B
Bullitt
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Northampton Saints chairman Keith Barwell has today called upon Northampton Borough Council to have an open and public debate as to the benefits of the proposed development of Franklin's Gardens.
In May 2009 Northampton Saints announced its intention to apply for planning permission to increase the capacity of Franklin's Gardens from 13,500 to 17,000. The development would be funded by the sale of one of the club's car parks to ASDA for a new food store to serve the Upton and St James areas of Northampton.
However, in today's Chronicle and Echo Barwell says that there has been stiff resistance from Northampton Borough Council.
"There is a saying that if there's no wind, row. It would be nice if the council could put a bit of wind behind us instead of providing an obstacle," he said. "We had a heavy beating from the council and they said they don't want anything that takes trade away from the town centre.
"But the problem is they can't stop this trend. What are they going to try to do next? Stop internet shopping because that detracts from the town centre?
"That's why I want to start a debate about what the people of Northampton want."
Although Franklin's Gardens is recognised as the pre-eminent dedicated club rugby facility in the United Kingdom, the Saints is now facing the prospect of having to take games away from the stadium. Should a home quarter final be achieved in the Heineken Cup it would have to be played at a stadium with a minimum capacity of 15,000, over a thousand more than the current capacity.
Furthermore, over the last decade the club has seen average crowds grow by one hundred percent. The Guinness Premiership is also experiencing continued expansion, but the Saints - have operated at 98% of capacity over the past few seasons - currently cannot match what is happening at other clubs.
"We cannot stand still," Barwell continued. "We will get left behind. We need to extend Franklin's Gardens as soon as possible. Many Guinness Premiership clubs have been helped by their local council enabling planning permission. Other clubs like Saracens, Wasps and Harlequins are now playing some of their Premiership games at Wembley and Twickenham.
"The Saints have been in Northampton for nearly 130 years. But is the Borough Council trying to drive us out?"
The Saints has also revealed what the new stand would look like in a special new section of the club's website including a computer-generated 'fly-through' of the redeveloped stadium. The special section of the website also gives supporters the opportunity to have their say over the future of Franklin's Gardens.
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In May 2009 Northampton Saints announced its intention to apply for planning permission to increase the capacity of Franklin's Gardens from 13,500 to 17,000. The development would be funded by the sale of one of the club's car parks to ASDA for a new food store to serve the Upton and St James areas of Northampton.
However, in today's Chronicle and Echo Barwell says that there has been stiff resistance from Northampton Borough Council.
"There is a saying that if there's no wind, row. It would be nice if the council could put a bit of wind behind us instead of providing an obstacle," he said. "We had a heavy beating from the council and they said they don't want anything that takes trade away from the town centre.
"But the problem is they can't stop this trend. What are they going to try to do next? Stop internet shopping because that detracts from the town centre?
"That's why I want to start a debate about what the people of Northampton want."
Although Franklin's Gardens is recognised as the pre-eminent dedicated club rugby facility in the United Kingdom, the Saints is now facing the prospect of having to take games away from the stadium. Should a home quarter final be achieved in the Heineken Cup it would have to be played at a stadium with a minimum capacity of 15,000, over a thousand more than the current capacity.
Furthermore, over the last decade the club has seen average crowds grow by one hundred percent. The Guinness Premiership is also experiencing continued expansion, but the Saints - have operated at 98% of capacity over the past few seasons - currently cannot match what is happening at other clubs.
"We cannot stand still," Barwell continued. "We will get left behind. We need to extend Franklin's Gardens as soon as possible. Many Guinness Premiership clubs have been helped by their local council enabling planning permission. Other clubs like Saracens, Wasps and Harlequins are now playing some of their Premiership games at Wembley and Twickenham.
"The Saints have been in Northampton for nearly 130 years. But is the Borough Council trying to drive us out?"
The Saints has also revealed what the new stand would look like in a special new section of the club's website including a computer-generated 'fly-through' of the redeveloped stadium. The special section of the website also gives supporters the opportunity to have their say over the future of Franklin's Gardens.
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The Survey Says
The Facebook Group
