New Bristol Rovers football stand sparks anger among neighbours

Bristol Rovers have started building a new stand at the Memorial Stadium without getting planning permission sparking anger among neighbours.

The club is replacing its South Stand at the Mem with thousands of new roof-covered seats.

But people living next to the stadium have complained that Rovers have begun the work before getting planning permission from Bristol City Council.

The council has advised the club that no work should take place before permission is granted, which could take months.

ITV News West Country has contacted Bristol Rovers and asked about the status of the planning application.

The new South Stand will include 3,425 seats, and Rovers initially said it would be ready before the season starts.

But with the first home game on August 12, work is likely to last much longer, raising questions for fans who have already bought tickets for the new seats.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “A planning application is under consideration. The planning enforcement team have advised that works should not take place without the required planning permission in place.”

The pending planning application is attracting a large number of public objections as well as some supporters.

Writing to the council’s planning department, one resident said: “There has not been sufficient consideration to the impact on the community and infrastructure from construction and the increased capacity. Beginning construction before even consulting neighbours is a clear indication that any concerns will be ignored regardless.”

Another resident added: “Due process has not been followed. The development was underway long before permission was sought. It has been a noisy process that has caused issues for neighbours. It would be a disappointment if due process were something that only has to be followed by individuals but is not relevant to larger businesses.”

But several supporters also wrote to the council saying the works should be allowed to take place. They said the upgrades would help the ground get back up to its capacity before the pandemic, which would also provide a boost for local businesses.

One supporter said: “This will help the football club get back to the capacity they had pre-Covid. By doing this it will support the local businesses that the Bristol Rovers fans frequent when watching the game.

“It is not making it larger in the sense of footfall, rather than returning back to previous available headcount. The added traffic would have been the same pre-Covid so no detriment or new experience to the residents who moved next to a football stadium that has been there over 100 years.”

The plans will most likely go to a development control committee at the council, where councillors will vote on whether to approve or refuse permission. If councillors refuse permission, and Rovers have carried on building the stand, the council could order the club to take it down.