Independent Rs Messageboard

[Steve Russell]

Thanks to Elaine Blagrove from: "You're Probably from W12 if...'Facebook group..
·
'The Friends of Wormwood Scrubs supporting rival scheme for a lido.
Rival scheme would also see an upgrade of the athletics.

QPR’s plans to move from Loftus Road may have been dealt a blow as a local group
has revealed it wants to redevelop the Linford Christie Stadium.

The Friends of Wormwood Scrubs have put forward plans to redevelop the stadium with
a new lido, athletics track and changing facilities.

QPR has long expressed interest in moving to the Linford Christie Stadium.
But, if the community group is given permission to redevelop the site, it is
possible the club’s move could be set back.

The club has been looking to leave Loftus Road for around a decade. It has previously
squabbled with Hammersmith and Fulham Council after the club’s majority shareholder
Ruben Gnanalingam said the borough was “not easy to deal with”.

The council previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was a huge supporter
of QPR and “willing to bend over backwards to help them as we have done with Fulham FC
and Chxxsea FC”.

A consultation held by the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs claimed many parts of the Linford
Christie Stadium are in a state of ‘dire disrepair’ and that over 1,200 people said they
were interested in an outdoor swimming pool at the venue.

A report suggesting the stadium is redeveloped said, “The facilities within the
Linford Christie Stadium are in need of significant upgrading, to meet 21st-century
sporting requirements, including compliance with National Athletics League standards, and
to be fitting for Thames Valley Harriers who are currently National Athletic Champions.

“The track is several years past the date on which it should have been replaced, and the covered
track is too short to be useful. The viewing stand is very ‘tired’, with no usable storage facilities
in the space beneath it, and the immediately adjacent toilet facilities have not been usable
or some years.”

But the plans are still a long way from becoming reality as they will be presented to the Wormwood
Scrubs Charitable Trust Committee this Wednesday (14 December).

If given the go-ahead, the plans would be funded by the Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust
and Hammersmith and Fulham Council. More details of the plans are on the group's web site.

QPR told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it would not make any comment about the club’s
future or the plans to redevelop the Linford Christie Stadium.'

Jacob Phillips - Local Democracy Reporter
December 13th 2022

[steveqpr881]

Worrying news.
If the L.C. is ruled out, that's the last place in (or even near) W12 left.

[ESSEXURs]

I agree I think we can put this on the shelf along with the other
proposed sites.
I thought the original plans for the Christie Stadium included a new athletics area
tagged on to one side of the football stadium which would have satisfied the need
for existing facilities to be modernised.

The alternative plans for just a stadium upgrade look half hearted at best.
Where is that money coming from?

If that is not achievable no doubt s rare plant or endangered bird will suddenly
be discovered to stop any development.

[steveqpr881]

The alternative plans for just a stadium upgrade look half hearted at best.
Where is that money coming from?

Where's the space coming from??
This is one of our big problems - as Lee Hoos said at the Fans' Forum I went to last year;
there just isn't the space to physically expand very much.
Which stops us from making the improvements we need so bad.

[ESSEXURs]

I was referring to the Linford Christie plan just put forward not
Loftus Rd but there are a couple of online schemes to rebuild Loftus Rd.

We owned land and sold it surrounding the stadium and did not take up
the land behind the school end when offered so it could have been so different.
Mind you having started supporting Rs with the old fifties stadium the present
one is somewhat superior.

[Kerrins]

You can be certain that the local residents will be on the side of Friends of
Wormwood Scrubs....not the QPR FC project!

The people living round there will not want a Football Stadium on their doorstep
and they will fight any such proposal tooth and claw...Trust me!

[ESSEXURs]

Whatever happens I just hope we learnt our lesson over the Training Ground saga.