Site is wrong for new stadium

I WAS one of the many who attended the meeting of Walsoken Parish Council to voice my strong opposition to the proposed site for the Wisbech Town Football Club.

As a limited company the club, like many other football clubs, is a business, not just a sports facility. As a business it will have shareholders who expect a profit on their investment in shares. At the moment, this is not happening, as the club is unable to maintain its Fenland Park ground.

On average the number of supporters is only about 180 at each home game. This will certainly not sustain a much larger stadium. I suggest the club intends to let the ground be used for other functions. The large clubhouse could also be used for wedding receptions and birthday parties, thus generating noise late into the night, any night of the week. There is also the problem of increased traffic on a stretch of road which has major issues with speeding vehicles.

I would suggest Wisbech Town FC finds a local football pitch to rent for its home games, as any of these pitches could easily accommodate such a small number of spectators.

It was suggested that local youngsters could use the practice pitch for training. There are ample facilities at most schools, and local facilitators who can be brought into the schools, also well as trained teaching staff, who can give training to the children.

By reading the sports pages of the local newspapers there are obviously many locations where sport is enjoyed by anyone who wishes to participate, either as a player or spectator.

If this stadium is allowed to go ahead this would mean a greenfield site becoming a brownfield site; and as a brownfield site it could be bought by developers for housing, should Wisbech Town FC once again fail to make a profit.

The proposed site for the stadium is not a case of suitability but of profitability for the company.

E L HOWLETT

Nursery Drive

Wisbech