Evidence battle on stadium

Campaigners hoping to save Cannock Stadium from closure have swapped evidence for next month's public inquiry with council officers.

The Save our Stadium group, which is being led by Labour councillors and Cannock Council itself, handed over files to each other at the same time yesterday to give both sides the chance to prepare for the inquiry, which was launched by the Government after the council granted permission to itself to sell the Pye Green Road stadium and its land for housing.

The inquiry will start on July 15 and last for four days. The decision was a contravention of the council's green spaces policy and so the Government called in the decision for further scrutiny.

The ruling Lib Dem and Conservative administration have condemned the inquiry as a "political inquisition."

The council's £20 million leisure village plan, which will see leisure facilities including Chase Leisure Centre and the Prince of Wales re-vamped, is on hold until the outcome of the inquiry.

Council leader Neil Stanley said the inquiry and its delays to the leisure vision could lose the authority over £1 million.

Save our Stadium Co-ordinator Councillor Chris Mitchell said: "All of us in the team at SOS have been working hard to collect evidence and witness statements to present to the inspector on July 15. Today is the day when this will be passed over to Cannock Chase Council and the planning inspectorate.