Favour please

[Knipples]

Hello lovely people, I need a favour.

As most of you know, I am quite heavily involved in doing bits and bobs for Bristol City football club, and late last week we were hit with the news that our new stadium is now in doubt. I am going to copy and paste the blurb as to the reasons why because I cant put it into words without getting upset.


Plans for a new World Cup stadium for Bristol are under threat from attempts to classify the site as a village green. This would mean that the stadium cannot be built. It would mean that Bristol would lose out on the opportunity to host World Cup football.

Thousands of jobs would be lost for local people. Millions of £££s would be lost to the local area. The majority of people in Bristol and further afield - would lose out.

Bristol City Council will make the final decision. They need to know that you and everyone else in the city and indeed further afield wants a new stadium not a village green. Please let them know that you're behind them!

22 nimbys are basically exploiting a loophole in the law which allows for them to request that any piece of land (in this case 42 acres) to be made a town green. In Bristol Citys case this land was once a landfill, and is by no means a "village green" however the future for our new stadium is not looking good. Therefore I am wondering if you would do me this one teeny favour and sign the petition I am linking to in this post. Also if anyone wants to spread the link to the petition via twitter/facebook etc to try and get more signatures, that would be brilliant.

It doesnt matter that you aren't from Bristol, the bigger the audience signing this petition the better. We need Bristol City Council to sit up and take notice of how much people want a new stadium. They have to make the difficult decision to over rule the report, and say yes to our new stadium. We collected over 2500 signatures at last Saturdays game, which for a few hours work is pretty darn good. People were queuing up to sign, which just shows how strong the feeling is.

Sorry to witter on, I appreciate that quite a few of us on here aren't into football, but I just wanted to explain things incase you felt like helping me out. Please help me :)

Here's the link to the petition.

http://epetitions.bristol.gov.uk/epetition_core/view/stadium_not_green

Also if you want to, we have made this You Tube Video to help explain things as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZZqNFrRVGg

Thankyou, and I will shut up now.

[Tiggy]

Just signed the petition hun xx

[Briggykins]

If I sign, would the mighty Argyle have less of a chance of hosting a World Cup game?
Eh, I'll sign anyway. The way things are going we'll be lucky to be hosting League One games.

[Kitten]

Done x

[Desmo]

Done :)

[Dymetrie]

Signed for you, as well, miss :)

Definitely a worthy petition!

[Mark]

Done.

Seems to be a lot of these village green applications going in - we've had one around here. I see the Green Party are supporting it. :/

[Dymetrie]

Done.

Seems to be a lot of these village green applications going in - we've had one around here. I see the Green Party are supporting it. :/

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA

Oh, wait.

Srs?

[Stan_Lite]

Signed. I hope you get your stadium :)

[Tak]

Done :)

[Mark]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA

Oh, wait.

Srs?

Yes, and yes. Great minds and all that! :)

[Matblack]

I watched the video you posted on Facebook this morning and I have to say it's impressive stuff, very well put together.

It did however make me wonder how I would feel as a resident of an area being told that a stadium would be built next door to my house. for many sports fans I doubt this would be a problem but having seen the kind of chaos which takes place in Gillingham on a match day from traffic, fights and litter I'd be a little wary.

If I were say an older person who had no idea that they might be situated next to a football stadium when I bought my house, now trapped because the proximity of the new development had reduced the resale value of my home, then I might use any powers at my disposal to try and stop the progress.

There is obviously a need in the town but I think this may be a case of many voices drowning out the few, the few will have to live next to the stadium and the many will only be visiting once a fortnight. NIMBYs are a pain in the arse but they often have a very good point.

I'd be keen to know before I put my name to anything what steps had been taken to protect people in this situation? The stadium plans look great, with a park and a music venue, it's just what Bristol needs and I'd gladly sign if there is some reassurance that residents would be compensated.

MB

[Knipples]

Sorry Matt, I wanted to be at home so I could reply to you properly.

This site that their houses are in proximity to used to be a landfill, the land is contaminated with waste (something that the football club will have to sort out) and indeed up until the mid 90's was still being used to dump rubbish on. I dont know if any of the residents were complaining about its use then, but I am fairly certain they wouldn't have liked living next door to a rubbish dump.

Since then it has just been left barren, apart from it being used occasionally when pieces of it were rented out to local farmers for their animals to graze on. I've been on the site and there are indeed still cow pats lying about, I don't know how long they take to degrade but wouldn't have thought it would be years (this in itself means the land can't be a village green)

Those people living in the area will have a new wildlife reserve created for them properly (instead of it being a contaminated boggy ex landfill field) as well as having the massive green space of Ashton Court less than 200 yards away.

Everyone is agreed that this is the ONLY space of suitable size in the right area that the stadium can be built on, the land has been owned by our chairman for several years now, so these people have in effect been trespassing when they walk the odd dog on it. The local people were consulted at every stage, in fact many are now contacting the football club to offer their support and evidence about the lack of ability to call it a "village green"

These people have exploited a loop hole discovered by those people who are trying to protect genuine village greens (for example little spaces in the middle of villages which quite rightly need protecting) but nothing of this size ever before.

I hope that answers your questions, please feel free to ask anything else and a huge thankyou to those of you on here who have already signed it. (just under 3000 people have signed it in the last 24 hours.) I really do appreciate it. :)

[Matblack]

It's good information however it doesn't really answer the question of how these people will be compensated for having to live next to a potentially very busy and noisey facility. To me being the only site is fine as long as the people who are effected have the chance to move or be compensated. Maybe no one lives close enough to be effected in which case I think it's hugely unfair to try and get a space declared a village green. What I am saying is that is maybe the only weapon they feel they have left in their armory to defend themselves and desperate people will clutch at anything which might save them or their homes. As I said I'll gladly sign it but maybe these NIMBYs are just trying to protect their way of life? I may of course be talking out of my arse but as a non football fan I know how I'd feel if someone decided they wanted to build a stadium at the end of my road :)

MB

[Knipples]

It wont be literally on their doorstep no, granted it will be nearer to their homes than the current stadium is (i'd be happy to try and hunt down some google earth maps etc) but yes I think its a desperate step when its the only thing they have left to do after the council granted the planning permission. Plus our chairman bought the land several years ago and had the land use changed so that it could be built on, and none of them objected then plus they've had 5 years plus to move if they wanted. The stadium is going to be as far away from the houses as it possibly can be.

Shout if you want any maps, I don't always explain things very well, partly because I know what I want to say but can't word it, and partly because this whole situation just makes me so sad and angry at the same time after all the hard work everyone has been put in. :)

[Glaucus]

Will sign this tomorrow. Bristol needs a stadium to host all manner of events, which is part of the proposal. I can not believe the struggle they have had with this. It is ridiculous.

[Garp]

Signed it. Over 3,260 signatories so far :)

[leowyatt]

did this yesterday

[Glaucus]

done...

God damn Bristol needs a proper stadium.

[Knipples]

Thankyou.

Just to make people aware, they need to activate their signature by opening the email they receive after they have signed. It may be in your spam folder. :)

Cheers everyone, 3643 signatures as of just now, so more than 6000 in total.

[Psymonkee]

Done :)

[Knipples]

Thanking yee still people. Petition has smashed through the 5000 barrier today, with an average of 3.5 people signing it per minute.

The club are attempting to put this on the national stage now as well

http://www.bcfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10327~2163045,00.html

If any of you know anyone who is a football fan, please can you send them this way. :)