REACTION to the BFP's independent stadium survey flooded in this week after parties with an interest in the project were invited to a presentation outlining the results at our offices on Tuesday.

Jeff Brydon from the Wycombe Sports Village Group.

“WSVG can see that more information is needed on what a Sports Village provides for Wycombe, and the many benefits it can deliver to the whole community.

"As such we welcome the opportunity to inform the BFP readership over the coming weeks.”

Bucks Free Press: Mike Brooks

Mike Brooks, Chief Executive of Wycombe Sports Developments Ltd.

“The Council conducted an extremely thorough consultation only four months ago – using questionnaires, open meetings and focus groups and followed this up with detailed analysis of the results.

“This official consultation was promoted across the district and attracted over 8,000 respondents and over 70% of those individuals were supportive of a new stadium and sports village at Wycombe Air Park at Booker.

“It seems pretty clear that this BFP survey – with a far smaller response and no separately assessed focus groups – has been taken over by those motivated to oppose the plans.

“Indeed the paper’s own research company warns in its full report that ‘there are groups who are actively canvassing for support against the proposed plans and so it is possible that this data may be skewed by respondents from these groups.’

“A new Community Stadium and Sports Village has the potential to provide first class facilities for spectators, put both clubs on a sound financial footing, maintain Wasps Rugby Club in the District, provide exceptional and much needed new sports facilities for local people, strengthen the link with Bucks New University and create a huge economic boost for the area.

“I completely recognise that we need to prove those benefits rather than just state them, but the plans are still at an early stage and we have simply asked people to retain an open mind for now.

"I believe there is strong support for new sports facilities across all age groups, sports clubs, schools and others and that the Council consultation demonstrated this.

“However, rather than keep asking the same questions about the Stadium we now want to look forward and focus on developing our plans for Booker so that we have something that people can genuinely comment on and we can start to explain our vision in more detail.

“We will do so later in the year and in addition there will also be full pre-application community consultation in the run up to any planning application so there is a long way to go and lots of time for the issues to be more fully explained and developed.”

Bucks Free Press: WDC office

Wycombe District Council.

“We would like to thank the Bucks Free Press for sharing the results of their community stadium project survey with us.

“We appreciate that the proposal for a new community stadium has generated a lot of public interest. This is clear from the 8,376 responses that the Council received to an initial ‘issues and options’ consultation last autumn and by the 1,743 readers who took part in the Bucks Free Press's (BFP) survey.

“Of the 1,743 respondents who took part in the Bucks Free Press’s survey, we note the percentages who do not support the principle of a new community stadium in the Wycombe district and who do not believe that Wycombe Air Park is the location with the best potential for a new community stadium.

“While the percentages are different to those who responded to the Council’s consultation, there are strong similarities between the issues and concerns that were raised by the respondents to the BFP survey and those highlighted in the report to the Council’s Cabinet in January 2011.

"These are the issues and concerns which will need to be investigated further as the project progresses.

“We would like to take the opportunity to remind readers that the decision to support further investigation of the project on the Wycombe Air Park site was not reliant on the general consultation results, but was also informed by considerable technical analysis by the Council and supporting consultancy advice.

“We have noted that at present, the majority of respondents to the BFP’s survey do not think that the project is a special case justifying development on Green Belt land.

"We would add that the bar is set high for the "very special circumstances" test and the experience of other stadium projects affecting the Green Belt elsewhere in the country gives some indication of the issues that would need to be taken into account, including: the importance of an alternative site search to demonstrate that there are no appropriate alternatives outside the Green Belt; the strength of the community case and the need for the facilities being proposed; and the role of the project in delivering economic and/or regeneration benefits.

“Should a planning application for a new community stadium be submitted, it would be for the applicant to develop and make the "very special circumstances" case and for this to be assessed and tested.

“We have noted that respondents to the BFP survey were not satisfied with the amount of information that was provided by the Council (and the clubs) prior to and during the consultation process that was conducted last year.

“We do recognise the importance of engaging with local residents and interest groups about any potential involvement that the Council has in this project and have been inviting interest groups to speak with us directly, to complement our other communication channels.

"To better satisfy local people's desire for information about this project, we would encourage them to let us know how they would like us to communicate with them.

“We are committed to seeing full public consultation on any specific proposals which may come forward from Wycombe Sports Development Limited and for this to take place well in advance of any planning application - an application is not anticipated to be submitted before the end of this year.

"We would like to stress that at this time, no final commitment has been made about any future involvement that the Council may have in the project.”

Bucks Free Press: Cllr Steve Guy

Leader Wycombe Liberal Democrats Cllr Steve Guy.

“I am extremely grateful to the Bucks Free Press for organising this much needed survey and to Maven Research for collating and analysing it.

“I have made clear my grave reservations about the flawed survey carried out by the Council, which Cabinet Members have been claiming shows support for the Stadium proposals.

"Bycontrast, I know that the Bucks Free Press have gone to great pains to ensure that their survey is reliable and trustworthy.

“The Bucks Free Press survey closely mirrors what residents have been telling me and my colleagues. The vast majority of residents, including Wanderers' fans are deeply unhappy with the Council's plans.

“This survey sends a clear message to the Council that Wycombe Tax Payers do not want to see any more of their money wasted on this white elephant.

“At the last District Elections the Conservatives made a specific pledge to protect Green Belt land, this development drives a bulldozer through that pledge. The people of Wycombe value their green belt, which would be massacred by this development.

“Perhaps now the Council will listen to the people.”

Reaction from GASP.

“These results are consistent with previous surveys, consistent with what so many councilors are saying and consistent with what we hear on the streets.

“Four out of five people reject the Council’s proposals. Nine out of ten reject the Council’s justification for building on our Green Belt land.

“There is consistent rejection of the Council’s Stadium Proposals across the district whether you look at High Wycombe or Booker or Marlow or Lane End.

“Wasps fans do not support the proposals with only one in three believing that the Air Park is the best site for them.

"The Council has chosen to dub this project a 'Community Stadium' containing a 'Sports Village' so it's interesting to see what people understand by these phrases. A Swimming Pool, Tennis courts and a Gym are top of the list so people may feel betrayed that the Council's plan offers none of these."

“Nine out of ten people believe the Council should have no further financial involvement in this scheme.

“The Council have spent nearly half a million pounds and convinced no-one of the merits of this project. The Council needs to listen and listen hard – people don’t want this stadium and they don’t want any more of their money wasted on this scheme.”

“The Wycombe Conservative Association passed a motion at their AGM last week To ask its elected representatives to do all they can to ensure that no inappropriate development is allowed on either Green Belt and/or AONB designated land.

“With their own party demanding protection for the Green Belt and ninety per cent of the people rejecting their reasons to develop on the Green Belt the Cabinet must think again.”

“The Council ran a planning consultation about different sites but this survey shows that it is the Council’s policy which has been wholly rejected across the district.”

“Surely it is time the Cabinet listened to what the people are saying so clearly and asked some serious questions about their own planning consultation”

“Bucks Free Press have gone to extraordinary lengths to verify this research. Of course some people will carp about the sample but no-one can doubt that Bucks Free Press readers are actively interested in our community and the people most likely to vote in local elections.”