Inquiry into stadium sale

Cannock Chase Council's £20 million plan to invest in the district's leisure facilities is on a knife edge today after the Government demanded an inquiry into the plan to sell Cannock Stadium.

The decision by Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State, has thrown the council's entire leisure strategy into jeopardy and council leader Neil Stanley has said the delay in selling the stadium will now cost the authority £1 million.

The sale of the Pye Green Road stadium and its land is the main cash generator for the council's ambitious plans to rebuild Cannock Leisure Centre, the Prince of Wales Centre and provide improved facilities across the district.

Bosses at the council have already promoted the stadium land to developers and had hoped to sell it by the start of summer.

A local inquiry will now be held where a planning inspector will look in detail at the plans either by written evidence or as a full public inquiry with evidence and witnesses.

A delay in selling the stadium to housing developers last September has already cost the authority £560,000.

No timetable has been released over when the inquiry will take place but it is thought it could take as long as a year.

Labour Councillor Chris Mitchell, who sent a dossier of evidence against the plan to the Government said: "I have said from the beginning there are better ways to do what they want other than selling the stadium."

Council leader Neil Stanley said: "We are confident we can win the inquiry. The delay is the problem and the council has to pay the inquiry costs whether we win or not."