Rookie Councillors To Make “D-Day” Stadium Decision

It has emerged that four of the nine councillors who will decide whether Bristol City can build its new stadium at Ashton Vale have been in office less than six months.

Rookie Liberal Democrats Simon Rayner, Cheryl Ann, Fi Hance and Jacqui Bowles were all elected this June, in the election which propelled the Lib Dems to outright power in Bristol for the first time.

They will all be responsible for making what has been described as the biggest decision Bristol City Council has made in living memory.

Bristol City manager Gary Johnson has described it as “D-Day” for his club, and the club’s Chief Executive Colin Sexstone claims it is a “massive day not just for Bristol City but for the region.”

The decision whether or not to grant the club planning permission for its new stadium will be taken at Bristol’s Council House on College Green in a meeting beginning at 6pm Wednesday evening.

The committee will also rule on two housing developments planned alongside the stadium, which Bristol City says are vital to fund the new ground.

An official council report has already recommended the stadium be approved, but one of the two housing estates be rejected. Despite this, committee members are free to vote however they like.

Lib Dem sources deny the councillors are too inexperienced to deal with a decision of this size.

One senior Lib Dem told #SITE_NAME# they had every confidence in the junior councillors as Simon Rayner is an architect by trade, and Fi Hance has worked as an assistant to Bristol West MP Stephen Williams. All the councillors on the committee have been given training in how to make the decision, as the process is “quasi-legal”.

However, another Lib Dem source expressed concern as to whether the newcomers would be able to cope with the pressure in the council chamber. The atmosphere could be volatile, and the council is believed to have increased security ahead of the meeting.

Hundreds of campaigners on both sides of the argument, including Gary Johnson and several City players, are expected to be there to make their views felt.

Two Labour councillors, Sean Beynon and Colin Smith, will not attend as they have been barred from sitting on the committee. Both are season ticket holders at Bristol City. They have been replaced by former Lord Mayor Royston Griffey and Labour veteran John Bees, who has served as a councillor for 17 years. Tories Mark Weston and Lesley Alexander, plus Lib Dem Mary Sykes make up the nine-strong panel.

Members of the committee are banned from expressing their views before the meeting. However, speaking in July, the council’s deputy leader Simon Cook made his personal view clear.

He said: “You have to balance these things against community benefit. We will have a regional sports stadium. It will have a 1000 capacity conference centre in it. There is a possibility of other things going on the site.

“In terms of benefit for the city, we feel that can justify this small section coming out of green belt.”

However, he added that the members of the committee would make a decision independently, and Lib Dem sources have confirmed the stadium decision will not be ‘whipped’, i.e. councillors will not be required to vote on party lines.

Simon Cook On Stadium Decision

Interesting – going back through my old audio, preparing a piece for tomorrow, and I found this from Simon Cook, speaking in July.

No doubt about his personal view, though he does go on to say the planning committee, (five out of nine of whom are Lib Dems) will make their decision completely independently, and solely on planning grounds.

Also, a senior Lib Dem told me today there were concerns whether the four rookie councillors would cope with what’s expected to be a very volatile atmosphere at the council house.

City “Could Get Tax Cash” For New Stadium

Bristol City could get taxpayers’ money to fund its new stadium at Ashton Vale.

The South West Regional Development Agency has confirmed it is in talks with the club about offering funding for the club’s new ground.

The Agency is responsible for distributing government money to projects it believes will benefit the region’s economy.

But Bristol City say any money that might come from the taxpayer would need to be in addition to selling Ashton Gate to Sainsbury’s, not instead of it.

Ian Knight, area director for the South West RDA, exclusively told Jones The News: “”We have met with Bristol City Football Club to discuss how they might be able to help take forward the proposed stadium expansion but those discussions are at a very early stage.”

He added: “It is too early to say if RDA funding would be available for this project.”

But Bristol City’s Chief Executive Colin Sexstone dismissed the suggestion that public funding could mean the club did not have to sell Ashton Gate off as a supermarket.

He said: “It would make no difference to the application for Ashton Gate. We have been in discussions with the RDA, as you would expect with a stadium of this size.

“This sort of discussion is normal in a project like this. There is a fair bit of land remediation that needs to be done. We would be looking to the RDA to help us with that.

“That’s especially true because it will create jobs and bring back an area of the city that, at the moment, can’t be used for employment.

“We’re also looking for them to help us with the infrastructure, and how people get to the site. That might be grants or might be loans. We are in discussion with them, but this issue is not central. We still need to raise the maximum we can from Ashton Gate.”

Sexstone is also adamant that any money from the RDA could not replace the money the club would get from a food store.

He said: “It certainly could not. If someone comes in and gives us the same money as we would get from a food store, they could do what they like with this site.

“They could put housing or sports centres or whatever they like on the site if they match what we would get from a food store. But there is not that sort of public money available at the moment.”

The RDA has also revealed it is committed to providing £20,000 to boost Bristol’s World Cup bid, and would provide the same sum to Plymouth, which is competing with Bristol.

The RDA’s South West Director Ian Knight said: “There are significant economic benefits of being a host city for the 2018 World Cup so we are keen to find out more about the strengths of Bristol’s bid and how it might be presented.

“The city will need to address issues such as transport infrastructure, the local environment, sustainability issues and stadium facilities.

Audio: City Chief Executive Colin Sexstone speaks to Jones The News

TESNO: Supermarket Giant Pulls Out Of Ashton Gate Deal

There will be no Tesco superstore on the site of Bristol City’s Ashton Gate stadium.

The supermarket giant has confirmed it has pulled out of a proposed deal with the club. The news follows newspaper reports at the weekend the club was now in talks with Sainsbury’s.

In a statement, Tesco Corporate Affairs Manager Juliette Bishop told Jones The News: “We are always on the look out for possible sites all over the country and the possibility of a new Tesco store at Ashton Gate was one such site.

“We were interested in the Club’s proposals should they get outline planning consent for a food store next month. Inevitably, not all of these projects move ahead to implementation.

“Having considered the Ashton Gate project at length, Tesco has withdrawn its participation from the scheme.”

“We wish the Club well in its ongoing efforts to deliver a new stadium and good luck to Bristol with its bid to be a 2018 World Cup Host City.”

Despite Tesco’s withdrawal, the club is still believed to be in talks with Sainsbury’s, though has refused to comment while negotiations are still taking place.

Bristol City Chief Executive Colin Sexstone said today: “There is no comment I can make. But we are continuing to push forward with a food store application for this site.

“At the moment that is the only way we can find to raise the sort of money we need to build a stadium. If we can’t raise that money, the whole project becomes unviable.”

Tom Griffin, a spokesman for anti-Tesco campaign group BERATE, said: “We just have to wait and see what will be applied for.

“Any new application could conceivably be a benefit but equally it could be as bad as having two individual stores, depending on the scale of the development.

“At this moment, we can’t comment on how we feel about it until we know what the plans will be.”

Churches Claim Tesco Plan Is Betrayal Of Bedminster

Church leaders in Bedminster claim Bristol City FC is betraying its community and its “only real interest is money” in selling Ashton Gate to Tesco.

They claim the plan could lead to economic and community decline in the area.

Bedminster Parochial Church Council, which is the representative body of the Church of England in the area, has written to the city council to formally object to the plan.

In a strongly worded letter, it says “the reputed £20m which Tesco is offering for the site could be seen as equating to 30 pieces of silver”. In the Bible, Judas Iscariot was paid thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus to the Romans.

Ashton Gate Stadium Plan

As well as the impact on the community, the church leaders object to the proposal on the grounds that the area already has enough shops, and that the plan would create more traffic noise and pollution.

They also claim it is “irresponsible” of the club to link the plan for a Tesco to its ambitions for a new stadium.

The letter says: “It would be a very serious business if Bedminster suffered an economic and community decline, because it was put forward that the superstore at Ashton Gate is the only way in which a new stadium could be built.

“While we bear no ill will to Bristol City Football Club, and indeed many members of our parish are Bristol City supporters, we believe that the club is not displaying a proper sense of responsibility to the community which has hosted it for many years.

“We ask that the Council will not grant permission for a superstore to be built at Ashton Gate.”

Bristol City FC claims it cannot fund its proposed new stadium at Ashton Vale without selling Ashton Gate to Tesco. It also denies the plan would harm local shops and says it would instead bring hundreds of new jobs to the area.

The club has recently stepped up its campaign for the council to allow the development, and now displays posters and banners inside and outside Ashton Gate that say “No Food Store = No New Stadium”.

Bristol City FC’s Chief Executive Colin Sexstone recently told Jones The News: “We are building a stadium for Bristol City and the region.

“The only asset that we have is Ashton Gate. It would appear that there is no public money for this, so it must be funded by commerciality.

“The difference between using this for food retail and using it as a mixed use site is as much as a net £15m. If someone else can suggest how we can make up that difference, we’re all ears. But no-one has been forthcoming as yet.”

Bristol City Council will consider the planning application for the Tesco on November 5th.

Audio: Martin Jones interviews Alan Baker from Bedminster Parochial Church Council

Report Objects to “Inappropriate” Stadium Plan

A report by North Somerset council has criticised Bristol City’s plan for a new stadium at Ashton Vale as “inappropriate” to be built on the green belt.

The report attacks the proposed stadium’s appearance as “bland and imbalanced”. It also claims not enough has been done to make the site accessible for pedestrians, and calls for better car parking arrangements.

It recommends that councillors formally oppose the plans when they meet to consider the report on Thursday.

The report is a setback for the club’s ambitions but is a long way from being the final word.

The report acknowledges that the main decision should lie with Bristol City Council because most of the stadium’s impact, positive and negative, will be on the city itself.

Only 10% of the land earmarked for development is in North Somerset; the rest is within the city of Bristol.

But the report warns the stadium should only be approved if Bristol City Council is satisfied there are “very special circumstances” for granting permission.

Bristol City FC has already argued that there are very special circumstances which mean permission should be granted.

It says it has tried for the last ten years to find an alternative site, looking at around 30 different locations, but that none can be found.

Club bosses also cite the stadium’s economic benefits, creating 80 jobs during construction and 400 once complete. They say it could also act as a catalyst for the regeneration of south Bristol, and act as a potential world cup host venue.

Bristol City Council will consider the planning application on November 5th.

As previously reported on Jones The News, if Bristol is “minded to approve” the plans, it will submit them to the government for rubber-stamping.

Link: the North Somerset council report

Minister Must Rubber-Stamp Tesco Plan

Any decision to fund the new Bristol City stadium by building a Tesco store at Ashton Gate must be rubber-stamped by planning minister John Healey, it has emerged.

Bristol’s council bosses have decided to refer the decision to the government for scrutiny, if local councillors approve the plans.

A council spokeswoman told Jones The News it was “standard practice” for councils to refer decisions this big and this controversial to government planners for checking.

In the case of the proposed stadium, it is because granting permission would break the council’s own planning guidelines, known as the ‘Local Plan’.

Artist's Impression of new stadium and (inset) John Healey

Bristol councillors will rule on the Tesco and stadium plans on November 4th and 5th respectively.

If they are “minded to approve” them, they will be sent to the Government Office for the South West (GOSW), whose guidance must be approved by Mr Healey.

A verdict of “minded to approve” would be enough for Bristol to be considered as a World Cup host city, when the city hands in its final bid on November 6th.

Referring the plan to GOSW does not mean it is being “called-in” and subject to a public inquiry, but it is likely to make it more difficult for campaigners to appeal against the decision.

It also means the final word on the plans will not be made in Bristol.

A GOSW spokeswoman said it was hard to say how long scrutinising the plans would take, but that it was likely to take “months”. She added there was no time limit on how long they could take.

Pictured: artist’s impression of the new stadium and (inset) planning minister John Healey

Ashton Gate Tesco Plan “Is No Stitch-Up”

The councillor in charge of Bristol’s world cup bid has denied the council is “stitching up” the deal to build a Tesco on the site of Bristol City’s Ashton Gate stadium.

It’s after The Bristol Blogger revealed last week that the council owns nearly 20% of the land the club wants to sell to Tesco.

Critics claim, as a result, the council would be unable to make a fair decision on the controversial planning application.

Bristol City FC claims it is “essential” for it to sell the land to the supermarket giant to build its new stadium at Ashton Vale and bid to become a world cup host city in 2018.

But council Deputy Leader Simon Cook told Jones The News it was “absolutely wrong” to suggest the council could not make an independent decision.

He said: “On the face of it, it looks like the city council is stitching up its own planning wishes. But it is not, and it would be entirely illegal if that were to happen. We don’t do it.

“The city council owns 40% of the land in the city so we have to grant planning permission for our own projects all the time. We did it with the Colston Hall, the Museum of Bristol, a raft of schools in the area and several leisure centres.”

Mr Cook also again insisted the planning decision would be made independently of political considerations.

He said: “It’s a planning decision pure and simple. It will be considered under planning law, and will be entirely independent. It is not the intention of the city council to influence that. That would be illegal.”

But a campaigner from anti-Tesco group BERATE claims the value of the council’s land at Ashton Gate means selling it must be a political decision.

The law states any decision to sell land valued at more than £500,000 must be taken by senior councillors, and with the council owning 20% of the Ashton Gate land – valued at £20m – it appears to be worth at least £4m.

Chris Uttley said: “It would seem hard for the public authority to sell that land without it being a political decision.

“Even if planning permission is granted, without that land the development can’t occur. It seems to be some sort of political decision to renegotiate the lease or sell it to the football club.

“Simon Cook is choosing his words carefully. The decision to grant planning permission should be an independent one.

“But the decision about whether to sell the land isn’t a planning issue. It must be, partly at least, a political decision.”

Ashton Gate Tesco Plan “Is No Stitch-Up”

Sexstone: No Tesco = No World Cup

Colin Sexstone told me today explicitly that no new stadium meant no world cup. He has previously said that no Tesco would mean no stadium and Bristol City would stay where they were. So, no Tesco = no World Cup.

This is the first time (to my knowledge) someone involved at the top of the bid has made this link explicitly.

Edit: If there is anyone who still doubts this, despite the mountain of evidence to contrary, here’s the council’s deputy leader Simon Cook:

Come on – surely no-one can now say the two are not explicitly linked? The bid team haven’t wanted to make this link outright until now, for whatever reason, but surely it is now plain to see?

Tony Robinson on World Cup Bid

Interesting that the Bristol Evening Post now has Tony Robinson supporting the World Cup bid. When we interviewed him a month or so ago, he would not be drawn on the Tesco plans.

Bristol City’s Chief Executive Colin Sexstone has said the world cup bid relies on the new stadium. The new stadium relies on the Tesco bid getting planning permission.

So logically, anyone who supports the World Cup bid must also support the Tesco bid.

I’d like to see the full text of the interview with Tony, to see whether he’s really changed his mind or whether his support for the World Cup bid is still qualified in the way it was a month ago.

Edit: I’ve just discovered the audio from our interview with Tony in July. Take a listen and you’ll see his view is a lot more nuanced than the literally flag-waving piece in today’s BEP. To summarise, he wants to see the new stadium built, is undecided about the Tesco plan, and is as enthusiastic about Bristol City as ever. Interestingly, he slightly avoids the direct World Cup question.