Bristol Rovers FC is consulting residents about new plans to build student flats next to the Memorial Stadium.
The club has chosen not to publicly reveal details about the plans at this stage, so it’s unclear what exactly could be built.
Two meetings have been held at the Mem with some residents and the club to discuss the plans. Rovers have promised to keep open “an honest line of communication between all parties throughout the process”.
The plans appear to include building 350 student beds in a six-storey building “on the side of the stadium”. The east and north stands would also be upgraded, taking the capacity from 12,534 to about 17,000.
Hussain AlSaeed, Bristol Rovers chairman, said: “Honesty and transparency with our supporters and neighbours is a critical aspect of this journey as we look to improve the infrastructure of the Memorial Stadium and our training ground.
“We are committed to developing our stadium into a vibrant, welcoming ground for fans of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, and significantly important to doing so is bringing those who live local to the Memorial Stadium on that journey with us.
“I hope those in attendance during the meetings felt they were able to share their thoughts and opinions in an open conversation and understand that this round of meetings was a first step in an ongoing process. I would like to thank everyone who came along to the meetings and I look forward to working closely with them in the future.”
The club hasn’t submitted a planning application to Bristol City Council yet, but would need to do so before building began, in theory. However, last year the club began building a new south stand without first getting planning permission.
Works on the south stand caused controversy among people living nearby, who said they hadn’t been adequately consulted about the plans, and criticised Rovers for a lack of transparency. Permission was later granted by councillors retrospectively.
Rovers had previously been planning to move to a new ground at the Fruit Market in St Philips, but this was called off late last year. The club will now go through a consultation period with the council and other stakeholders, as part of a pre-application stage. A press conference will be held “in due course”, to show the plans at both the Mem and the Quarters training facility.
Green Councillor Emma Edwards, representing Bishopston and Ashley Down, said: “As local councillors, Cllr [James] Crawford and I are aware that Bristol Rovers have started drawing up initial plans for the development of their stadium site. We are pleased to see that they are keen to get input from residents before developing these plans further.
“Since the development of the south stand last year, we have been listening to residents’ concerns and have been working hard to improve the way in which the club engages with the community. These plans are in their early stages and, as they develop, we will continue to work to make sure concerns are addressed and residents in the local area are listened to.”
By Alex Seabrook, Local Democracy Reporting Service