New Stadium Plans - The Triangle - Planning

[BicesterU]

I highly dislike the Tories, but Cllr Walker has done a superb job and has fought our corner every step of the way. He's a hero. I would definitely vote for him in a local capacity because he stands for what I believe in regarding the stadium.

Make your own judgments about Cllr Walker and the Conservative's motivations, but he was first elected to OCC in May 2017, and up to the 2021 elections Oxfordshire County Council had had Conservative leaders since at least 2001.

An Oxford Mail article dated October 2019 says: "The club have noticeably stepped up efforts to find a solution over the past 12 months..."

Those 'past 12 months' would've started just over a year into Cllr Walker's term as an OCC Councillor; surely an ideal time for an OUFC mega-fan to step up to the helm and do whatever possible to help the club..

Yet these are the results you get when you try and find out what he was up to on this front during the six months prior to his election, and during his full first term - a time when his party was in control of the council.

 

[BicesterU]

They're standing against each other to give the impression they're not the same party but I'd be interested to know if anyone has received campaign literature from both a Green AND a LibDem in the areas where both parties are standing?

Until the alliance they're in is formally dissolved we must treat them as one and the same party.

Doesn't standing against each other increase the likelihood that neither will get in?

I would've thought that the very vocal minority driving the anti-stadium agenda will have influenced a slightly bigger minority in to believeing they are well informed on this when they are not.

But there will also be a considerable chunk of the Kidlington community who - much like within our own community - don't pay as much attention as they should, or don't engage, or think it doesn't matter that much, whose voting won't be impacted very much by stadium plans.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Ps .. All isee now Is Linda Ward posters..
Annoying !!!very annoying!!!

Any LibDem posters or are they not actively campaigning against each other?

 

[LowerSouth]

Any LibDem posters or are they not actively campaigning against each other?

 

[Dillon]

I take the time to read through each batch of responses that appear on the planning portal. I skim read most of them, due to the sheer volume, but pay particular attention to those from OX5 and OX2, and to those objecting and there are a few things that I've noticed (about the objectors).

Their writing style is often so arrogant and pompous. They refer to us as thugs and louts (yes, these words have been used) and often refer to the unruly, and drunken, behaviour that they are so sure is going to happen. They call the club liars, and almost to a man (although the majority of objectors seem to be female) repeat the FOSB mantra that we can stay at The Kassam. They dismiss out of hand that fans will use the public transport network, claiming that there is no evidence, and obviously thinking that they know best.

There are too many inaccuracies to mention, but one that keeps popping up is that there will be 580 events a year, meaning 580 road closures. A few have even said that there will be 580 events of 16,000 people each time, and some have increased the stadium capacity to 18,000 or 19,000 to make it seem worse. They often mention intolerable noise from the concerts that they are sure will happen, even though the club have said they won't. There is frequent mention of the "foreign owners" and that they will obviously create a Kassam Stadium Mark II situation, and they often refer to us as a bankrupt football club that is going to leave a half finished shell of a stadium on the site. They keep referencing that all of our support is from East Oxford and that we don't belong in their area. Oh, and the way they refer to Kidligton as some quaint Cotswold village is laughable.

Overall, I find myself veering from apocalyptically angry to totally dispirited when reading their responses, and what they think of us. But my heart is lifted by the huge number of supportive comments on the portal, that far exceed these small minded NIMBYS.

I had a conversation with someone very close to the project yesterday, who is extremely confident that it will get the go ahead. More than ever I look forward to shutting some of these "vinegary" people up once the stadium is built.

Kidlington is far from being a quaint English village. There is a lot of crime within the village and drugs are a problem. Why the respondents quote “foreign owners” is a conundrum as a large part of the residents of Kidlington are in fact people from other countries. There are many reports of young people being robbed and in some cases assaulted. At times I fear for those who support football having to travel through the “town”

 

[holdsteady]

Kidlington is far from being a quaint English village. There is a lot of crime within the village and drugs are a problem. Why the respondents quote “foreign owners” is a conundrum as a large part of the residents of Kidlington are in fact people from other countries. There are many reports of young people being robbed and in some cases assaulted. At times I fear for those who support football having to travel through the “town”

Hopefully our presence will help lower the crime rate and bring some money into the area, both Headington and Greater Leys have benefited from the football club, we just have to hope that it can help Kidlington turn itself round from the mess made of the place by KPC.

 

[Bitter]

Got mine in finally over the weekend. Have to admit, I tried to go into it with my head and highlight the benefits in the proposal, but the heart took over quite quickly

"I am writing to support the proposals for a new stadium on the Triangle site. As a Brackley resident, the new site allows me to very easily get to and from the stadium via public transport thanks to the excellent train links from Bicester to Oxford Parkway. Currently it takes me around 3 hours to travel via public transport to the Kassam Stadium, despite it only being 28 miles from my home. Naturally this is untenable and so car is the only option. The public transport links to the Kassam are poor and encourages fans to drive - the Kassam is currently one of the worst stadiums in the country in terms of accessibility via public transport. The new site would be in the top 3 best stadiums in the country in terms of accessibility via public transport, and would naturally encourage all fans, home and away, to utilise the excellent travel options.

What concerns me the most, however, is the damage that could be caused by the stadium not being given the go ahead. Make no mistake, if the stadium is denied, Oxford United WILL fold. No stadium = no club. Whilst the continued existence of a 130 year old Oxfordshire institute may not matter to a few, it matters a great deal to many. It's not just about football. It's about togetherness, it's about community, it's about having a home.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that OUFC saved my life. In 2010 I was in the midst of a mental health crisis. I suffered from crippling depression and anxiety, and had attempted to take my life on more than one occasion. On May 16th 2010, Oxford United were set to play at Wembley in the Conference playoff final. I had decided that this would be my last hurrah. One last experience before I go. But that's not what happened. Instead, I sat among 30,000 fellow yellows watching that third goal go in, and for the first time in 2 years I felt genuine peace and happiness. I felt I belonged. That day, this club, those fans - they showed me why life was worth living and despite planning to take my life after that final, instead I did not attempt again. 14 years later I could not be more thankful for that day, and I cannot wait to take my two children to the first game at the Triangle to show them how important and how special this club is.

This is what is at risk of being lost if the stadium is not given the go ahead. This isn't about politics, this is about saving the life of a special football club - the way it once saved mine. I implore you to give the stadium the go ahead, save my club and save one of the biggest and best institutions in Oxfordshire."

I think that is quite powerful.

 

[unification]

Suzanne and Vicky are ONLY Green candidates to fight the stadium.

Zero interest in anything else.

Suzanne has stood as an independent for G&WE.

Her political allegiances are namely to the 'Suzanne McIvor Fun Sponge Alliance'. She would ally with anyone if it stopped anything ever being built within a 5 mile radius of her house.

EDIT. You weren't wrong about IM going on the offensive this week. He's been all over Nextdoor lately. Not even bothering to log in as 'Stuart S' either!

 

[Scrongo]

Any LibDem posters or are they not actively campaigning against each other?

I'm not quite so sure, a few years back before this pathetic lib dem, green alliance, it was all lib dem around my part of Kidlington. Now it's all green party, their games together are definitely paying off in my opinion. Only one set of lib dem posters this year,that's all I've seen.. compared to usual .

 

[Concretebob]

Make your own judgments about Cllr Walker and the Conservative's motivations, but he was first elected to OCC in May 2017, and up to the 2021 elections Oxfordshire County Council had had Conservative leaders since at least 2001.

An Oxford Mail article dated October 2019 says: "The club have noticeably stepped up efforts to find a solution over the past 12 months..."

Those 'past 12 months' would've started just over a year into Cllr Walker's term as an OCC Councillor; surely an ideal time for an OUFC mega-fan to step up to the helm and do whatever possible to help the club..

Yet these are the results you get when you try and find out what he was up to on this front during the six months prior to his election, and during his full first term - a time when his party was in control of the council.

And your point?

Cllr Walker has been a massive champion of the stadium. What's wrong with that?

 

[Concretebob]

Kidlington is far from being a quaint English village. There is a lot of crime within the village and drugs are a problem. Why the respondents quote “foreign owners” is a conundrum as a large part of the residents of Kidlington are in fact people from other countries. There are many reports of young people being robbed and in some cases assaulted. At times I fear for those who support football having to travel through the “town”

This is why I got so pissed off with Steveopedia suggesting Kidlington was at "full employment" and "no one would work at the stadium"

He sits in his Tackley ivory towers passing judgement on everyone yet hasn't got a clue what it's actually like for the average Joe.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

I take the time to read through each batch of responses that appear on the planning portal. I skim read most of them, due to the sheer volume, but pay particular attention to those from OX5 and OX2, and to those objecting and there are a few things that I've noticed (about the objectors).

Their writing style is often so arrogant and pompous. They refer to us as thugs and louts (yes, these words have been used) and often refer to the unruly, and drunken, behaviour that they are so sure is going to happen. They call the club liars, and almost to a man (although the majority of objectors seem to be female) repeat the FOSB mantra that we can stay at The Kassam. They dismiss out of hand that fans will use the public transport network, claiming that there is no evidence, and obviously thinking that they know best.

I’m reading these too with interest.

Quite a few are stating that football supporters won’t use public transport because they can’t afford to!

 

[holdsteady]

I’m reading these too with interest.

Quite a few are stating that football supporters won’t use public transport because they can’t afford to!

I am a football fan and I got the clipper boat from the O2 back to Waterloo instead of the tube on Saturday, at a cost of an extra £7.50 as well, felt like one of those wealthy tycoons like, Ambramovich, Trump or Middleton.

 

[Concretebob]

I’m reading these too with interest.

Quite a few are stating that football supporters won’t use public transport because they can’t afford to!

That's because we are scummy football fans. We spend all our dole money on cheap booze, replica football shirts (XXXXL size of course) counterfeit cigs, football season tickets and boy racer cars. We don't have money to spend on public transport.

 

[Billyox]

i just got my 10 year old footie mad daughter to comment i told her to write from the heart ive no idea what she put i wasnt allowed to see but it must have brannagan in it as she asked how to spell it

She did good

 

[Colin B]

I’m reading these too with interest.

Quite a few are stating that football supporters won’t use public transport because they can’t afford to!

Yes, I've noticed that.

They also claim that we will be four or five to a car and not worry where we park as we'll then split the parking fine, which is apparently cheaper than paying to park at Pear Tree or Parkway. If that was the kind of behaviour that was normal for football fans, it would be common at The Kassam Stadium too, but it isn't.

It really is elitist snobbery of the most ignorant kind. The ironic thing is that when I look at the address of the person posting it, they often live on a Kidlington housing estate.

 

[OUFCwaffle]

To be honest, the more nonsensical the objections are, the better, they will just be kicked straight out of the park

 

[Concretebob]

The person who claimed they saw lots public urination at the current stadium in the last month... When we hadn't played there for a month was odd

 

[holdsteady]

The person who claimed they saw lots public urination at the current stadium in the last month... When we hadn't played there for a month was odd

They are obsessed with that one, got to be some Freudian thing going on there.

 

[DannyW]

They're standing against each other to give the impression they're not the same party but I'd be interested to know if anyone has received campaign literature from both a Green AND a LibDem in the areas where both parties are standing?

Until the alliance they're in is formally dissolved we must treat them as one and the same party.

Interesting I have not seen a lib deb leaflet for the election in kid East, general ones about a month ago, but only a ward leaflet for this election