THE chairman of a football club has said there will not be enough parking for players and fans at its new ground.

Currently Barton United, Headington Amateurs and 11 other teams with players aged from under-eights to under-16s use the Barton recreation ground, which has up to 50 parking spaces.

But the new ground, which will be part of the Barton Park development off the A40, is planned to have just 11 spaces.

Oxford Mail:

The Barton Park development lacks adequate parking facilities, according to Mick Beesley

Chairman Mick Beesley said he had met with developers Grosvenor to discuss some of the concerns.

He said: “The development as a whole, to be honest, is needed as there is a great need for the housing.


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 “But with not as much parking for our site we don’t want to impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and be bad neighbours to people in the community.

“We have said that the proposed parking arrangements are just not workable. We don’t have a lot of teams and don’t want to be bad to visitors who may have to park in the street.

“I’m aware there would be spaces near the school and shopping centre but it wouldn’t be nice for parents to have to walk 100 yards with their kids in the rain.”

A spokesman for Barton Oxford LLP said it was listening to the concerns over parking numbers, and added: “We will be working with them to consider a parking strategy for the pitches as we work up the detailed design for this important element of Barton Park.”

Earlier this month the Oxford Mail revealed that plans had cleared a major hurdle as Oxford City Council approved designs for the streets, parking, drainage and other infrastructure needed at the Barton Park estate before nearly 900 houses can be built.

The decision will allow Barton Oxford LLP – a partnership of the city council and developer Grosvenor – to start the first building works at the site, west of Barton, due to commence in the spring.

It will include 885 homes, a new primary school and a new ground for the football teams. During construction, from April 2016 to September 2017, the teams will need to play somewhere else Mr Beesley added: “While the work is being done we will be away from our usual place for a whole season.

“It is still being decided where we will be able to play. We are worried about participation levels in our team as the club will be somewhere else. We know we have to move, but it may cause problems for us.”

City councillor for Barton, Mike Rowley, said he shared concerns with Mr Beesley and did not want to see the previous successful effort “squandered”.

City councillor Van Coulter, who is on the east area planning committee, which approved the development, agreed with the concerns.

Mr Coulter said: “To expect the home team, away team, officials and supporters to use 11 parking spaces when they are currently using 40 to 50 spaces is completely inadequate.”