New Bristol City stadium will create community sports facilities

A new Bristol City football stadium at Ashton Vale could unlock sporting facilities worth hundreds of thousands of pounds for public use in the south of the city.

Council officials are currently in talks with Bristol City FC over two parcels of council-owned land which are linked with the £65m stadium plans.

These two sites include part of the Ashton Gate car park off Winterstoke Road, covering 1.2 acres, which is leased from the council by the club on a 125-year agreement, and about seven acres of former allotment land near the David Lloyd sports centre.

These talks are being carried out separately from the council's duty to decide whether planning permission should be granted for the new stadium.

Alun Owen, the council officer in charge of major projects, said if the council sold its car park site then it would receive 50 per cent of the proceeds - the other half would go to the club.

If Ashton Gate is sold to Tesco to build a supermarket, then the amount which the council would be owed for its share of the site could be as much as £250,000-£300,000.

The former allotments are currently zoned for housing and would be valued at current market prices. Its value would increase if planning permission was granted for a change of use.

Part of the site has been earmarked for a new rapid transit route (bendybus) from the Long Ashton park and ride site and which sweeps around south Bristol to Hengrove.

Mr Owen said that rather than sell both sites for hard cash, the council would prefer to see their assets realised in the form of community sports facilities as part of the new stadium complex if it was given the go-ahead.

He said the key to the talks was to make sure any facilities provided would remain "in perpetuity", meaning they could be used by the public with a neverending time frame.

Jon House, the council's deputy chief executive, said: "These talks are bringing together an idea which is what the council wants and what we know the club is keen to deliver. What we cannot do is give these council-owned sites to the club. We are not allowed to do so - it would be illegal."

Among the facilities which might be provided include: use of the new stadium pitch, use of a new gym and sports facilities at the stadium complex and a football-in-the-community programme.

A firm of independent consultants would be used to determine the value of the sports facilities provided.

Their findings would be subject to a report which would have to be agreed by the council's ruling Lib Dem cabinet.

If the cabinet agreed to go ahead, then a final decision would have to be made by the Secretary of State.

The talks between the council and the club over the two sites are currently classed as "exploratory". They would become "official" if councillors on the Development Control (South and East) committee decide to grant planning permission for the new stadium on Wednesday, November 4.

The meeting starts at 6pm at the Council House.

The same committee will meet the following night to decide on the Tesco foodstore plan for Ashton Gate in Bristol.