“Others may have seen the screening opinion document, prepared by Turley Associates concerning the proposed redevelopment of Leicester Tigers¿ stadium (20071970). This contains a great deal of glossing over the problems highlighted by others who have commented here. If we can see these problems, how come LCC can't?

For example:
1. Traffic and pollution.
(i) How can a two-fold increase in capacity not lead to significant, additional traffic emissions? On match days, traffic in the surrounding areas approach gridlock, contributing significantly to environmental pollution, with profound implications for the city¿s Air Quality Management Area and PS11 (Local Plan).
(ii) There appears to be little evidence that buses are used, despite being on a main arterial bus route.
(iii) Is there planned provision for safe cycle parking at the stadium? Much is made of how well catered for cyclists are in Leicester, with the proposal seemingly not wishing to contribute to, or enhance, this.
(iv) Equally, the statement, referring to the proximity of the similarly sized Walkers Stadium, is completely without any qualification.
Local transport facilities infrastructure cannot cope with the existing capacities of the Tigers ground and Walkers stadium.

I would be concerned that a ¿Stadium Travel Management Plan¿ would be rather ethereal, and developed in hindsight, to keep LCC happy, once the plans had approval.

2. Parking
This does not appear to have been given any significant consideration, less than one page of the full proposal (page 38), and with a very ambiguous solution to the off-site parking issue.
(i) Concerning the proposed multi-storey car park for 450-500 cars. Even with four to five people per car, this would only represent ~ 8% of the grounds¿ new capacity. Will the proposed hotel have a separate car park? Otherwise this will further diminish the number of available parking spaces.
(ii) On page 1, of the outline proposal, the authors state that the development would increase capacity from 17,400 to 30,000. Keeping available parking low will not stop traffic, it will merely serve to divert parking to the local residential areas, which already have problems on match days (both football and rugby). Currently, practically every available flat surface is used by fans for parking, which includes grass verges along Tigers Way, and Walnut Street/Upperton Road.
(iii) I do not hold out any hope for the Park-and-Ride scheme described. I note the establishment of such a scheme was a proviso for the Leicester City ground development. Five years later on, there is still no sign of it, which adds to the parking and traffic misery it this part of the city.

3. Re-location.
Let us consider a similar proposal, approved by the Council in 2002. Senior staff at the Leicester City Football Club stadium themselves, acknowledge that, in hindsight, an out-of-town development would have been far better than moving the old stadium 100 yards to the left! This would have solve a great deal of problems they now find themselves with, and the development has not brought the great deal of regeneration it may have promised, certainly none to the benefit of local residents. Indeed, from articles in the Leicester Mercury, it would appear to have had a detrimental effect on the quality of life of certain residents e.g. from noise, light, and traffic pollution.

Has re-location to an out-of-town site been considered? This would free up an ideal site for inner city housing in a central location, with fine views of Mandela Park (SPA06 Local Plan).”

“Well Kenny, from a lifelong rugby supporter, I think you may have your head up yours!”

“how can a man like kenny say that it is a minority sport where has he been over the last few years, playing tiddly winks i presume.? get a life.”

“Graham from Whetstone is talking nonsense. The new car park on the Fosse Day Centre site will improve the parking situation on both match days and week days, in fact the building of the car park is positively welcomed by the Royal Infirmary who also stand to benefit considerably from the development of the old Granby Halls site. As for the asinine "It's both the pitches that are in the wrong place", Graham should remember that the Tigers have played at Welford Road for nearly a century and that Leiester City played at Filbert Street for a similar period before moving a little further away from the Infirmary to the Walker's Stadium. No development is ever without its downside but the benefits to the City, within which I note Graham doesn't live, from the whole development are huge. W.Tiga”

“I agree that there are problems with parking which need to be addressed. I live on Narborough Road but are also a Foxes and tigers fan and benefit from the close proximity of the two stadiums. In an ideal world the clubs would have stadiums out of town but no one wants a football stadium on their doorstep and more parking and better public transport would be required.”

“How about moving the stadium to the shires as thats where the support is. No one in Leicester cares about fat meat heads sticking their heads up each others bums in a minority sport”

“typical Leicester people on here, always moaning!”

“I'm sorry, Pam, but you're wrong. I'm afraid people don't stop being sick or having accidents just because it's the weekend! The hospital still needs staffing and patients aren't banned from having visitors. It's both the pitches that are in the wrong place, but ultimately this is all about big business making more money. Any adverse impact on the city and its residents needs is irrelevent.”

“I have to say that making good use of the old Granby Halls is about time, though more parking spaces are needed for sure. And I agree with comments on both match day parking and visitors to the various clinics and wards. As regards the Riders, pay for your own venue as football and rugby have to, and stop taking a lift of taxpayers money and squandering it. There's plenty of old warehouses you can use. Have to agree on student doctors getting accomodation near their workplace as they work such long hours and are not at the level of vast earnings at that stage. As for park and ride, I take my car to the match as 5 in a car is cheaper than a bus from wigston... No returns for children so it's 5 adults. Last time it cost me £14, against £3 to park - umm, no incentive there. Perhaps if clubs spoke with bus providers we could have concessions (perhaps £1.50 return, I'd be willing to pay a bit more but not 4.5 times as much) based on showing a valid match day ticket, therefore the buses benefit along with less traffic congestion. Still, I saw a pig fly last week...”

“the parking will ACTUALLY increase so why the whingeing? i just wish the lri, lcfc and lfc would co-ordinate their parking as the lri only needs parking weekdays and the clubs only need parking weekends and weekday evenings.”