Just listened back to all of them. My potted summary if it helps:
07.20
Rad Ox played a useful summary for the uninitiated to the background to the stadium. Quotes from McIvor and Paul Peros. Fine to include both for balance. No issues with that.
Ian Middleton - Green Party
- Said he’d support it if people in Kidlington want it (Hmm. Not convinced by that.)
- Talked about the Savills site report and the many sites available including sites in Didcot and Thornhill.
- Said the club had 'tunnel vision' on the Triangle and they would be 'cutting their own throat' if planning was rejected since they'd put so much into one site. [Sophie Law rightly said that you cannot pour resources into multiple sites]
- Said that if they'd chosen another site, they may be further down the road by now.
- Road closures are an issue because locals would be 'inconvenienced' by them and that toucan crossings would render the road closed.
- Said the club hadn't made it clear about the bridge.
IM was only asked two questions and was definitely questioned as a politician and not deeper about his links with the antis. For what it's worth, he spoke better than he posts online - fairly articulate and a tad more balanced than usual but that's not saying a lot.
What he
didn't say was more telling - the new stadium would be next to Oxford Parkway station thus reducing car use which is why so many sites were dismissed from the Savills report. As a representative of the Greens, Sophie Law should have pressed him on this aspect. He also said the road closures in the city due to LTNs were not 'major roads'. Alright then, Ian, pop down OX4 and I'll show you where all those cars go when you block up multiple side roads - they all end up on major roads and block those up instead. You render moving around an impossibility in OX4. Also, the club have said that the plans for the bridge will go in later. He's correct in that he hasn't seen them but his answer suggested they may not happen. That's not the case.
Gary Warland – Labour
- A season ticket holder for 15 years and in favour as is his party.
- He completely missed the main point of ‘what’s wrong with the stadium?’ The stadium is still fit for purpose - it's tired and needs TLC but is not dangerous and meets EFL requirements. The Hollywood Bowl and even car park disrepair are largely irrelevant. We cannot stay beyond 2026 which needed stressing.
Passionate but missing the biggest elephant in the room was frustrating.
08.20
David Hindley – Lib Dems
- He didn’t answer question on whether the LDs support the stadium. He ‘wants the club to succeed’ and ‘understands how emotional this is’ to fans.
- He said he would 'consider the views of FOSB' and is 'looking at everything as part of planning process'
- The Lib Dems are ‘in listening mode’.
- The 'planning process ongoing' and he 'can’t prejudge'.
- He said he was not ‘for or against’ but does 'want the stadium to succeed' (This was a really messy point.)
- Regarding road closures in the city but not for Kidlington, he stumbled a lot. 'Um, it's a different policy. The traffic measures in the city are to protect the environment and so traffic can get about.' (Hahahahaha!)
- He then attempted to swerve this by saying it was an OCC decision and not a CDC one (but it was a decision made by LDs in OCC including your chum Andrew Gant, wasn't it, David?)
A mess of an interview full of fence-sitting mixed with contradictions. Don't vote Lib Dem.
Nigel Simpson – Conservatives
- The license has been ended and no choice to move on (Thanks, Nigel. This needed to be raised.)
- Good site choice - loads of buses from the local surrounds and the A34, A40, A44 nearby.
- Sustainability wise, the site is a no brainer.
- Dreaming Spires initiative to help local clubs out. Stressed this was 'not a Kidlington project but a county project' (This is true but I fear that 'Not a Kidlington project' may not be helpful. We need to show a lot to the locals that the club can help them out as much or even more so than the county).
- He said the main concerns have been traffic – this has been the issue from day one and need something that will work. In short, the plans needs to show that they'll intercept traffic before it gets to Kidlington to minimise impact
- Parking enforcements in place – CPZ in Kidlington and Yarnton since it works in Littlemore and Greater Leys. Park illegally and you will get a ticket.
- If and when it occurs, there will be teething issues but it will settle down.
Experienced, sensible and with a dose of common sense. Never trust a Tory but in Nigel Simpson I'd make a rare exception. He spoke well.
