Oxford United: Stratfield Brake site proposed for new 18,000-capacity stadium
- Published
The 12,500-capacity Kassam Stadium has been Oxford United's home since 2001
Oxford United have submitted a proposal to build a new stadium at Stratfield Brake in the city.
The League One club have played at the Kassam Stadium since 2001, but do not own the ground. Their lease is due to expire in 2026.
The U's plans include building a new 18,000-capacity stadium and associated facilities on the 18-hectare site.
The proposal is due to be discussed at an Oxfordshire County Council cabinet meeting on 18 January.
The Stratfield Brake site, near Kidlington, is home to a number of community sports teams including Kidlington Cricket Club, the Gosford All Blacks rugby team and youth football sides.
"It has always been our desire to be in control of our own destiny and build a sustainable future for the club on our own terms," Oxford United managing director Niall McWilliams said. "We are hopeful that this proposed stadium move would enable us to do exactly that.
"As we have always said, this project is about more than football - we are determined to be part of a project that brings international class sporting and community facilities to Oxfordshire."
Indonesian businessman Anindya Bakrie has spoken about putting both financial and environmental sustainability at the core of Oxford United's future aims, particularly when it comes to securing the club a long-term home.
Bakrie, who has been involved in the club for three years as a minority investor, is bidding to become a significant shareholder at the club, subject to English Football League approval.
The proposal includes training facilities and community sports grounds on the Stratfield Brake site as well as retail, hotel facilities and a conference centre.
"We need to do proper planning," Bakrie told BBC South Today in November. "We want to involve not only the community, to make sure that there are a lot of communal areas, but we [also] want to talk to a lot of people who have done this before to make it sustainable.
"Oxford [as a city] has its own ambition to be carbon neutral before 2050 and we have to support it."
Bakrie has also made clear his desire to see the 129-year-old club promoted to the Championship within two years.
"It's an opportunity to make a real community hub, not just for us as a club but for the local community, and it will be a much bigger project than just a stadium," Paul Perros, chairman of OxVox, the Oxford United Supporters Trust, told BBC Radio Oxford.
"You start at the base level - every fan will tell you, we want four sides [to the stadium]. That's a given.
"But also for fans we want the atmosphere, we want the facilities, we want also - which is massively important - the club to be able to profit from the site because we just don't where we are.
"We're not able to stay sustainable where we are, so this will give us that opportunity."
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