CONCERN has been expressed over delays to a new community stadium in Warwick.
MP Matt Western has hit out at the news football fans will potentially have to wait until 2031 to experience the new stadium to be constructed on land adjacent to Fusiliers Way.
Warwick District Council is set to meet on Wednesday (September 3) to discuss new plans for its long-held ambition for the multi-million pound stadium, set to become the new home of Leamington Football Club.
But the project has been many years in the making.
WDC purchased the land in late 2018 with the express purpose of constructing the community stadium along with some “enabling development” to assist with covering the cost of the scheme.
A procurement exercise was conducted in 2021 to seek a development partner but only one bid was received and was considered over budget and so the procurement exercise was terminated.
A report in 2022 set out that officers would reflect and bring forward a revised proposal to implement the community stadium.
A new masterplan has now been drawn up for a community stadium which could accommodate up to 4,000 people.
Costing in the region of £13 million, it has been designed to be a community hub, providing convenient access to sporting events, sports facilities, education, recreation and social facilities, business opportunities and community programmes.
The new stadium would have a two-level main stand with sports bar, cafe, function room, meeting rooms, conferencing, dance studio and additional community and education space. It would have 1,000 seats with three sides of spectator terracing.
Projected figures suggest 50,000 people would use the stadium each year.
It is estimated the stadium would take two years to build with a completion date likely to be between 2029 and 2031.
Mr Western said: “The community, club and fans have been waiting over a decade for this and rightly want to see progress on it.
“The story of this project so far has been one of delays and inaction. It is vital that the council now treat this with the priority it deserves, vote it through at the meeting next week and work towards an opening date of April 2029, we must see real movement towards this quickly.
“The benefits to the club, the community, local schools and other smaller clubs will be huge. It is too important to push any later down the line.”
