Cray Wanderers FC fail with Sandy Lane stadium bid

[RalphC]

Councillors unanimously rejected Cray Wanderers FC’s new stadium plans at a planning meeting on Thursday (20).

 

The second oldest football club in the world had been hoping to move back to its spiritual home in St Paul’s Cray by building a 5,153-seat stadium in Sandy Lane with 182 homes.

 

A disappointed Cray Wanderers chairman Gary Hillman spoke to News Shopper after the meeting.

 

He said: "The council does not understand football.

 

"We have not had any communication with them telling us what they want."

 

Bromley Council threw out the plans for a number of reasons including the fact the proposed site is on green belt land and is next to a "site of special scientific interest".

 

Ecological and nature conservation measures outline there should be a buffer zone between the development footprint and the boundary of Ruxley gravel pits - a registered SSSI.

 

These old gravel workings are an oasis for wildlife from encroaching industrial, housing and road development.

 

Councillors also deemed a 5,000 plus seat stadium unnecessarily large for a club in the seventh tier of English football - the Ryman Isthmian Premier League.

 

But Mr Hillman claims that if the club had proposed a smaller stadium, councillors would have still had issues with the site.

 

He said: "Whether it is a 500 seater stadium, 2,000 or a 3,000 it does not make any difference you still need changing rooms, showers and everything else a football stadium needs.

 

"And would you call that site one of outstanding natural beauty?"

 

Meanwhile, Councillor Peter Fortune said 90 per cent of the responses he received opposed the plans because of the idea of more development on green belt land.

 

He added: "The response of local residents has instructed us to say that we have to reject this plan."

 

Cllr Fookes admitted if the stadium had been of a smaller size he may have voted differently.

 

Mr Hillman says he will consider his next move soon.

 

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/9943163.Cray_Wanderers_FC_fail_with_Sandy_Lane_stadium_bid/

[JgFc]

They shared at Oxford Road for years, surely it would be more prudent and cheaper to develop/improve there More seats, a tidy up and improved floodlighting would probably have been less than the reported 150k to submit planning for Ruxley. Plus theres lots of houses near the ground and businesses in sidcup to pull in as advertising.

 

 

 

Sandy lane has nothing next to the ground .Maybe they could share at VCD or Cray Valley in 2014 if they dont want to go back to Oxford Road.

 

5000 plus stadium is a bit overkill, was their last home attendance 92 people in the FA Cup?