Group vows to keep fighting for stadium

Campaigners who fought the closure of Cannock stadium have vowed to open up a new front in their battle with council bosses.

The Save Our Stadium campaign, which is led by Labour councillors, has said it will carry on despite a decision by the council to demolish it. Campaigners are calling for the demolition plans to be scrapped and for a new community trust scheme to be set up to run the facility.

Ahead of a meeting of the full council, Sport England emailed the authority urging it to consider the community trust option as it did not want to see the facility lost.

Since it was closed last summer the stadium has attracted anti-social behaviour and cost taxpayers thousands of pounds in security costs. The Save Our Stadium group has written to council chief executive Stephen Brown to call for a meeting between the council, Sport England, Stafford and Cannock Athletics Club, Cannock Chase Football League, the Co-operative Society (Leisure) and any other interested party to discuss the possibility of setting up a trust.

In the letter the group also asks for details of bats at the stadium site as well as making a request to re-use the football pitches at the stadium site for the district's football league.

The council lost a planning inquiry to sell the stadium land for housing which would have released millions of pounds to be spent on a range of projects across the district. But the council did win support for housing on the stadium site at a future time.

It is unlikely the council will reconsider its decision or transfer the stadium as the land is a valuable asset for the authority and could be sold in the future.

SOS campaign co-ordinator Councillor Christine Mitchell said: "The decision to demolish Cannock Stadium is nothing more than a wanton act of vandalism.

"It is a disgrace that a venue as well-used and as substantial as the stadium should be demolished."

Chairman of the Save Our Stadium group, Hednesford town councillor Alan Pearson added: "I have had many residents asking me about the stadium and calling for it to be re-opened. People were not happy about the closure in the beginning and replacement facilities are not turning out to be suitable for various groups, such as Cannock Chase Football League."

Council leader Neil Stanley said: "They want us to get rid of a piece of land which has significant value.

"Any trust has got to be in a position to fund the restoration plus the running costs of the stadium. It is not a realistic proposition.

"The council has already made its decision and it is time Labour stopped trying to con people and see the bigger picture which is how we keep open the more significant leisure facilities like Cannock Leisure Centre."