I WAS surprised to read the latest letter of criticism from John Pester about AFC Bournemouth’s future stadium plans (Daily Echo, January 4).

As I confirmed in my previous response, the council is working closely with the management of the club to help it fulfil its stadium ambitions as soon as possible.

To be clear, we are all on the same side in this and that means no unnecessary delays and a real will by me and all the parties involved to find a solution as quickly as can be achieved by the club.

Although King’s Park may appear the obvious solution to some people, further development there presents significant challenges for the club in a number of ways.

That is why they want to see whether there is an alternative that fulfils their ambitions better and if so, whether it would be viable for them. The planning issues at King’s Park or any other site are, of course, a matter for the Planning Authority and obviously cannot be evaluated until a planning application is made.

Matters such as traffic, parking and the effect on local residents will need to be properly considered as would be expected and legally required for any such application anywhere in the country, whether King’s Park is chosen by the club or not.

From all that I have seen, the club has made its position very clear about committing further investment to the King’s Park stadium and everybody understands why that is probably not the option they will pursue.

It is, of course, entirely a matter for the club as it will be them making the investment in any new facilities, but I can assure Mr Pester that far from causing any delay, the council is doing all that it can to help, as we have been doing since the club decided to look again at their options later on last year.

The council really doesn’t deserve criticism for responding so positively as we continue to support the club in helping them find a realistic solution for the long-term.

Cllr John Beesley

Leader of the Council

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