GCCC condemned for not listening to public concerns

bristol | community | press release Monday October 19, 2009 00:45 by HowZat? - HowZat? howzatgccc at googlemail dot com PO BOX 350, Booty, 82 Colston Street, Bristol BS1 5BB

Local campaign group HowZat? has criticised Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC) for pushing ahead with proposals to carry out a massive redevelopment of its ground.

Local campaign group HowZat? has criticised Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC) for pushing ahead with proposals to carry out a massive redevelopment of its ground and not listening to the concerns of people living in the surrounding residential area.

HowZat? says that only a minor modification has been made to the original plans - there is a small reduction in the size of the proposed multi storey student accommodation block, now designed to house 350 students instead of 500. HowZat? says that GCCC has effectively ignored all other significant concerns, raised by local residents at the two public consultation meetings, in proposing development of the 3,668 seat ground to a permanent 18,500 seat stadium.

HowZat?’s major concern is the scale of the development in the middle of an already congested area, and the fact that the stadium will be available for a wide variety of sporting and other big events.

The group says the stadium’s huge physical presence will dominate the area generating increased traffic bringing major arterial roads, such as Ashley Down Road, to a virtual halt. Also the lack of adequate transport provision will put massive pressure on already limited car parking in surrounding streets.

HowZat? says this pressure will be exacerbated by the likelihood that students will simply ignore a ‘no car parking within 1.5km of accommodation block’ tenancy clause, and also believe that such contractual conditions are unenforceable.

HowZat? also point to certain increase in air and noise pollution and the fact that this could be particularly harmful to the 210 children earmarked to attend the proposed primary school, squeezed in, next to the expansion scheme.

HowZat? spokesperson Andy Motherwell says; “We simply don’t understand why GCCC will not accept the real constraints of the site and the pressures on the local area and come forward with a more modest scheme. A smaller number of permanent seats, supplemented as now with some temporary seating, would still meet the requirements of the England and Wales Cricket Board for the popular one-day international matches.”

HowZat? suggest the public visit the Council’s planning application website http://e2eweb.bristol.gov.uk/PublicAccess/tdc/DcApplica...0PC00
to see just how large scale the plans are and the detrimental effects they’re likely to cause in a densely populated part of the city.
For details of how to oppose GCCC’s plans, people can visit: www.howzatgccc.org.uk