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Bristol Rovers new ground
- Thread starter Bez
- Start date
severnside gull
Well-known member
Good. Can they afford to build it?
- Thread starter
- #3
Today was a momentous day for Bristol Rovers as South Gloucestershire Council approved the plans for the new UWE Stadium.
Councillors voted 11-1 in favour of the scheme at a meeting this afternoon.
It was fantastic news for Gasheads everywhere who were glued to twitter as the results came in.
Speaking during the meeting Chairman Nick Higgs said: "This application is a unique partnership between professional sport and education in South Gloucestershire and will bring national recognition to the region, being the first of it's kind in the UK.
"The development will be privately financed without the input of public finance, yet will provide our partners UWE with a much needed replacement car park, which will be shared on event days with the football club.
"In addition the new stadium will provide much needed community facilities, including a gymnasium, convenience store, meeting rooms, banquet hall, bars and a covered jogging track.
"It is essential for the club to develop a new stadium to ensure its sustainable future.
"For decades the club has been searching for a suitable site to build a stadium. Numerous sites have been considered, but none have ultimately been proven to be viable.
"It is therefore imperative to the future of professional sport in the region that the club develops a new stadium with international standard facilties for football and rugby, to encourage success and a sustainable future.
"If the professional clubs prosper and are successful the knock on effect is a huge feel good factor for the area. This is demonstrated by the recent success of Swansea City, Reading and Brighton to name a few.
"Each of these clubs has gained success following the development of their new stadiums. In each case these clubs were in a similar position to Bristol Rovers before their new stadiums were constructed and now entertain top flight Premier League and Championship teams.
"It is our ambition to emulate the success of these clubs, and a new stadium in the club's heartland of South Gloucestershire is the first stage of this process."
The Chairman then went on to say that the club wishes to be a good neighbour and work with the local community.
He said: "We have undertaken extensive consultations and incorporated numerous design changes throughout this time, after listening to the views of local residents, local businesses and South Gloucestershire Council and Highways Departments.
"Where ever possible we have taken on board suggestions and recommendations in an effort to satisfy concerns of all parties and adjusted our proposals accordingly.
"It would be our wish to be a good neighbour and we will continue to work with the local community and businesses to provide a facility which we can all be proud of, to the overall benefit of the region.
"The philosophy of the club has always been to be a valued part of the community and we currently undertake a number of community initiatives without our community department.
"I hope that our application demonstrates the commitment of the club to the future prosperity and wellbeing of the community."
Two local residents spoke against the stadium during the meeting, and a number of issues were also raised by the committee members.
But the council's planning officer and traffic officer were able to clarify a number of issues.
In June last year, the Club and UWE Bristol announced their aspiration to build a new stadium on land near the University's Frenchay Campus. The move would be financed by selling the Memorial Stadium site to Sainsbury's.
A new stadium will not only allow Rovers to build for a better future, it will also act as a boost to the local economy providing community use and employment opportunities.
The plans for the 21,700 all-seated stadium include an extensive club shop, banqueting and hospitality suite, convenience store, gym, jogging track and teaching space.
The economic design of the new stadium will be a bowl design, which makes use of the sloping ground to minimise the height of the structure and the impact on the local skyline, and reduce light and noise pollution.
It will also benefit from excellent transport links, including; the A4174, Abbey Wood and Parkway train stations and excellent bus services and close links to the motorways. There will also be a large car park with space for 1,000 cars and coaches - with additional 1,500 spaces available on the campus if deemed necessary.
Bristol Rugby Club has been offered the opportunity to move to the new ground at UWE Bristol, which has been designed to meet all FIFA and international Rugby Union standards.
The stadium and its high quality recreational and non-recreational facilities will also be available for the students and local community for use on non match days, and the University believe it will help greatly enhance the current 'student experience' as well as creating extra income for the club.
It will also allow Rovers to continue and develop the vital work the club does in the community from both our education centre and the Football in the Community departments.
As well as use of the bars, fitness facilities and the local shop, students will also be offered a range of casual employment opportunities on match days, as well as the chance to buy discounted match tickets. We will also offer packages to local residents.
Staff and students will also be able to use the large car park, which would be used to replace a temporary car park that is currently used by UWE.
This is a momentous day for the club, but we have to remember that this is only half time. We now have to hope that Bristol City Council approve Sainsbury's plans for the current Memorial Stadium site.
An interview with Nick Higgs will be available on Gas Player later this evening
Councillors voted 11-1 in favour of the scheme at a meeting this afternoon.
It was fantastic news for Gasheads everywhere who were glued to twitter as the results came in.
Speaking during the meeting Chairman Nick Higgs said: "This application is a unique partnership between professional sport and education in South Gloucestershire and will bring national recognition to the region, being the first of it's kind in the UK.
"The development will be privately financed without the input of public finance, yet will provide our partners UWE with a much needed replacement car park, which will be shared on event days with the football club.
"In addition the new stadium will provide much needed community facilities, including a gymnasium, convenience store, meeting rooms, banquet hall, bars and a covered jogging track.
"It is essential for the club to develop a new stadium to ensure its sustainable future.
"For decades the club has been searching for a suitable site to build a stadium. Numerous sites have been considered, but none have ultimately been proven to be viable.
"It is therefore imperative to the future of professional sport in the region that the club develops a new stadium with international standard facilties for football and rugby, to encourage success and a sustainable future.
"If the professional clubs prosper and are successful the knock on effect is a huge feel good factor for the area. This is demonstrated by the recent success of Swansea City, Reading and Brighton to name a few.
"Each of these clubs has gained success following the development of their new stadiums. In each case these clubs were in a similar position to Bristol Rovers before their new stadiums were constructed and now entertain top flight Premier League and Championship teams.
"It is our ambition to emulate the success of these clubs, and a new stadium in the club's heartland of South Gloucestershire is the first stage of this process."
The Chairman then went on to say that the club wishes to be a good neighbour and work with the local community.
He said: "We have undertaken extensive consultations and incorporated numerous design changes throughout this time, after listening to the views of local residents, local businesses and South Gloucestershire Council and Highways Departments.
"Where ever possible we have taken on board suggestions and recommendations in an effort to satisfy concerns of all parties and adjusted our proposals accordingly.
"It would be our wish to be a good neighbour and we will continue to work with the local community and businesses to provide a facility which we can all be proud of, to the overall benefit of the region.
"The philosophy of the club has always been to be a valued part of the community and we currently undertake a number of community initiatives without our community department.
"I hope that our application demonstrates the commitment of the club to the future prosperity and wellbeing of the community."
Two local residents spoke against the stadium during the meeting, and a number of issues were also raised by the committee members.
But the council's planning officer and traffic officer were able to clarify a number of issues.
In June last year, the Club and UWE Bristol announced their aspiration to build a new stadium on land near the University's Frenchay Campus. The move would be financed by selling the Memorial Stadium site to Sainsbury's.
A new stadium will not only allow Rovers to build for a better future, it will also act as a boost to the local economy providing community use and employment opportunities.
The plans for the 21,700 all-seated stadium include an extensive club shop, banqueting and hospitality suite, convenience store, gym, jogging track and teaching space.
The economic design of the new stadium will be a bowl design, which makes use of the sloping ground to minimise the height of the structure and the impact on the local skyline, and reduce light and noise pollution.
It will also benefit from excellent transport links, including; the A4174, Abbey Wood and Parkway train stations and excellent bus services and close links to the motorways. There will also be a large car park with space for 1,000 cars and coaches - with additional 1,500 spaces available on the campus if deemed necessary.
Bristol Rugby Club has been offered the opportunity to move to the new ground at UWE Bristol, which has been designed to meet all FIFA and international Rugby Union standards.
The stadium and its high quality recreational and non-recreational facilities will also be available for the students and local community for use on non match days, and the University believe it will help greatly enhance the current 'student experience' as well as creating extra income for the club.
It will also allow Rovers to continue and develop the vital work the club does in the community from both our education centre and the Football in the Community departments.
As well as use of the bars, fitness facilities and the local shop, students will also be offered a range of casual employment opportunities on match days, as well as the chance to buy discounted match tickets. We will also offer packages to local residents.
Staff and students will also be able to use the large car park, which would be used to replace a temporary car park that is currently used by UWE.
This is a momentous day for the club, but we have to remember that this is only half time. We now have to hope that Bristol City Council approve Sainsbury's plans for the current Memorial Stadium site.
An interview with Nick Higgs will be available on Gas Player later this evening
JJB
New member
It's being paid for by UWE I believe and rented back to Bristol.
Horton's halftime iceberg
Blooming Marvellous
Great news
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Good news. Well done the Pirates.
Superseagull
Well-known member
- Jul 8, 2003
- 2,123
Years ago when at UWE I used to watch Rovers play at Bath. Never thought for 1 minute they would end up playing at UWE. Hopefully it will mean they get back on level terms with City.
Good for them but shame its another Bowl
A first look inside Bristol Rovers' new £40m stadium | This is Bristol
A first look inside Bristol Rovers' new £40m stadium | This is Bristol
ees complicated no?
New member
Fantastic news rovers are my 2nd team.
Smith DID score
formerly Harvey's Best
21,700-seater and costing around £40 million apparently.
So is that £20m for the ground and £20m for a new gas works?
BUTTERBALL
East Stand Brighton Boyz
Fantastic. Will Hoskins to return
patchamalbion
Well-known member
great news! i went to UWE, they seem to own half of Bristol.
saafend_seagull
Well-known member
looks like leicesters - stadium with good acoustics
Twinkle Toes
Growing old disgracefully
Good luck to 'em. I've always enjoyed my trips down to Rovers - & a decent modern stadium is no less than they deserve. I look forward to seeing them eventually overtaking their grubby neighbours from t'other side of the city. 
Freddie Goodwin.
Well-known member
Great news for their long suffering fans.
They're very much a similar sized club to us and have a long standing fan base who will come back, just like ours has.
Always seemed good opposition (despite a certain Goldstone game) and I've seen Albion a few times at Eastville but don't recall seeing us losing there.
They're very much a similar sized club to us and have a long standing fan base who will come back, just like ours has.
Always seemed good opposition (despite a certain Goldstone game) and I've seen Albion a few times at Eastville but don't recall seeing us losing there.
This thread has randomly just been pointed out on our forum lads. You were all premature the ground only got officially approved just over 2 weeks ago, it hinged on the current hole aka memorial stadium being turned into a sainsburys which finally the council agreed will happen.
Now as this has a direct link from our forum a few tips about settling into a new ground please, no rush... two years til its done!
Your place gets good reviews from fans ive spoken to who have been, apparantly the roofing is designed well for a cracking atmosphere and you change the beers on sale in the away stand every game?
Anyway as ever all the best fromthe gas and unlucky last week.
Ps Cheers for all the positive comments
Now as this has a direct link from our forum a few tips about settling into a new ground please, no rush... two years til its done!
Your place gets good reviews from fans ive spoken to who have been, apparantly the roofing is designed well for a cracking atmosphere and you change the beers on sale in the away stand every game?
Anyway as ever all the best fromthe gas and unlucky last week.
Ps Cheers for all the positive comments
Smith DID score
formerly Harvey's Best
So are the Rugby Club moving to UWE as well?
Freddie Goodwin.
Well-known member
I was very frustrated when it came to ours taking some 2 years in the actual build, other clubs where whipping up stadia in half that time.
But then, you only build a ground once (well, not often anyway) and the wait was well worth it because we have a quality stadium rather than a 'flat pack'. Having a web cam and people posting regular pictures really helped during the build and Fridays were much anticipated on here as new pictures were posted We all felt so much a part of it throughout.
But then, you only build a ground once (well, not often anyway) and the wait was well worth it because we have a quality stadium rather than a 'flat pack'. Having a web cam and people posting regular pictures really helped during the build and Fridays were much anticipated on here as new pictures were posted We all felt so much a part of it throughout.