Parties pleased stadium plans are progressing
Portsmouth's most senior councillor has insisted progress is being made on Pompey's plans to build a new stadium on Horsea Island.
Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson emerged from a top-level meeting between representatives from both the council and club yesterday saying that the 100m project was moving forwards although there were still issues to be resolved.
He told The News: 'The club is making progress and I am pleased with the progress.
'There are no guarantees until it is actually being built, and that is why I am working so hard with the football club because it is only right that we get a good stadium.'
Yesterday's meeting came a day after The News reported Portsmouth City Council's concerns that plans to increase the retail element at Horsea Island were likely to end up being considered by government planning inspectors.
The club said it needs the money from shops to finance the build because with the property market in the doldrums bankers looking to finance the deal wanted a significant retail element to persuade them to stump up the cash.
Club chairman Peter Storrie and council chief executive David Williams were among those around the table to thrash out the issues at last night's meeting.
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: 'We talked about all of it. We are continuing to do what we have done throughout and work together.
'We have talked about all of the issues, such as how people are going to get there or when the planning application is going in – all of the things we would usually talk about.'
He said both the club and the council were keen to avoid a public inquiry which could push the project back from its proposed completion date of 2011.
'We always get better decisions if they are made locally,' he said.
'With any big development in the city we always invite developers to come in and talk about what their plans are and see what the issues are so they have the chance to address those issues.'
The meeting is the latest in a series of talks between the club and the council to come up with a workable planning application.
Club spokesman Gary Double said: 'It was a very positive meeting as they always have been. Things are progressing very well.'
A planning application is expected early next year.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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