AFC Bournemouth have announced their preferred site for a new stadium and it’s within a stones throw from their current Dean Court home.
Back in December, AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake announced that the Cherries intended to leave both Dean Court and Kings Park.
The two main reasons behind the decision was the football club board being ‘held to ransom over a price’ with Dean Court landlords Structadene, whilst the AFC Bournemouth board also believed that the council`s planning department had ‘made it clear that they would not welcome a significantly bigger stadium in Kings Park’.
However last week, speculation built on the AFCB Vital Forum that the Cherries could yet be remaining in Kings Park, to the delight of the Cherries faithful.
For many, the most logical location for a new stadium in the Borough of Bournemouth was a move to the Athletics Stadium in Kings Park.
It has transport access from both the Pokesdown for Boscombe and Bournemouth train stations, it is close to A338 and the main road network that serves the town, with a bus network also serving the area.
Many supporters believed it was the common sense move and were frustrated that this didn’t appear to be reality.
But that dream took a step closer to reality with a statement being released on afcb.co.uk, which confirmed that not only is Kings Park the football clubs preferred site, but a planning application for the new stadium is expected to be submitted in 2018 with traffic impact modelling, as well as a public consultation to be part of the planning application process.
According to the Daily Echo…
‘The club is working with Bournemouth council on the plans, and there has been speculation that the borough might buy Vitality Stadium off current owner Structadene. The council’s cabinet is due to discuss a confidential ‘specific asset purchase opportunity’ at a meeting on Wednesday next week.
The notion the council had plans to purchase the Vitality Stadium were however later denied by the council on Twitter.
AFC Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake told afcb.co.uk…
‘…Our preferred site to build the club`s new stadium is in Kings Park. There is still a long way to go in this process but we have overcome one of the biggest obstacles in identifying the area that we want to develop…’
Blake concluded…
‘…Our original timescale of completion by the summer of 2020 remains, and we are currently working hard to provide our supporters with a bigger stadium and one that is befitting of a Premier League club.”
Leader of the Council, Cllr John Beesley added…
“…We will continue to work with the club and do all that is appropriate to help them progress with their ambition to build a new stadium in Kings Park.
“This will involve discussions with all interested parties to ensure the needs of the club are met, alongside those of users of the park and the local community.”
Your Say…
Uttoxeter cherry wrote…
Brilliant
‘Boscombe, back in the park’ – Join the conversation here.
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