Bristol City FC stadium plans suffer setback

Bristol City FC wants to build a 30,000-seater stadium at Ashton Vale Credit: Promotional video

Bristol City Council has dropped its legal challenge to the Ashton Vale village green battle - but not its support for a new Bristol City stadium.

With legal fees rising into the tens of thousands and the process dragging on, the authority has decided to pull out of the judicial review process which would have seen it face its opponents in court.

Instead, an independent inspector is now due to decide on the stadium bid at a planning inquiry, probably in late summer.

Opponents to the stadium are seizing on the move as a step forward in their bid to have the entire site on the edge of Bristol declared a town and village green.

But having already approved the 30,000-seater venue, the council is sticking to its guns.

Bristol City Council had decided to divide the 19acres of land into three Credit: ITV West

Cllr Abraham was chairman of the cross-party Public Rights of Way Committee which last year approved a decision to effectively split the 42-acre site in two with the south half given over to a town green and the north side the stadium.

Opponents have consistently challenged that arrangement.

The only aspect all can agree on is that this saga needs to be sorted as soon as possible. By dropping the legal challenge the council will be hoping that will now happen.

Bristol City Council told our reporter, Richard Payne, their decision was to speed up the debate.

Bristol City Council issued the below statement:

Bristol City FC majority shareholder Steve Lansdown called for Aston Vale's town green status to be removed from all the land Credit: Promotional video