Page 24 - link magazine

24 FOREST OR STADIUM'

Regeneration of challenging sites. How St Modwen Properties see the project

by Anthony Glossop. Chairman of St. Modwen Properties PLC
St. Modwen Properties PLC is an nity forest. This approach doe
experienced property developer, Much work is leave us open to the crit
whose whole business is based on required be- cism that we do not hay
genuine hands-on regeneration of fore a safe all the answers at the ou
challenging sites. It also has experi- high-quality set, but if we did, then w
ence of relocating a football stadium. community would probably not b
We developed Britannia Stadium, forest could be genuinely consulting.
the home of Stoke City Football Club, created. Our What I can assure yo
on Trentham Lakes, a 450 acre mixed scheme would is that there is no hidde
use development which was formerly inevitably re- deal. There is no undit
a colliery. solve those is- closed agreement bs
When we first spoke to Swindon sues. tween the council and th
Town Football Club, we were excited We ex- football club or ourselves
at the potential opportunity. There pected that a Our commitment to cor
appeared to be widespread accept- proposal in- sultation is genuine.
ance that Swindon Town deserved a volving a foot- Our reading of the sits
better stadium and by co-locating the ball stadium ation so far is that:
cricket ground, the athletics facility would attract • there are real concern
and other sports opportunities, we some opposi- about locating a stadiur
could create a Sports Village that ti on. Weexpe- at Shaw Tip, but
would probably be unique in the coun- rienced the Bill Oliver, managing director of St Modwen 's Properties, explaining the • there is a wide recogn
try. same at Bri- proposal at the 29 April consultation at Roughmoor Social Hall tion that a new stadium i
Shaw Tip was not selected as a tannia Sta- required somewhere;
location by us. It had been identified dium. no genuine consultation. • there is concern about the poter
at some earlier stage. However, we Concerns about noise, light pol- Our approach is to put a concept ti al loss of a community forest;
could see considerable attractions: lution, traffic, football spectators into the public arena. listen to what is • subject to the above, the concer
• It was large enough to encompass and on-street parking are real and said and then improve the scheme of a Sports Village had good sup
the whole Sports Village; would need to be addressed as the in the light of what we learn. That is port;
• whilst it had been identified as a scheme was worked-up. what we are now doing. We will then • much more information on the de
community forest, we felt that we What has happened so far is a re-consult with more detail on what- tails of any proposal is needed be
could combine aspects of that with very early stage in a consultation ever emerges from that consultation fore any final or meaningful decisio
the Sports Village; process. We do not believe in com- process. can be made.
• Shaw Tip as it stands is a long way ing forward with a fait accompli
from being completed as a commu- because to do so means there is
The Liberal Democrats perspective
From Councillor Mike Evemy, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
The Liberal Democrats do not support specific location. The appearance c
^_ Studley Grange
the Swindon Town FC/St Modwen pro- Coun Mike Bawden, the Conservativ,
garden & leisure park posals to create a 'sporting village' on Leader of the Council, at the pres
the former Shaw Forest Country Park. conference held by STFC and S
Comments attributed to two Liberal Modwen to announce their plans was
Democrat councillors about the oppor- in my view, a serious misjudgement of
You can walk among hundreds of the world's
tunities forthe County Ground site and his part. It has given the appearance
most beautiful butterflies.
the concept of a sporting village do not that the council is supportive on thi
mean that those councillors or the Lib plans when no formal discussion ha:
Dem council group support the forest taken place amongst members.
park location. What will Liberal Democrat council
As landowner, the council is legally lors do when matters come before
obliged to consider any proposal made Cabinet and Planning Committee fo
to it in respect of its land. The council consideration? We will consider all the
is also required to consider any appli- evidence put forward by developer
cation for development through its plan- objectors and other interested partie
ning process. The council has neither as we are legally obliged to do. But, w
considered the STFC/St Modwen pro- will approach the decision from a vie
posals nor has it received an applica- point which seeks to preserve an
tion for construction of a stadium or enhance the environmental amenity
any other sporting facility on the Shaw residents.
Open daily
This cannot be said of Labour an
Summer: 10am - 6p ^-^ forest site. As councillors, we are re- Conservative councillors, who hay
quired to fairly consider any proposals
Winter gam dusk
. put forward to us without pre-judging supported greenfield developments
Season tickets available Full disabled access
Tailored educational visits - Group visits welcome the outcome. If we are deemed to have Junction 15 in Swindon's rural buff
Large gift shop - Free parking for cars and coaches a
pre-judged our position, then we can (the new GWH), the Front Garden an
Tel : 01793 852400 info : stud leygrange.co.uk be legally disbarred from discussion or most recently, the plan for the devel
voting on any proposals. opment of a Bath University scienc
So why does it appear that the coun- park and housing at Coate. The recor
cil is supporting the proposals? State- of Labour and Conservative council
\ i LLJ
ments on the council's website make it lors alike is to support large greenfiel
E r Free Admission clear that no decisions have been taken development in Swindon. The Liber
r
.
At Studley Grange t -.f. ( al.a. there is a
a..., and that the council supports only the Democrats are proud to have a recor
range of beautiful and interesting
L
` ° a handcrafted gifts, many of which are skillfully principle of a move for STFC, not any of opposing them.
_ o created on site. Not only a great place to shop
_ but also an Interesting and
interactive experrience.
Tef: 01793 854606
Studley Grange Garden & Leisure Park, Hay Lane, Swindon, Wilts SN4 90T