New stadium site 'not near ancient woodland'

A potential hurdle for Oxford United's new stadium has been cleared after Natural England pulled its support over the potential designation of nearby woodland.

A decision over the proposed 16,000-capacity stadium at the Triangle near Kidlington was delayed from 31 July when nearby woodland was designated as ancient.

But on Thursday Natural England concluded the woodland at Stratfield Brake was not ancient as it was not found on Oxfordshire maps it had studied from the 18th and 19th Centuries.

The Championship club's development director Jonathon Clarke said the additional delay was "frustrating" but that it had delivered "an incredibly detailed, robust application".

The U's have repeatedly warned that if the Triangle site was not approved by Cherwell District Council then it would have no home stadium by June 2027.

It had previously agreed with the Kassam Stadium's owner Firoka that it could play there until June 2026 but the extra year is conditional on it getting planning permission for the new ground.

The planned capacity for the stadium at the Triangle is 16,000

The council has received about 4,900 responses from the public about the application, with a special planning committee meeting pencilled in on the authority's website for 14 August.

The proposed complex could include a 180-bed hotel, restaurant, conference centre and community plaza.

The five-hectare (12-acre) site is located south of Kidlington roundabout, west of Banbury Road, east of Frieze Way and near Oxford Parkway Station.

The club said it was the only available, appropriate site either in Oxford or nearby.