Wildlife campaigners: Bristol City's new stadium would case 'catastrophic damage'

Building a new football stadium at Ashton Vale would cause 'catastrophic damage' to wildlife including the habitats of bats, otters, wading birds and water voles, it has been claimed.

Avon Wildlife Trust has formally objected to Bristol City FC's £65-million plans for a new 30,000 seat ground.

Steve Micklewright, director of people and wildlife at the trust, said an important nature site would be ruined if Ashton Vale was built on and believes Bristol's 'green capital' status would be left in tatters.

But Bristol City said an exhaustive ecological assessment of the site, close to the park-and-ride off the A370, had been carried out as part of the club's planning application.

In a statement ahead of a planning meeting to decide plans next week, Mr Micklewright said: "If the development goes ahead, catastrophic damage will be done to a nature area that is recognised locally and nationally as being worthy of protection.

"It provides homes and feeding and breeding grounds for many wild animals, including rare and legally-protected creatures, such as bats, otters, wading birds and water voles."

He believes allowing the development at Ashton Vale would pave way for other green spaces to be build on.

The trust, which has more than 17,000 members, believes there are other sites in the city where a new stadium could be built "without overturning agreed planning policies and good conservation practice".

Mr Micklewright said: "The trust objects to how the destruction of Ashton Vale is being sold to the public as a sacrifice which has to be made if the city is to host any World Cup matches. This is nonsense."

Bristol City's chief executive Colin Sexstone said: "The application for a new stadium at Ashton Vale includes an exhaustive ecological assessment of the site."