Public urged to have say on stadium

People are urged to use their voices over the plans for a Staffordshire stadium before it is too late.

Labour Councillor Gordon Alcott is urging people to come to a public inquiry on July 15 over Cannock Stadium.

He wants them to put their views about the multi-million pound plans to sell off the stadium on Pye Green Road to developers and unlock around £20 million to be ploughed into leisure facilities elsewhere in the district. He said he wanted people who signed the petition to attend.

"What we want is for people who live near to the stadium, who signed the petition against the plans, to make their voices known.

"This is their opportunity to put forward their objections in front of an inspector, whether individually or collectively.

"It's no good coming back to us after the inquiry and saying I wish it hadn't gone through – it will be too late."

He said that objections that needed to be addressed included whether the road and utilities infrastructure could cope with the extra houses as well as issues about if there were enough school places to cater for the influx of families to the area.

"It's been a place for people to run, jump or do whatever in since the 1950s and to lose it to the general public would be a sad loss if it's just to build houses.

"On July 15, people will have the opportunity to voice either their opposition or support for it.

"If they don't and it all comes to fruition it will be too late to do anything."

The inquiry is expected to last for four days.

Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for communities and local government, said an inquiry was needed because it involved developing more than 350 homes.

The council ruling Tory/Lib-Dem coalition criticised the inquiry, saying it could delay the project by up to a year, jeopardising the future of the district's leisure facilities and costing taxpayers around £1million.

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