Fury in UK town as locals slam plans for massive 28,000-seat stadium

By Grace Piercy, News Reporter

Wasps Rugby Football Club privation to physique a stadium successful Kent (Image: Getty)

There is fury successful a UK municipality arsenic locals slam plans for a monolithic 28,000-seat stadium.

The Wasps Rugby Football Club announced it has bought a 10-year-option connected onshore presumed to beryllium successful Swanley, Kent.

Two projected locations for the tract are believed to beryllium Pedham Place Golf Centre and Petham Court farm, some successful the town. One of the sites would necessitate 2,500 homes to beryllium built to spell ahead.

The nine proposed the 2 sites to Sevenoaks District Council for the stadium, truthful it tin beryllium included successful its upcoming Local Plan. But locals are not pleased with the idea.

Michael Parker, 76 and from the adjacent colony of Farningham, described the plans arsenic a “disgrace”.

The nine projected 2 sites to Sevenoaks District Council (Image: Getty)

The retired technologist told the Mail: “The plans are a shambles. Why connected world would they privation to physique thing similar that retired here? It is appalling. It makes nary sense. They person ne'er truly had immoderate links here.”

Another local, who lives adjacent the play centre, called the improvement "a recipe for full disaster".

Steve Beckley, besides from Farningham, said his “highest concern” was that the “cost of his location would spell down”.

The banker said that already “horrendous” postulation worsening was a interest and that helium “can lone imagine” what it volition beryllium similar with 2,500 much homes.

“We recognize the stadium connected its ain can't beryllium built - and the lodging seems little apt than before. If the stadium were built here, it would beryllium a catastrophe for our section roads.”

A Sevenoaks District Council spokesperson told the Express: “As portion of our caller Local Plan, which volition acceptable retired successful wide presumption what tin beryllium built and wherever betwixt 2025 and 2040, Wasps has promoted a caller stadium connected the outskirts of Swanley successful Kent.

“There volition beryllium opportunities for the nationalist to person their accidental connected Wasps’ proposals earlier our caller Local Plan is finalised, and we mean to consult again successful 2025 erstwhile the Government has published the caller National Planning Policy Framework.

“Further down the line, the Wasps’ proposals would necessitate readying consent, which again would springiness the nationalist an accidental to person their accidental and actively prosecute successful the process.

Wasps Rugby Football Club has been contacted for comment.