Stadium project axed (From Bucks Free Press)

Stadium project axed

8:43pm Monday 18th July 2011 in Prestwood & Great Missenden By Simon Farr

PLANS for a stadium and sports village complex at Wycombe Air Park have been sensationally axed tonight.

Wycombe District Council leader Cllr Alex Collingwood, Deputy Cllr Arif Hussain, Cllr Audrey Jones and Cllr James Malliff put the brakes on the project.

It means Wycombe Sports Developments Ltd’s plan for a 17,500 capacity stadium and sports village at Booker is dead, as it stands tonight.

But just four Cabinet members were allowed to vote, due to the council’s code of conduct which prevents members with “personal or prejudicial interest” from voting.

It also meant cllrs who openly opposed the stadium in their canvassing for votes in May's elections were barred from casting their vote.

The 4-0 result was greeted with applause and roars of approval from the dozens of protesters from the Groups Against Stadium Proposals in the council chamber.

As it brings to an end GASP’s relentless protests, which culminated in hundreds of people marching through High Wycombe on Saturday.

Garry Nuttall, chairman of GASP, told the BFP he was “delighted” with the Cabinet’s ruling.

But pro-stadium supporters slumped out of the meeting with glum expressions.

It is also a blow to Steve Hayes, owner of Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps, who just minutes before the crunch meeting, made a public empassioned plea to cllrs to approve the plans (see links).

The decision is set to be debated on Three Counties Radio tomorrow morning and has kicked off a huge debate on the BFP website and Twitter.

Check back on this website tonight and throughout the week for full reaction to the decision.

The Bucks Free Press broke the news in our live coverage from the meeting – read it as it happened by clicking on the links below.

Leave your views below, tweet us @bucksfreepress and use #bfpstadium or email bfpnews@london.newsquest.co.uk