TWO Eastrop councillors have called on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to conduct an urgent review into the public consultation carried out on the proposed £10million Basingstoke Town FC football stadium following a Supreme Court judgement.

As previously reported by The Gazette, some Eastrop residents and councillors at the borough council have opposed plans for the football club to build a new stadium on land off Old Common Road, in Eastrop.

The plan is for the current Soccer AM stadium, in Western Way, to be redeveloped into a retail park, which will fund the new stadium and training facilities.

However, the club needs the borough council to agree to transfer the land needed for the new stadium.

A public consultation was held during September and October, seeking views from residents about the loss of open space at Old Common Road if the plans went ahead.

Borough Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Gavin James and fellow Lib Dem and Eastrop councillor Stuart Parker have now called on the borough council to review the public consultation because it did not include information on other potential sites for the stadium, which were considered by the borough council.

The two councillors have compared the football ground consultation with a public consultation held by Haringey Council, in London regarding a new council tax reduction scheme.

A Supreme Court ruling on October 29 found that Haringey Council’s consultation was unlawful because it failed to outline alternative ways of dealing with cuts to funding from the Government.

Cllr James and Cllr Parker have called on the council to review its consultation on the football ground because no alternative locations were included in the consultation.

Cllr James, who believes that Basingstoke Leisure Park would be the best location for the new stadium, said: “In view of this relevant judgment, we suggest the public consultation carried out in connection with the re-location of the football club is flawed, and request an urgent review by the council.

“This council has already suffered a previous Judicial Review, with a judgement against the council's decision to remove Manydown from the Local Plan.

“Therefore, it is vitally important that decision takers ensure that the council can demonstrate fair, democratic high standards, to ensure that good governance is delivered to its residents.”

Cllr John Izett, Cabinet member for property, finance and commissioning, said: “The decision in principle about using the Old Common land was made in 2012.

“But before the final decision to agree the use of the land was taken, the Cabinet felt it was important to understand residents' views in the local area and the wider borough about the proposed use of the council land at Old Common and at the Camrose.

“I want to get on with making a recommendation to Cabinet but there are a number of issues that I need to be clear about, including last month’s judgement about council tax in Haringey, to establish if it has any relevance.”