GRAYS Athletic FC’s hopes of a dream move to Blackshots appear to have hit a setback after Wednesday evening’s decision-making Thurrock Council cabinet.
Asked to give support for a ‘sports hub’ at the North Grays site which has been earmarked as a new home for the Blue Square Premier football club, council officers appeared to backtrack from hopes of a speedy resolution.
Planning chief Bill Newman was unable to give Council leader Terry Hipsey a timescale for completion of prospects for the site – and other councillors expressed the opinion that it wasn’t the right place for the development.
Grays are due to quit their current home in Bridge Road, Grays, at the end of the current season and identified Blackshots as the preferred site for a new stadium, saying they had already forged links with the Council.
However, Mr Newman indicated at Wednesday’s meeting that there is a long way to go in the process, running into some opposition as he asked for permission to concentrate on plans at Blackshots.
He said: “What we want is to ask permission to explore interest with a view to maximising the benefit. We have the basis for a good sports hub in the north Grays area, though some of these facilities need improvement.”
But councillor Garry Hague wanted the council to cast its net further afield saying: “I wouldn’t want to limit ourselves to one site. We should start this with an open mind about the best location.”
Fellow cabinet member Ben Maney also had reservations, saying: “I would really take some convincing that Blackshots could accommodate Gray Athletic FC.
"This is a bit of a pipe dream to be honest and I do hope, that when we come back to this site and are looking for funding, we do not have to surrender our green belt for housing.”
Councillor Joy Redsell also expressed fear about the Blackshots proposal, saying: “Blackshots has great infrastructure problems already. We have to look at this in great depth.”
Recognising concerns, councillor Hipsey said: “At the moment this is very early days and we need to set up appropriate dialogue with interested parties though I am not certain how long this will take.”
He asked for a timescale but received no definitive answer from officers, with Mr Newman saying there was still much to consider including other interest in the site.
Responding to councillor Hipsey’s question if other clubs or organisations had been consulted, Mr Newman said: “A range of interest has been expressed in this matter and a number have said they would not wish to be identified. They are currently considering their own positions but it would be fair to say there has been a broad church of interest.”
Councillors voted to look further into the development of the Blackshots site, but also similar proposals for a previous identified site in Belhus and agreed with councillor Hague that the net for a sports hub could be cast wider if any problems materialised with those two sites.
Thurrock Gazette
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