EFL Championship football club Oxford United can push ahead with development of its new stadium after a key planning condition was agreed.
The Oxford Mail said the section 106 planning agreement has been signed with Oxfordshire County Council and Cherwell District Council and full and final planning permission for the club’s new 16,000-capacity stadium has been issued.
The Section 106 Agreement setting out financial contributions by the club to infrastructure improvements has been finalised and the application decision issued by Cherwell District Council.
The Section 106 agreement commits the club to paying at least £5.1 million towards local infrastructure projects including improvements at Oxford Parkway station.
Oxford United Football Club is a professional football club based in Oxford, England (UK). The club competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football.
The 16,000-capacity New Oxford United Stadium is a proposed multipurpose stadium to be built in Kidlington, Oxfordshire (UK).
It will become the new home of the Oxford United F.C. replacing the club’s current home, the Kassam Stadium, where they have played since 2001.
Oxford United’s ‘Triangle’ venue plans involve building a new 16,000-capacity state-of-the-art stadium on a site known as ‘The Triangle’ near Kidlington which includes plans for a hotel, restaurant, conference center, and community facilities.
Oxford United’s head coach Matt Bloomfield has praised the ‘incredible’ opportunity to move to a new stadium.
Bloomfield said, “It’s huge. I think it’s a massive moment for us as a football club. I think it’s such an exciting day and marker for the new stadium and it’s incredibly exciting for everyone involved.
“It’s going to be massive for us as a club to be able to move forward and to really go and fulfil the potential that Oxford United has.
“It’s really exciting and I really hope everyone’s looking forward to getting behind the planning. When that day comes around with the new stadium, it’s going to be incredible.”
A spokesperson for the club added: “Oxford United remain committed to maintaining strong dialogue with residents, businesses, supporters and local groups as the project progresses.”
Oxford United chairman Grant Ferguson said: “Signing the Section 106 Agreement and receiving formal planning approval brings us one step closer to delivering a new home for our club.
“While important steps remain, this milestone gives us the platform to move forward with confidence as we focus on the next stages of this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
“The new stadium is designed not only as a home for men’s and women’s football, but as a major community and business hub.”
Oxford United said the next phase of the project would include the submission of more detailed constructions plans to the local authority to enable works to go ahead.
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