Bristol councillors still in talks with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club despite possible move
COUNCIL leaders in Bristol are still in discussions with Gloucestershire County Cricket Club about staying in the city – despite the club considering Filton Airfield as a possible venue for a new stadium.
Deputy council leader Simon Cook said the important thing was that the club should have a stadium to be proud of in the Bristol area, and one which could host international matches.
He said: "I don't think we should get caught up about synthetic boundaries between councils.
"The issue is to make sure we have stadiums in the best possible places.
"When we are talking about developments of this size, we have to look at them in a sub-regional context."
The Evening Post revealed yesterday that the club is considering the possibility of a new 20,000-seat stadium at the airfield, which is earmarked to close at the end of the year.
It would be built on land near the A38 dual carriageway so that it is close to transport links.
The club has been forced to look outside Bristol for a possible new home following a controversial planning decision last month.
Councillors voted 6-4 against permission for a block of 147 flats which would have provided most of the funding for the club to go ahead with its £10 million makeover of the ground, in Nevil Road, Ashley Down.
The upgrade would have ensured international cricket matches at the County Ground for years to come.
The club has lodged an appeal against the planning refusal which means a public inquiry will have to be held.
The club's chief executive Tom Richardson told the Post they were committed to their proposed new development at the County Ground.
But they had to ensure their future and therefore were looking at possible alternatives.
Planning consultants acting for the club have told South Gloucestershire Council that 30-40 acres on the airfield would provide an ideal location for a new stadium.
They say it would complement shops and leisure facilities at the 350-acre site as well as attract new investment.
An independent survey by the University of the West of England revealed that a new cricket stadium would benefit the economy to the tune of £1 million to £1.5 million for a one-day international and more than £5 million for Test matches, should Gloucestershire win the right to stage them.
South Gloucestershire cabinet councillor Brian Allinson said a new cricket stadium at Filton was a very exciting prospect.
He told the Post that things were done differently in South Gloucestershire because they always looked at the bigger picture. The consultants have asked the council to amend their planning blueprint for the area, which is called the Core Strategy, to include a cricket stadium at Filton.
Campaigners have been vigorously fighting to save the airfield from closure. But Mr Allinson has argued that the blueprint gives the council much greater control over what is allowed to be built at the site instead of being covered with hundreds of new homes.
7 Comments
by jamie1984
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:50PM
“nljack, not quite as Gloucester has never ever been considered for the team despite the name they always been in Bristol and are the result of 2 teams that was back in the 1870s was in the historic shire of Gloucestershire including all Bristol north of the River Avon New Cut.
Gloucestershire in its other parts had cricket which ended up at Cheltenham (till it went defunct)
Bristol would obviously get more people watch/visit compared to a smaller city then again stadium emptyness is not just a cricket but also can happen in Football.
Many see BCFC new stadium plans as too grand while neither (include BRFC) probably.
Many say Bristol should have one team but like Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester no supporters within the area would want to be one, being in anothers turf and rivalry can get heated (why derbies are often policed more)”
by jamie1984
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:34PM
“fair points laughinggas of Modern Stadia and likely outgrown its site when historical heritage is always best is exempt and looking into the future Bristol will be near double it is now with alot of urban area to the north plus swallowing of some villages/towns to the South West (North Somerset's Ashton Park Urbanisation) along with the 2050s scenario that Bristol-Bath going to be one
Perhaps it be better named Bristol Cricket Club (at least since Horfield was swallowed by urban expansion)
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club has always seemed it been placed in the wrong place (or someone named it wrong) but Gloucestershire did have a second successful cricket club also in Cheltenham that sadly now defunct.”
by jamie1984
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:15PM
“LaughingGas, reading up about the history of the club, the date of origin of the team and the ground (over 140 years) with both the Bristol swamping of land of both counties that happened in the last 100 years people would understand regardless geographically since 1996 why it is where it is and not where it should be deemed to be (up in Gloucester or north of the A4174).
North Somerset and South Gloucestershire are both post 1996 ex Avon area which the Conservative Party shamefully did not give back properly to its historic shires and at the same time extend Bristol to realistic levels but favoured the area and a similar in the North East the opportunity to be guinea pigs for unitary authorities.
Historically the borders of the 2 massive shires of Somserset and Gloucester(shire) when Bristol grown in both was deemed by the River Avon New Cut.
What long overdue (1972+ at least) is the name is wrong but it roots is within the Bristol influence regardless (Mangofield) before it moved to the Horfield site in the 1870s (even parts of Bedminster was still field then)”
by brissleblue
Thursday, February 23 2012, 12:58PM
“Councillor Allison is quoted as saying that Sth Glos 'always looked at the bigger picture'. Hmm .... this is the Council whose bigger picture in planning includes packing loads of people and traffic generating development on land within the contiguous boundary of North Bristol but not matching that with routes to get people in or out without continuous clogging of those routeways.
The Council who prevented the development of North Bristol rapid transit by (allegedly) insisting it routed to Cribbs Causeway? That developed Emerson Green and the N E Bristol Orbital but did not consider a link to the M4 from Emersons Green?
In both cases, from where I sit, that bigger picture was focussed entirely on the rates they could rake in. If their planning did not assist neighbouring councils with their transport access bottleneck well then 'beggar my neighbour'. If it did not assist their own ratepayers by forcing them to reach Emersons Green and Downend by going the long way round via the M32 Jct 1 traffic jam well then "beggar our own ratepayers"
No sir, I am not impressed by your complacent assertion”
by LaughingGas
Thursday, February 23 2012, 12:55PM
“It's a great idea. After all, despite the 'poor Bristol loses out again' tone of the EP editorial yesterday, this is GLOUCESTERSHIRE cricket club so presumbably could go anywhere from Kingswood to the Forest of Dean! The City and County of Bristol is a separate entity. All the angst over re-siting of the County Ground (possibly) and Rovers at UWE 'outside' Bristol is silly. Modern sport has to be financially supported by many other activities, and small stadia dating back to the last century and situated amongst dense housing and narrow roads are clearly unsuitable for the demands of business-orientated clubs. Like it or not, people use their cars to go to matches, especially if there are internationals, and there has to be good access and parking. UWE and the FIlton site offer this to both local sporting clubs. Developing their clubs within their current sites was clearly a no-brainer. Makes one nostalgic for Avon, and all this could parochialism would have been avoided!”
by nljack
Thursday, February 23 2012, 10:02AM
“To be honest they probably have never stopped thinking about it. As they say it doesn't matter who boundary its in, as long as it stays in the Greater Bristol area and not move to Gloucester !
The reason why GCC are in Bristol in the first place is because they wouldn't be able to fill a 20,000 seater stadium in Gloucester and they know that. Airfield seems like a great place to spread out and build a great cricket stadium.”
by lolly60
Thursday, February 23 2012, 8:29AM
“Made them sit up and think about it didnt it .”