Oxford United new stadium plan facing tough opposition

By Sam Pither

18 October 2022

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Plans for a new football stadium in an Oxfordshire village are facing strong opposition from local residents.

According to the Oxford Mail, Oxford United intend to lease nearly 45 acres of land at Stratford Brake, in order to construct an 18,000-seater stadium with community and sports grounds, a hotel, and retail and conference facilities.

Although the land is owned by the County Council, it is on lease to Kidlington Parish Council and Gosford & Water Eaton Parish Council under a 75-year contract with no break clause.

Discussions on the site began in March, after the County Council voted to allow talks to commence over the proposal. The club is looking to find a new home its license agreement at the Kassam Stadium expires in 2026.

After the club changed ownership last month, Friends of Stratfield Brake restated their opposition to the plans and suggested the club “should be managing the expectations of its supporters." Despite possible benefits to local businesses from increased footfall, the group believes it is detrimental to the area.

John Hill, a member of the group, said: “The new owners at OUFC seem to think their plan to take over Stratfield Brake is a done deal but there is massive opposition from local and Oxfordshire residents.

“Their proposal would destroy a vital part of the community and short change Oxfordshire residents who will see a valuable asset being effectively given away.

“Currently it is home for all sorts of recreational activities (which could be increased) and I firmly believe it should remain publicly owned and accessible to all, not ‘sold off’ for some wealthy individuals to profit from.

“Oxford United should abandon this stadium proposal and find a solution that doesn’t cause huge local disruption and destroy valuable green space.”

The site is currently used by a number of local sports club, such as Kidlington Cricket Club, Gosford All Blacks RFC and Kidlington Youth FC. The club has said it would replace the facilities with those of at least a comparable standard should they relocate.

A spokesperson for Oxford United said: “The club welcomes all local feedback and has never under-estimated the challenge of proceeding with our new stadium project.

“Our overarching aim remains the same; secure a world-class home for OUFC and maximise our contribution to the local Oxfordshire community. We continue to work with a range of partners on how best this can be achieved.”

Featured image credit: Oxford United Football Club

By Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset.

A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise.

Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.