News / Environment
Rovers insist new stadium plans will go ahead
Bristol Rovers are still aiming to be on site to build their new stadium within the next few months, after councillors approved their planning application they hope will persuade Sainsbury’s to redevelop the Memorial Stadium.
A planning committee on Wednesday said delivery hours for the proposed supermarket could be extended.
But there is still uncertainty over the entire scheme after Sainsbury’s revealed falling sales and the mothballing of dozens of major new developments.
Rovers though are still bullish in public about the chances of the development going ahead.
Their Finance Director Toni Watola, who spoke at the planning meeting on Wednesday, said if the supermarket chain respected the contract signed with the club then the project would go ahead as planned.
“We are very relieved and very satisfied that the officers recommendation was approved by the committee which is another hurdle that we have now got over,” he said.
“There are a number of hurdles that we have to get over, this is probably the biggest of those, but we still have a few I’s to dot and T’s to cross. However, none of them should be a problem in terms of us completing the contract.
“We look forward to progressing with all of our partners and as a club hope that we can get ourselves in a position to be on site next March.”
On the morning of the planning meeting, Sainsbury’s reported a half-year loss before tax of £290m and said that like-for-like sales had fallen 2.1 per cent during the period.
“We are acknowledging we are not going to build out as many large supermarkets as we were anticipating, so that results in the fact that the land becomes less valuable,” chief executive Mike Coupe said.
Watola said in response: “We’ve read the press the same as everyone else and there clearly are some issues but we must remember that Sainsburys have a contract with us.
“If we meet the terms of the contract then we expect to complete.”
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