News: Planners back Rotherham United Community Stadium application

Members of the planning board at Rotherham Council have been recommended to approve the outline application submitted by Rotherham United for a community stadium on the edge of the town centre.

The club submitted its formal outline planning application for the new 12,000 all-seater stadium in July and is confident of a favourable decision at the meeting of the planning board on November 25.

Details of the planning application can be found here.

In the report to the board, Senior Planner and case officer, Sandra Siner has recommended that the application be referred to the Secretary of State for confirmation and if they decide not to intervene then planning permission be granted subject to a number of conditions.

Planning consultants, Signet Planning worked on the outline plans that show how the stadium will be located at the Guest and Chrimes and Gloystarne site.

Also assessed are plans for design and access and environmental assessments looking at the impacts on flooding, noise, transport, ecology and listed buildings.

The report concludes that the benefits of a stadium development outweigh any negatives and states that the site is appropriate for a stadium despite it being allocated as business use in the borough's development plan. It also states that the site is sequentially preferable to other sites in the borough, including Millmoor.

Other benefits are highlighted including employment opportunities, a positive impact on the town centre with increased visitors and trade, bringing a brownfield site back into use, improved public realm and landscaping, bringing forward a flood protection scheme, protecting the biodiversity of the site and creating space for community use.

The site is also considered to be in an accessible sustainable location, close to the town centre and its railway station and bus interchange.

Access is one of the biggest issues with the South Yorkshire Police raising concerns over what they describe as "an island site". The report outlines how another access point in addition to Don Street is required but the applicant discounted a bridge over the River Don to Sheffield Road / Westgate as not being economically viable.

A condition of approval has been agreed by the club that would see a second vehicular / pedestrian access road to Main Street created adjacent to the railway line at the North West of the site.

An Events Management Plan will also need to be put in place to ensure there are no access problems on match days.

In the interests of road safety and concerns over the build up of traffic at peak times at Main Street roundabout, a condition is also included that would restrict the use of the 500 space car park so that it cannot be utilised by the general public, unless attending a football match, at any time.

The Rotherham Civic Society and English Heritage did not object to the stadium development but raised the issue of its impact on the listed building on the site. The planner's report concluded that the development would have a negligible impact on the listed Guest and Chrimes building and bring significant benefits, including immediate benefits to the protection of the listed building, especially against the threat of flooding.

A condition is included to require details be submitted on how the proposed development links into the listed building, and how the proposal will help preserve and enhance the building until it can ultimately be brought back into use.

Separate planning applications are expected regarding the listed building as well as for raising the land levels for flood protection and any additional community and other uses on the site.

Detailed plans and a reserved matters application will now be submitted, and with construction estimated to take 12 - 14 months, the club hopes that the new stadium will be built for the start of the 2012/13 season.

Rotherham United website
Planner's report

Images: Rotherham United / Signet Planning