Campaigners fundraise for stadium legal challenge

Campaigners against plans to build Oxford United's new stadium have launched a fundraiser to cover the potential legal costs of a judicial review.

Cherwell District Council -alongside the government - approved plans for the new ground last year, and last week announced that it signed a legal agreement with the club - granting it full and final permission.

The 16,000-capacity venue will be built at the Triangle near Kidlington, close to Oxford Parkway station.

But campaigners from the Friends of Stratfield Brake (FOSB) group have persistently opposed the plans, and have now began fundraising to cover the costs of a legal challenge.

The group have less than six weeks to seek a judicial review into the decision to approve the stadium plans, and are attempting to raise £50,000 in order to do so.

Any interested party in English planning decisions can challenge a verdict in the High Court via a judicial review.

This can only analyse the legality of the process through which a decision was reached by a planning body.

In a post on their facebook page announcing the fundraiser, FOSB said it had "just a few weeks" to raise the money and challenge the council's "reckless decision" to approve the stadium.

"This development on 'the Triangle', between Kidlington and North Oxford, would be massively detrimental to our communities," the group said.

"Our goal is to raise money for a judicial review of Cherwell's planning decision."

It added that, following legal advice, the campaigners "believe we have a good case" to challenge the decision.

The leader of Cherwell District Council, David Hingley, said he was "very pleased" by the "thorough, professional and fair-minded way" the application was handled by the authority.

"We always said the next step would be to ensure the stadium secured as much benefit as possible for our communities," he said.

"This is one of the most high-profile planning applications our council has ever been called on to determine," he added.

The club declined to comment on the fundraiser.

Last week, Oxford United signed a Section 106 agreement with the council - granting the stadium full and final planning permission.

The deal commits the club to paying at least £5.1m towards local infrastructure projects including improvements at Oxford Parkway station.

It will also see special access to the stadium for schools, charities and community groups, as well as use by the Oxfordshire FA for its annual county finals.

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