West Country (E) Ashton Vale News

The club will submit plans in the summer to redevelop Ashton Gate into a 26,000-seater, multi-purpose stadium which will be shared with Bristol Rugby Club. The club has struggled to get full approval for a brand new stadium at Ashton Vale.

In a letter on the club's website, the Managing Director John Lansdown says the plans would be deliverable in three years. They include:

• Completely new stands built where the Wedlock and Williams stands are currently sited
• Complete renovation of Dolman Stand and improvement of Atyeo Stand
• New on-site museum of sport, shop and 'Wedlock's Pub'

• UK
• John Lansdown
• Bristol City Football Club

A decision on whether land in Bristol should be made into a village green has been delayed for a year.

The application for the green at Ashton Vale has been submitted to Bristol City Council. Bristol City Football Club want to build a new 30,000 seat stadium there.

An independent inspector overseeing the inquiry met with representatives from both sides of the dispute yesterday.

Having listened to representations about the arrangements for this inquiry, the earliest date identified yesterday for it to re-convene was 7th October 2013.

As this date would mean a further year or more of uncertainty and indecision, the newly-elected Mayor of Bristol has today called publicly on all parties to urgently reconsider the matter, in the public interest, and to come back before the end of this week with fresh proposals to ensure that the inquiry is instead completed early in the New Year.

• UK
• Bristol City
• Ashton Vale

Bristol City Council has today confirmed that it will be referring back the matter of whether or not the disputed land in Ashton Vale should become registered as a Town and Village Green to the original expert independent inspector, barrister Ross Crail.

A planned High Court hearing over the disputed future use of the land at Ashton Vale had been dropped after an 11th-hour agreement, last month. The Council has since been consulting on how best to refer the matter to an independent inspector.

The independent inspector will review the matter and produce a report with recommendations by the end of August.

• UK
• Ashton Vale
• Bristol City Council

Peter Crispin, spokesman for Save Ashton Vale's Environment, told The West Country Tonight:

"I'm pleased the judicial review hasn't got to take place It should never have got this far, this decision should have been reached a long time ago. Commonsense has prevailed..."

"I would have been happier if the council had stuck to what they originally planned. It seems like one side's got a limitless pot of money and it's trying to run our side out."

• UK
• football
• Bristol City

Bristol City Council tell me their decision not to contest legal challenge on Ashton Vale is aimed at deciding stadium row more quickly.

From @richardpayneitv on Twitter: ( 8:01 am, Fri 04 May 2012)

• UK
• Ashton Vale
• Bristol City Council

Bristol City Council has dropped its defence over the future of Ashton Vale, where Bristol City FC wants to build its new stadium.

The decision will mean the council will now commission an independent inspector to hold another public inquiry over the future of the site.

• UK
• Ashton Vale
• Bristol City Council