Club can now 'deliver on vision' for new stadium

The new stadium would be able to hold 16,000 fans

Oxford United has said it can "now begin to deliver on its vision" for a new stadium, after the government gave the plans the green light.

The secretary of state Steve Reed announced on Wednesday that he would not be calling in the plans for a 16,000-capacity venue on land near Kidlington for further review, after the scheme was approved by Cherwell District Council in August.

Paul Peros, from the supporters group Ox Vox, told the BBC it was "fantastic news" and was "another great step towards building the stadium".

Oxford United chairman Grant Ferguson thanked the club's supporters, and those responsible for delivering the stadium project for being "instrumental in getting us to this point".

"The Secretary of State's decision to not to call in the planning application for our 16,000-capacity stadium on land north of the city means the Club can now begin to deliver on its vision," he added.

Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP representing Kidlington, said the "major milestone" was "great news for all the club's supporters".

"The club can now push ahead with work to meet the planning conditions."

"Meeting these will deliver the club's commitments to the local community and address concerns raised by local residents," he added.

The Yellows are now set to finalise a Section 106 Agreement with Cherwell District Council, which outlines the financial contributions the club will make to infrastructure improvements around the development.

"A lot of work is already done so the club will rattle on with those things and get them tied up," Mr Peros explained.

"There's not much to worry about there."

He added: "These are massive steps, and each one we take, we're a little bit closer - and we are getting close now."

The club's current home, the Kassam Stadium, is known for its lack of a fourth stand

In the letter from Baroness Taylor of Stevenage explaining Reed's decision not to call the decision in, she wrote: "The Government's position is that these matters are generally best determined locally, by local councils that know their own area best, rather than by central Government."

Kidlington Parish Council, which had opposed the stadium development, said it would now "move forward and make the best of the situation we've been dealt".

Lesley McLean, the council's chair, said: "The Parish Council are now hopefully moving forward with conversations with OUFC (Oxford United) so that we can bring all of the things that they have promised our community into reality."

"It will have a massive impact, and we want to get the best for our community."

Ms McLean said the authority had not yet been approached about supporting a judicial review, adding that it "isn't necessarily part of our plan going forward".

The Friends of Stratfield Brake campaign group, which also opposed the development, admitted it "did not expect" the stadium application to be called in by the government.

"Nonetheless, we remain firmly of the belief that Cherwell District Council's decision to approve the planning application was deeply flawed," a spokesperson for the group said.

"We hope to have the opportunity to challenge the legality of the decision and are considering our next steps."