Local councillors say . . .

Councillor Janet Hopton (Independent, Upper Poppleton ward)

"I am responding to the questionnaire you circulated to Councillors.

A. I do support the continuation of professional football in York, and at Bootham Crescent, until an alternative better venue is available.

B & D. As I may be on the Planning Committee which considers any application for change of use to housing for Bootham Crescent, I am unable to answer questions B and D. However, if the Club moved from Bootham Crescent, in order to retain the ground as a sports facility, probably a need would have to be demonstrated and a user and management group identified.

C. I would need further information to form an opinion on whether the Huntingdon Stadium is suitable, if this becomes a serious option. I do realise that it would need upgrading to Football Association standards, and note your views on traffic problems, inadequate facilities, and possible decline in attendance.

E. The position re compulsory purchase of Bootham Crescent does not seem to be clear yet - whether or not C.Y.C. could, if it wished, use this power."

Councillor John Galvin (Conservative, Copmanthorpe ward - Leader of the Conservative Group)

"I have read your questionnaire and am unable to complete. I have been engaged over the past few weeks in discussions with a whole range of people in an attempt to save the Club. Your questionnaire is far too simplistic. There are a number of complicated issues that cannot be quantified by your questionnaire. I do respect your intentions but I am afraid there are issues which are tending to become insurmountable."

Councillor Stephen Galloway (Liberal Democrat, Foxwood ward - Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group)

• Do you support professional football staying at the Bootham Crescent ground?

"Bootham Crescent would seem no to be the only available option, at least in the short term, if the Football Club is to survive. Unless a bidder comes forward over the next few days who is prepared to invest £1 million in the Club then it will fold.

Our understanding is that the only 2 bidders are still left in the running and that they will only pursue their interest if they re able to develop Bootham Crescent at some time in the future.. At that stage the Club would have to move to a new stadium."

• Do you think planning permission should be granted for a change of use to housing for Bootham Crescent?

"Members of the planning committee are prevented by the Code of Conduct from expressing views about individual planning applications until they have heard all representation which are made either in favour or against a particular application. Hence members who answered this question at this stage would debar themselves from taking part in the Planning Committee debate and vote when the application is determined.

However, I understand that professional advice is that the planning application could be resisted unless an alternative stadium is available for use by the existing club.

Clearly if the club no longer existed, then that advice might change.

Grounds for refusing planning permission are important if an appeal is lodged. Planning Inspectors, who deal with appeals and who are appointed by central, not local, government, will only consider specific planning issues. They are not swayed by emotion or tradition."

• Do think that York City FC are likely to be successful at the Huntington Stadium?

"I have no idea.

The issue I suspect relates more to whether the debts of the club can be cleared. Without that they won’t be successful anywhere (they won’t exist!).

If the point that you are making is that clubs located "out of town" are not successful then I don’t believe that is automatic (e.g. Rushden and Diamonds?).

If York City FC moves from Bootham Crescent should the ground still be designated as a sports facility?

Yes, unless an equivalent or better facility is provided elsewhere."

• Would you support the City of York Council in the compulsory purchase of the Bootham Crescent ground?

"CPO is a red herring. CPOs are usually used when there is a reluctant seller. The problem at Bootham Crescent is there is a more than willing seller!

CPOs take months to obtain (uncontested) and this can stretch into years if a tribunal is involved.

I think you are wrong about the valuation and how an (independent) valuer would arrive at the figure that the Council would have to pay.

The Council’s capital programme is already over stretched."

• Do you have any further comment?

"I am more committed than anyone else on the Council (I suspect) to keeping professional football in the City.

The trick is to find a package which ensures that we don’t end up with a Unibond League Club playing at the existing unimproved Huntington Stadium.

That looks increasingly difficult given today’s news and the amount of time available to find a solution."

Councillor Ruth Potter (Labour, Beckfield ward)

"Thank-you for your letters received by Labour Group members at the Council meeting last week. This response is on is made on behalf of all the Labour Councillors.

As you are aware the Administrator now has two bids, which he is considering and the Council is continuing to work with these people to try to secure football in York.

The City Council have looked at many ways of helping, including land swaps, acquiring an interest in the Bootham Crescent Ground and helping to facilitate a possible move to Ryedale Stadium which would involve the Council in some expense and also involve major highway and traffic management issues to be resolved.

With regard to the suggestion of using a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), our legal advisers have highlighted significant problems with such an approach. The legal powers to take action are intended to be used where the owner of a site is unwilling to sell, this is not the case in this instance. The cost of a CPO would have to take into account some potential future development value, which will make the site extremely expensive to purchase. The process would also take too long to help with the current situation.

The ground is only part of the issue as the Club is in significant financial debt, which is likely to amount to more than £1m by June 2003. There is also no certainty that the Club could control this debt even in June and therefore any bidder has got to deal with this issue first in order to satisfy the Administrator about potential future debt problems.

However, we will continue to support all the efforts to enable the club to continue by doing everything we can to facilitate the work required on planning and other issues."

Councillor Ann Reid (Liberal Democrat, Foxwood)

"With regard to your questionnaire I refer to the reply from Cllr Galloway most of whose comments I would endorse.
I would like to draw to your attention the fact that I have been contacted by residents who are strongly opposed to the idea of City of York Council using public money to support York City. Their views must be taken into account as well."

Councillor Nick Blitz (Liberal Democrat, Monk ward)

Councillor Blitz explained that he was not able to answer our questionnaire personally, as a CYC Planning Member, as he would then risk prejudicing being able to participate in any future decision concerning the future of Bootham Crescent. He did however take the time to send us a full and considered response.

He also demonstrated his concern over the issue by sending our questionnaire and his accompanying comments to David Gent, Regional Director of Sport England.

Councillor Christopher Hogg (Liberal Democrat, Haxby ward)

"I agree with everything that Steve Galloway and the other group leaders said at last nights Council meeting. I fully support the continuation of football in York, but am at a loss to see what else can be done by the City Council. Although a football fan I do not attend games at Bootham Crescent preferring to support and watch Whitby Town in the Unibond Premier League (my home town)."

Councillor Quentin Macdonald (Liberal Democrat, Upper Poppleton ward)

As a member of the Planning Committee Mr Macdonald was unable to comment on our questionnaire, but did express his sympathetic understanding of the issues involved over the future of Bootham Crescent.

Andrew Waller (Liberal Democrat, Westfield ward)

• Do you support professional football staying at the Bootham Crescent ground?

"In principle I would support professional football staying at the Bootham Crescent ground as long as the football club wishes to stay there."

• Do you think planning permission should be granted for a change of use to housing for Bootham Crescent?

"Since the adoption of the new Code of Conduct it is improper for a member of the Planning Committee to express views about individual planning applications. However, I can appreciate the nostalgia and affection that there is towards the Bootham Crescent ground and, as I am unlikely to be sitting in judgement on the Planning Committee I would be sorry to see the football club left without a home just because someone wants to realise the capital asset of the land."

• Do think that York City FC are likely to be successful at the Huntington Stadium?

"I am not a follower of football, and from my limited knowledge of the football business there are clearly issues relating to ease of access, transport, and on site facilities."

• If York City FC moves from Bootham Crescent should the ground still be designated as a sports facility?

"There is insufficient open space for sport and recreation in that part of the city and if the area could be maintained for sport then I would support the objective."

• Would you support the City of York Council in the compulsory purchase of the Bootham Crescent ground?

"If there were a way that the council could purchase the land within the law, and not to the detriment of the council tax payers of York then this should be explored."

• Do you have any further comment? :-

"I am very surprised that this situation was allowed to develop in the first instance. I would have thought that there were clauses in the FA’s code of conduct to prevent owners from leaving the football team without a home as Mr Craig proposes to do. There does need to be improved rights for supporters, who after all are the main source of income for clubs and without whom there would be no clubs."