montpelier, who has supported Bristol City since he was a boy: What difference will it make to jobs with Asda and Sainsbury's competing?

Mr Sexstone: Asda holds its own unique position down near Bedminster Bridge and I don't think we've had hardly any opposition from East Street traders. As far as North Street is concerned, it's divided into two distinct parts – the section past Luckwell Road and the Hen and Chicken and this Southville end. But in terms of shops that are going to compete with Sainsbury's, there are not that many there. I think they are already competing with Asda and Sainsbury's and they are doing OK. This new store will create an extra 400 full and part-time jobs. Please don't believe people who say that 400 jobs gained here will mean 400 jobs lost elsewhere. I don't suspect there are 400 jobs down North Street in any case. Many of the shops will actually boom as a result of a new store, so please don't let people spin you a yarn about this. And, of course, the stadium itself will create many, many jobs with its banqueting centre and match-day requirements. Running the new stadium will be totally different from running Ashton Gate. It will be a different beast altogether.

Colin McDonald, 47, a warehouseman from St Anne's Park, who has supported Bristol City for 24 years: What about an arena?

Mr Sexstone: We want a stadium – that's what we are interested in. One thing is absolutely sure and that is if a stadium doesn't go in, then there won't be an arena. What we have agreed to do is cooperate and help where we can with the council to develop an arena on that site but we haven't done any work on it at all. It won't be an easy fix, but we are prepared to work with them to see if it can be done.

Andrew Card, 37, a Royal Mail manager from Nailsea, who has supported Bristol City for 30 years: What damage has been done to the World Cup bid?

Mr Sexstone: The latest date we want to start work on the new stadium is October this year – if we start after that, we will not be able to open in time for the start of the 2012 season. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out that if we don't start in October, then the completion date is going to slip by another year. We will start on the stadium the minute that all the hurdles are out of the way.

Fifa is coming to England next month – they won't be coming to Bristol, because there's not much point in looking at a field – but we will be going to London to make a presentation to them. Clearly it doesn't help. When the England 2018 bid is put to Fifa, they want their grounds and stadium to be as sure as they can.

It doesn't help when they see one of the council turning down an application which they know is essential for a new stadium.

Fifa will make a final decision in December which country will be selected for the 2018 World Cup. The host cities will not be confirmed until January, 2013 – that is, if England is selected – and as long as the stadium is under construction, we are going to be selected; I am very, very confident about that.

But if we haven't made a start, there will be serious doubts.

Jennie Tipler, 56, a librarian from Ashton Vale, who has been a Bristol City supporter for 46 years: What happens if the green park goes ahead?

Mr Sexstone: We expect the inspector's report on this during the next week and it will go to the council and then be put before another council meeting. It would be a very bad blow if that goes ahead. I know the area well and hardly anybody uses that bit of land. If it goes ahead, then it would be the biggest village green in the country.

David Lloyd, 55, supporter liaison officer for Bristol City, from Backwell, who has been a supporter for 20 years: If both these hurdles are overcome, then is there anything else likely to stop the stadium?

Mr Sexstone: There are lots of little hurdles to sort out, but these are the two showstoppers.