Gregson hits out at delays in City's new ground plans - The Worcester Observer

Gregson hits out at delays in City's new ground plans

Worcester Editorial 18th Feb, 2016 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

A FORMER city council leader has slammed the delays in tackling a planning application which could see Worcester City FC return home.

Labour leader Coun Adrian Gregson launched a fierce attack on council chiefs and said speculation about the future of the application needed to be ‘clarified urgently, for the benefit of all concerned’.

The former council leader said apparent doubts about the suitability of the application from the Conservative leadership was ‘thoroughly reprehensible’.

“The application has attracted both public support and objection though it has not yet got to the stage of being submitted to the planning committee,” he said.




“The two issues of granting planning permission and agreeing potential lease/sale of the site required are separate.

“The current delay is apparently due to a number of technical issues in the application which are being resolved by the club and a meeting is due with planning officers at the end of February. This is already a costly process for the club and any further delay or changed site proposal will make matters worse.”


Coun Gregson claimed up until recently the club, who is ground-sharing at Kidderminster Harriers, had been led to believe that Perdiswell was considered a suitable site by the council

“But now at a very late stage, doubt has been cast by the Conservative leadership questioning the suitability of the Perdiswell site for their stadium,” he said. “Their grounds for objection are said to be that it is ‘challenging’.

“When I was leader I made no secret of the fact that, subject to suitable negotiations, a Labour council would support the club’s ambition.

“I find it thoroughly reprehensible that at no stage thus far has it been suggested by council leaders that they disagree with the proposed site. Indeed, the club has been led to believe that subject to planning permission being granted, there is little impediment to the plan.

“It’s now incumbent on the council’s new Conservative political leadership to make it clear whether they would support the club at Perdiswell, subject to planning permission and conditions; or if they have alternative sites they want them to go to.”

In response, Coun Marc Bayliss, acting leader of Worcester City Council, said: “I am keen to see the football club come back to Worcester, because it’s not a long-term option for them to stay at Kidderminster. Work is continuing on the Perdiswell planning application and I would not want to pre-judge the planning committee’s decision.

“However, there is no escaping that there are many challenges with that site due to the large number of objections from local communities and because Perdiswell is designated as public open space and has been for a long time.

“We want to help the club and it makes sense to consider if there are other suitable sites for a new stadium.

“I genuinely want the club to come back to Worcester, so the challenge is to make sure we have the right location.”

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