RUFC - Deal for buying land 'very close'

Rotherham United are hoping to submit outline plans of their new stadium to the RMBC planners within the next six weeks.

In this weeks' Advertiser it has been revealed that Rotherham Borough Council are 'very close' to securing a deal to buy the land after terms for the purchase of the land was agreed in February.

The plans were unveiled at Rotherham Library on Tuesday by Chairman, Tony Stewart who said, 'I believe we've now got not just the vision and the means with regard to our own stadium but that we'll be there competing with our neighbours in Barnsley, Chesterfield and Doncaster.'

Before more detailed plans are finalised, which will include any access problems that might occur, outline planning permission will be sought.

Signet Planning Managing Director, , who has worked on other football related projects including one at Mansfield Town, told Gareth Dennison of The Advertiser, 'This is an exciting project and the enthusiasm of the club and the town helps.'

Project Manager, Simon Morris said that the plans should be with the Borough Council before the end of May and then there will be around three months for consultation. 'A key thing is that having a new football stadium in town is very very rare these days and this does present some challenges. For over one hundred and fifty years the site for the new stadium has been used for industrial manufacturing and has had to go through quite a lot of remediation and cleaning up. There's still more work to be done with that as well as many practical issues that need dealing with such as the ground being so close to the River Don we have to satisfy the requirements to alleviate the risk of flooding.'

Now I've seen the plans and the drawings I am actually getting the feeling that this new stadium is really going to happen. I've been a bit apprehensive before but I am getting quite excited now.

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.