NO timetable has been set on delivering a community stadium for York as city council chiefs say just securing a site could take between six and 20 months.

Tim Atkins, City of York Council’s stadium project manager, said the authority was “committed to delivering the project effectively, efficiently and as soon as practically possible”.

But he added: “It is not helpful to anyone to estimate a date for delivery, when there are factors that may influence the time-table which are outside of the council’s control.”

Jason McGill, York City chairman, said the club “very much fear” the authority’s inability to confirm a timetable. He added “immediate action” needed to be taken when sites and funding options for a new ground are presented to the council’s ruling executive in July.

There has been growing disquiet in recent months among chiefs and fans of the Minstermen about the prospects of a new stadium being built in the city.

A fans’ pressure group – A Stadium For York – was launched to try to end perceived delays over the plans and McGill has again warned the football club’s future is being threatened by continued hesitancy over the project.

In an effort to meet concerns, Atkins prepared a four-page document for The Press outlining progress. He wrote that detailed analysis has been undertaken to establish the type of stadium required, the likely minimum and maximum capacities for York City and York City Knights and the potential for future growth.

A “comprehensive site selection exercise” is under way which sees “detailed development appraisals” being prepared for a number of potential sites across the city.

Atkins said feasibility work was currently being finalised, but added that “much of the specific detail is dependent on the location”.

But it is on the issue of timescale where City fans will feel most concerned.

Outlining why it is “not helpful” to estimate a delivery date, Atkins pointed to four key issues which, he says, would influence the timetable and are outside of council control.

He stated: “Some of the options being considered include land not in the ownership of the council and, or, the key partners.

“Negotiations regarding land acquisition/development options have a timescale that cannot always be clearly defined and will ultimately be determined by a legal process.

“The site selection process is being driven by planning and transportation issues. Dependent on the final option to be pursued, the possibility of any application being called in by the Government must be considered.

“The timescale would then be out of the hands of the local authority. It is not appropriate to speculate about the time this may add, however, our project plan takes account of this.”

Due to the value of the project, European Law insists the council must advertise the procurement notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) to ensure any interested developers are able to tender.

Atkins explained: “The council is governed by OJEU regulations. Dependent on the site and nature of the development a number of different procurement routes may be open to the council.

“These can vary between six months and 20 months depending on the complexity of what is actually being procured. The council is taking specialist legal advice on this matter to ensure that we pursue the most appropriate route to ensure a timely and cost effective solution that will best achieve the ambitions of the partners and the council.”

Atkins also added: “Projects of this nature may be subject to delay by third party challenge using a number of possible legal mechanisms. This has been the case with other similar community stadium projects across the UK.”

But McGill said: “The City of York Council has stated they are committed to the community stadium project, but we very much fear the fact that they are unable to confirm a timetable at this stage.

The issue has been ongoing since 2003 and no real progress has been made.

“When the various sites and funding proposals have been considered by the council executive in July, we then need immediate action and the procurement process has to begin by September in order to satisfy the Football Stadia Improvement Fund.

“We have seen in other areas of the country that if the will and enthusiasm is there, stadium projects can be delivered quickly with the support of the local authority.

“If City of York Council implements any significant delays after July, then the future of York City Football Club will be in jeopardy. We need the council’s help to make this happen and ask all councillors and officers to get behind the project and provide the city with a community sports stadium it deserves.”


Campaign views

James Waterson, of A Stadium for York, said: “It is good to read this update and see all the valuable work that has been going on behind the scenes.

The full report, due in July, will hopefully give the project a real sense of direction and set out how we can secure the future of sport in York. But time is running out.

The community stadium project has been talked about for almost eight years, yet we are still no closer to building the ground. The update states that ‘it is not helpful to anyone to estimate a date for delivery’. Unfortunately this is not the case. Unless we start fixing dates and demanding progress then there may not be any York teams left to support.

We recognise that major projects require careful planning but it is time to move beyond woolly commitments and statements of intent and start talking about concrete plans. We cannot let almost a decade’s worth of work go to waste.”
James Richardson, one of the organisers of the 2,000 strong petition demanding action on a Community Stadium, said: “Everyone appreciates that the council has already put in a tremendous amount of work in the background and we don’t want that to go to waste. But now is the time for action rather than words.

The time scale for the project is crucial for one of the major stakeholders, which is the football club. The current owners will not continue to fund the club without light at the end of the tunnel.”