News

NEW FISHER STADIUM PLAN DUMPED AS COUNCIL PREPARE AN OLYMPIC PROPOSAL

Comments (0)

24 October 2008

By Gavriel Hollander
gav@southwarknews.org 

REDEVELOPMENT PLANS at the Southwark Park athletics track will not include Fisher Athletic, it has been revealed, leaving the club's directors crying foul.

Fisher, currently exiled from its Rotherhithe heartland and playing home games at Dulwich Hamlet's Champion Hill ground, had proposed a controversial 10,000-seater stadium for the dilapidated track.

But the 'News' understands that a £4.5million redevelopment for the facility is expected to be rubber-stamped next spring, leaving the club out in the cold.

The plans include the renovation of the current multi-sport pitch in the centre of the track and the building of new changing rooms, offices, a lounge and social area, and a temporary viewing stand.

It is envisaged that funding for the project would come from various agencies, including the Football Foundation, London Marathon Trust and Sport England, as well as Southwark Council.

The complex would be used by a number of local schools and clubs, including Millwall Disability FC.

It would also be used as a training centre for the 2012 Paralympics and forms a key part of Southwark's plans for the Olympics.

Fisher are not mentioned anywhere in the draft proposal, despite Southwark Council allegedly promising that the club would be involved in any talks about the future of the track.

Sami Muduroglu, a consultant at the club, believes that the council have acted ‘dishonestly’ by keeping them out of the loop.

"I am absolutely amazed at their capacity to work in such a devious way," he told the 'News'.

Fisher abandoned their former home at the Surrey Docks stadium four years ago with an initial view to redevelop the Salter Road site. However, after allegedly being encouraged to change course by the council, the club hatched their plans for Southwark Park.

While the £35million 10,000 seat stadium made headlines, Fisher approached the council with a series of alternative proposals for the site.

These included a revamp of the existing facility, which club president Barry Albin-Dyer says is similar to the one now being planned.

"Frankly, I don't know if the big stadium was right for the area," he said. "There were two other options and one is very similar to the one that looks like it's going to happen.

"If it had been decided democratically then so be it, but to happen like this seems very unfair. They have locked us out."

The council claim that after an initial meeting with Fisher last year the club never responded when concerns about their plans were raised.

Cllr Lewis Robinson, executive member for culture, leisure and sport, said: "Fisher Athletic submitted a proposal for a sports stadium last year for consideration by the council. We asked independent consultants to assess their work. Fisher Athletic were asked by the consultants to address a number of issues arising from their proposal in September 2007. Southwark Council also made a request for a full business plan. No response from Fisher has been received since then.

"The council has a public commitment in our Olympic Vision to bring the Southwark Park Athletics Track back into use. Officers have now worked up a proposal which will be submitted to the council's planning department and if approved can be delivered by mid 2010.

"This has the support of the Football Foundation, Sport England and the London Marathon Trust, and unlike other proposals is fully costed. It will also provide London's only specialist development centre for wheelchair racing and disability athletics, and it is envisaged it will be used for the 2012 Paralympics.

"Residents have waited long enough to see the Southwark Park Athletics Track brought back into use for the purpose it was built for, and I am committed to delivering that before the London 2012 Olympics."

---

Social Bookmarks:
del.icio.us Digg Newsvine Reddit Facebook StumbleUpon
Wikipedia: social bookmarking

---

Comments (0)

No comments have been posted.

Post a Comment

Please note Name and E-mail Address are required.

Name
E-mail Address (not displayed)
Comment (you may use HTML tags for style)
Enter Text Shown in Picture*
Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this article until the comment has been approved.