News: Rotherham United submit stadium plans

Rotherham United has submitted its formal outline planning application for its new 12,000 all-seater stadium on the former Guest & Chrimes site on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

The application includes an Environmental Impact Assessment which looks at all the technical issues surrounding the construction of the stadium and car parking as well as giving some initial indications as to how the new stadium will look.

Project managers, Gleeds, planning consultants, Signet planning and architects, The Miller Partnership have been preparing the application for five months during which there have been detailed discussions with officers of Rothehram Council, as well as an extensive public consultation exercise that included the exhibition of the plans in Rotherham Library.

Tony Stewart, Rotherham United chairman told the club's offical site: "This week has been another big step forward as we look to move back into Rotherham within the next two years.

"We are convinced that the site at the old Guest and Chrimes foundry is the perfect location for our new stadium. The site ticks all the relevant boxes and I am very excited to put forward the plans that have taken months of hard work and effort to put together.

"We still have work to do but we are moving closer and closer to having something very special that not only can the whole town be proud of, it will also benefit the wider community too."

Council officers are currently going through all the detailed technical information and a full-scale public consultation exercise on the application will commence shortly when people will be given another opportunity to comment on the proposals.

It is hoped that the planning application will be determined in the Autumn so that the next stages of the process, which will include the detailed proposals for the design of the stadium, can take place.

This will allow the new stadium to be built for the start of the 2012/13 season.

Rotherham United website

Images: Signet Planning