Bristol Rovers' plan for the new South Stand at the Mem has been revealed. A planning application submitted to Bristol City Council states that the stand will have capacity for 3,414 seats, offering a more permanent structure with "significantly improved comfort, sightlines and wheelchair provision".
Back in April the club confirmed it wanted to construct a new permanent stand opposite the Thatchers' End, which would replace the temporary and much-derided tented areas of the ground. According to plans submitted to the council, ground preparation and site clearance was due to commence last month, with a "target handover for the new grandstand in time for the start of the 2023/24 EFL season" at the beginning of August 2023.
The team tasked with designing the stand said the brief from Rovers was to "provide a more comprehensive grand stand structure than that previously in situ...from both an architectural and functional perspective". However, some neighbours have already lodged objections on the planning portal, claiming the new addition to the Memorial Stadium could overshadow them.
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Pictures published on social media this week showed trucks and building materials in the now vacant area where the old South Stand was located. The works will involve installing the foundations, then the steel roof structure and modular seating system with capacity for 3,414 seats.
The design "incorporates a modified version of an arena modular grandstand system", which means installation on site will be far quicker, according to the plans. The existing scoreboard will also be moved further east.
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There will also be 10 wheelchair-friendly seats with "companion chairs to the front", as well as the "installation of modular WC units and food and beverage concessions to satisfy the increased capacity". Plans state that best practice guidance would have required 34 disabled seats, rather than the 10 proposed.
However, the planning justification states that the proposal represents a "significant upgrade from the previous offering and is the maximum number of spaces which can be accommodated given the design brief for general spectator accommodation".
Objections
Three objections have been left on the planning application in the past three days. One neighbour, whose name was not given, wrote: "We are concerned that the new stand could be much taller than the previous stand, allowing hundreds or thousands of people a view into our gardens on match days.
"We also have trees at the back of our garden which provide some screening and are a haven for birds and wildlife, which we are concerned may be cut down." The neighbour said they have already seen machinery on site and were concerned that the club would be "reckless" in not waiting for the council's decision before proceeding.
They claimed they had not been forewarned prior to the application being submitted, adding: "This is a family area with many young children living in the houses surrounding the stadium - this stand cannot be [built] without appropriate planning permissions and safety regulations in place."
The club has already opened season ticket sales for the South Stand after the application was submitted, though it has taken a few weeks for it to be published in public on the council's website. The structure will boost the capacity in BS7 by 2,600 to around 12,500, with prices for the new stand ranging from £69 for Under-10s to £419 for an adult.
Another unnamed neighbour claimed that works had been ongoing "for a number of weeks", and said they felt the new structure would "stick out [like] a metal box that does nothing to improve the visuals for the area". The commenter added: "The proposed stand is much larger, and will impact on the light in the street, the noise on match day and the number of people which park on the street which is already restricted.
"The new structure will clearly overshadow neighbouring homes and gardens. The increased capacity will significantly increase the number of cars on the narrow streets, and the number of people who park dangerously, the grounds do little to assist with this in any way currently.
"It also means residents with young children, or mobility issues, are often left unable to park near or on the surrounding streets to their homes."
'Welcomed by supporters'
Speaking on BBC Radio Bristol in April, Wael Al-Qadi said: "The new stand allows us to add more seating to the current stadium plan and increase the capacity which, following the success of the past two seasons, is something that will enable us to welcome more supporters to attend games.
"The ability to add more accessible seating options for supporters also aligns with the club’s desire to make our stadium more accessible to all fans where possible...For the first time, we can create a concourse area, underneath the stand, offering improved facilities for our home fans, as well as those visiting the stadium.
“The changes will also see the removal of the current Brunel South Stand and MKJ Southwest Stand. The removal of these two tented stands to be replaced by a solid roof structure is something that I am sure will be welcomed by all supporters."
The plans can be viewed on the council's website by searching for 23/01441/F.
