Culture Ministers back Community Stadium

Don’t wait: Sign the petition online now

The shadow minister for Culture has backed the new community stadium for York – and called on City of York council to do the same.

Ed Vaizey, a member of the Conservative shadow cabinet, also explained why it was so important that local government did the same, adding that council leadership would make the job “ten times easier”.

When questioned about using central government funding on the project, Mr Vaizey, as Minister for Culture, Media and Sport said that should the Conservatives get into power the government would “be delighted to work with City of York Council to make this project happen.”

Ed Vaizey interview

This follows pledges of support made by the all of the major party candidates in both the York Central and York Outer constituencies.

We call upon local politicans to heed his advise and back a new stadium for the city. Members of the shadow cabinet can see the worth of this project – but it can feel that some members of our own council are not as enthusiastic.

Mr Vaizey is president of a football club in his own community, Didcot Town who with the support of their council recently built a new ground. Mr Vaizey recognises the need to view sports clubs as an asset to the community and how important it is for local government to be involved with sport.

The shadow minister insisted that the new community stadium “should be seen as one of the pillars that maintain that prosperity” and would attract people to the city.

Mr Vaizey has briefed shadow Sports spokesman Hugh Robertson on the project and would be willing to help if City of York Council wants to go ahead. The involvement of Mr Robertson depends on the council giving the project its full backing.

In response to this Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, Ben Bradshaw also sent the following message of support.

“York City has had it’s fair share of issues over the years and it is great to see the club have lost none of their drive and ambition. We completely support the plans for the new stadium to become a community asset. We wish the club every success with a new development and are pleased with the plans to continue to represent the views of their supporters on the main board and to have a community stadium of which the people of York can be rightly proud.”

York is a great city but our sport and leisure facilities are nowhere near adequate and the future of the professional teams is under threat. We know that there is plenty of support in York for a new community stadium – but that nothing can happen without all of the city’s councillors backing the project. Of course in addition to that we need your support.
So if you haven’t already done so, sign the petition now.

Thank you!

Posted in: News

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 2:45 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Culture Ministers back Community Stadium”

Ross Thomson May 6th, 2010 at 3:30 pm

I agree wholeheartedly with the aim, vision and principles of the community stadium, in terms of the club realising the ambition of successfully returning to established league status and for the wider benefits of a burgeoning city.

Latest Centre for Cities reports continue to forecast York as being subject to considerable population growth and external demand, therefore the current constraints on existing infrastructure, employment opportunities and amenities need to be addressed to accommodate and plan for this growth. Though this inevitably impacts on the need for successful delivery of other key projects such as redevelopment of Nestle, Terry’s, York Central, Derwenthorpe and the transport infrastructure. The proposals for a new stadium are aligned to the ambitions of where the city needs to improve, providing enhanced leisure facilities for a city of this size.

However I would like to highlight one note of concern that I hope you can assuage. The move away from Bootham Crescent has long been mooted, prior to previous incumbent’s crass manoeuvrings that have made it something of an inevitability. However the move of the rugby club from Wigginton Road in town to Huntington had a negative impact on attendances for many years and argubly the legacy persists. I have concerns that given the nature of the short-listed sites at Grimston Bar and Monks Cross this would do the same, removing the club from the heart of the community to an isolated edge of town site.

I appreciate that brownfield sites within the urban area are constrained in the city and land prices substantial, given expected end values for high-density residential development. There are issues of transport accessibility and existing land allocations through the Strategic Land Assessment process, however are alternative opportunities, closer to the centre, not being considered?

This could be a legacy for Nestle to the city as employment opportunities integral to the city are relocated elsewhere in the globe. The Nestle existing recreation/ industrial sites along Haxby Road between the complex and New Earswick; industrial sites off Lawrence Street close to Foss Islands Road; the former Grain Store at Rawcliffe; potential development of a sporting complex with both the city’s Universities next to David Lloyd along Lawrence Street or behind the university at Heslington; an extension to Kingsway North along Bootham Stray; Arsenal’s new ground has been developed on a site not a great deal larger than that of the existing Barbican.

I applaud the aims and vision’s of delivering a new stadium for the city, in light of the existing creaking infrastructure, however I am concerned that the city council may deem the only appropriate ‘easy-win’, sites for development on isolated, soulless out of town sites and the impact this would have on removing the club from the city inner area.

I look forward to your feedback and thoughts.

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