The club's current planning application, which proposes amendments to the scheme previously approved last year, has won acceptance from planning officers at Bristol City Council who are recommending the application for approval tonight.

This is subject to the discharging of planning obligations and conditions linked with the original planning permission granted last year.

CURRENT PLANNING APPLICATION

The current planning application refers to the changes that are proposed, and does not relate to the principle of the development, or the reassessment of the primary planning issues.

Changes to the scheme which have been assessed include the combining of the restaurant and conference facility which will accommodate over 500 covers.

There is a condition that the conference facility cannot be used on matchdays. The crèche and the Training Centre IT suite have been reduced in area to comply with the requirements of the end users.

The design of the restaurant floor space has altered to comply with the requirements of the catering operator. Similarly the internal configuration of hotel and student accommodation and office space has also been modified to comply with the requirements of the operators.

The sight lines at the southern end of the building have changed due to infilling of the corners of the stadium. This will help retain noise and light. By moving the building slightly northwards this has ensured there is no significant impact in terms of daylight receipt on adjoining residents.

These changes are considered minor and are not significant within the scope of the project, but they do entail the deletion of the basement of the building, which from a green point of view, will result in approximately 4,000 fewer HGV movements leaving the site during construction (8,000 movements on and off site) and this has been welcomed by planning officers.

The enabling development provides finance to secure the delivery of the redevelopment of the Memorial Stadium and the viability of the proposal was rigorously assessed to ensure that the project was not a 'profit driven' exercise.

Third parties have raised concern that the savings that have been achieved by the proposed amendments may be profit driven, however the club stresses that whilst savings have been identified (ie a basement will no longer be excavated) it should be noted too that costs are rising in the current climate and sales/rental values have fallen. This has been accepted by council officers.

Fundamental transport and movement objectives of the statutory Local Plan include promoting means of travel other than the car, such as cycling, walking and public transport, and the planning permission, which has already been granted, addressed these issues and resulted in detailed planning conditions and a S106 agreement to mitigate the impact of any additional traffic movements and parking requirements of both the stadium and enabling uses.

Planning officers consider that overall the reduction in crèche and education areas and hospitality boxes, as well as minor changes elsewhere and the dual use of conference and restaurant facilities, do not result in any material change from the previous planning approval, provided that the transport initiatives and restrictions are implemented and that subsequent monitoring of travel is effective.

From a transport demand point of view, the new scheme is essentially the same as the previously approved scheme and the previously approved set of mitigation measures, including the residents controlled parking zone, supporter buses and park and ride buses are still adequate. Likewise, the travel plan agreed for the previous scheme is acceptable and should be carried over.

Moving the new stadium layout slightly north has also provided more circulation space at the Alton Road end of the ground. The building lines are straightened out and follow the boundaries better, resulting in a consistent width which should be better for vehicles and pedestrians. The club will also carry out works to the three access roads in to the stadium in order to bring them up to an adoptable standard.

It is proposed to remove the clause in the S106 agreement that requires that the student accommodation agreement is guaranteed by a parent or guardian, as the operator of the student accommodation has identified that this proposal is not lawful and presents operational difficulties as students may be mature or may be from overseas.

The removal of the clause will not undermine the enforceability of the tenancy agreement which will explicitly state that the keeping of a car by a student within 1.5 kilometers of the stadium is a breach of their tenancy agreement and could result in the forfeiture of the tenancy. A further clause will be inserted which will require that the wording of the student tenancy agreement is to be submitted to Bristol City Council for written approval.

Planning officers have stated that in terms of the assessment of this planning application the changes to the scheme will not have a significant impact on the proposal.

EXISTING PLANNING PERMISSION

The assessment of planning permission 06/03850/F which was granted last year recommended that the existing collection of buildings at the Memorial Stadium were of an ad-hoc, tired and utilitarian appearance and did not reflect the standing of Bristol as a Regional Capital and nor the sporting aspirations of those involved in sport within the city.

The scale of the proposed Stadium was a difficult issue to reconcile because a modern sporting stadium of the scale required will inevitably appear dominant in a predominantly two-storey residential environment.

However officers and the committee determined that if one accepts the need for a new stadium on this site then one also has to accept that the proposed design should convey the necessary scale and presence expected of a primary sporting facility within its citywide context.

The existing planning permission allows a building that will be much larger and more prominent. It is acknowledged that this presence is partly due to the scale of the 'enabling' buildings (student accommodation, hotel etc) that are included within the development however it was determined that the proposal would enrich the local skyline, whilst clearly identifying the location of this landmark facility.

In time the stadium will become part of the character of the area. Whilst there are concerns about the overall scale, it is considered that the stadium will only be visible from a limited number of vantage points. The amendments included in this planning application proposed to alter a number of design aspects to the scheme. The most significant of these is the increase in the scale of the roof trusses. The amendment to the roof trusses is perceived as a positive change as it will increase the prominence of the stadium when viewed across the north of the city.

The proposed stadium is perceived to be a building of importance and pride to many that live within the city or visit the city, and this change will emphasize the building as a local landmark and is considered be a positive addition.

Bristol Rovers vice-chairman Nick Higgs said today: "The minor changes under this application are due to detailed design and after discussions with our key stakeholders to ensure we secure value for money in a difficult economic climate.

"Our current design will enable us to deliver a green and sustainable new home and future for Bristol Rovers and Bristol Rugby Club.

"We are currently out to tender for the construction and will soon be able to finalise contracts with our stakeholders and announce where we will play our home matches whilst the development takes place."