This is not the end of the road

As expected, Leamington Football Club’s home, the New Windmill Ground, was chosen recently by Warwick District Council as one of the sites to meet the assessed need for 25 gypsy and traveller pitches in the next five years.

Following representations on the night, including from fan’s organisation the Brakes Trust, the executive did put forward an 11th hour motion committing not to use compulsory purchase powers, but overruled all the objections, including my request to the chief executive Chris Elliott to defer consideration of the report.

Despite the fact that shareholders, who have a majority vote, have said that they will not support a sale and Mr Elliott admitting on local radio that the timescale is tight to secure and develop a new ground, councillors nevertheless voted to press ahead.

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Not that fans of Leamington FC are alone in their frustration and annoyance with the council, as a new site in Stratford Road Warwick came out of the blue, having not been included in any of the options in the long and short lists that were subject to consultation. Residents of Chase Meadow have every right to be upset as well.

One can’t help feeling that the council was so desperate to get its Local Plan signed off that it was willing to include any sites that made up the numbers, irrespective of the practicalities and views expressed.

I believe that the process has been flawed and the council’s approach will be found wanting by the Government. This is not the end of the road and I have asked Mr Elliott what the next step in the process is so that shareholders of the club can lodge further objections.

David Hucker, Wimpstone, Stratford upon Avon