Rovers promise to work closer with local residents as new stand continues to take shape

“This is the way, piece by piece,” tweeted Bristol Rovers president, Wael al-Qadi, before the club’s most recent home game.

https://twitter.com/waelalqadi/status/1704193979628028365

His tweet was accompanied by a snap of the new South Stand taking shape at the Memorial Stadium despite planning permission still yet to be granted for the development.

al-Qadi also shared a video of the Mem which could now be further developed as the proposed move to a new stadium on the site of the fruit and veg market in St Philip’s Marsh appears to have faltered.

The drone footage gives an aerial view of the South Stand being built, with a planning meeting at City Hall pencilled in for October which in a worse case scenario could see the club being ordered to take the structure down.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that this might happen, with the Royal Borough of Greenwich announcing on Tuesday that they are taking enforcement action against a developer whose two new residential towers in Woolwich “have been built without planning permission and is therefore unlawful because it is so substantially different to the scheme that was originally permitted by the planning permission given in 2012” and so could have to be demolished.

(The developer is Comer Homes, whose UK developments include Westmoreland House on Stokes Croft.)

Remember that despite building work on the South Stand continuing “at a pace” in the words of Rovers chief exec Tom Gorringe, it does not have any planning permission to be constructed.

https://twitter.com/Royal_Greenwich/status/1706632785580949686

Gorringe, writing in the programme for the game against Wigan, said: “The start of the season has been a challenging one for many reasons however we remain committed to driving standards to move the club forwards and unlock the potential that we all know that we have.

“As you will see, the South Stand development has continued at a pace since the last game and the majority of the steel structure is now in place.

“Hopefully you can see the scale of the new development and the benefits it will bring to the stadium once complete.

“We are still a number of weeks away from its completion but everyone behind the scenes is working tirelessly to conclude the project at the earliest opportunity.

“As part of the planning process, we have conducted a number of reports including a lighting assessment, ecology survey, travel plans, noise impact assessments all of which have returned no adverse findings.

“In addition, there are plans for the new stand to have solar panels on the roof and the club is currently assessing our options to explore planting trees within the local area as part of the development.

“During this process we have learnt the need to better communicate with the local residents so we have set up a new committee which will meet at the stadium regularly throughout the season.

“The first meeting took place earlier this week where we were able to provide residents with an undate on our current plans, take on board their feedback and answer their questions as part of an ongoing two-way communication.

“These meetings will become a regular feature throughout the year with an ongoing dialogue to ensure that we are all working together to make improvements.”

The proposed South Stand at the Memorial Stadium has yet to be granted planning permission – image: Bristol Rovers

Councillor for Bishopston & Ashley Down and Bristol Green group leader, Emma Edwards, has previously called-in the application for the South Stand meaning that planning permission needs to be decided by elected councillors not coucil officers.

She said: “After meeting with Rovers they have agreed that they need to do more to work with the local community and I was pleased to attend the first community meeting they arranged.

“However, work still needs to be done. A lot of trust has broken down, especially as the stand is still being built without the proper permissions.

“I will be happy to help as ward councillor in building up this relationship, so that the community feel heard and specific issues can be addressed.”

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read next:

• Anger as Rovers start building new stand without planning
• Rovers CEO says there have been ‘frustrations’ with South Stand
  
• ‘The Green Party’s approach to City and Rovers’ plans raises concerns for the future’
• ‘Labour are using Bristol Rovers’ new stand as a political football’

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