James Hobbs has written a letter questioning opposition to Oxford United's move to The Triangle in Kidlington from the Kassam Stadium.

I have read with interest Suzanne McIvor’s comments (Oxford Mail, April 24) regarding Oxford United’s move to The Triangle at Kidlington and seek to challenge some of her views on it. 

Firstly, she states the site is ‘rich in biodiversity’.

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However, anti-stadium group Friends of Stratfield Brake (FOSB), to whom Ms McIvor is a prominent member, stated in a Facebook post on November 19 2022 that the land was ‘contaminated’. 

Are we led to believe that in fewer than six months the land is now an ecological paradise? 

Secondly, she asks why should the land be leased ‘or sold’ (sic) to a privately owned company. Is that not the situation currently?

The fencing company that currently leases the land is also a privately owned company based in Cambridgeshire. Is the colour of their money somehow better in Ms McIvor’s eyes than having the club, a local, usable community asset, pay for the lease instead? 

Thirdly, as for a mandate to lease Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) land, the residents of Oxfordshire answered in droves to OCC’s land use proposal engagement report in 2022.

Oxford Mail:

Omitting non-local opinions, 2,956 (79%) of the responders to the survey live in Oxfordshire and 80% said that the council should enter negotiations with the OUFC over the lease to the land that included The Triangle and, at the time, Stratfield Brake. 

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The people impacted by this also had their chance to say what they wanted to and only 818 of the 13,600 residents in Kidlington replied to it. 

Fourthly, she mentions that putting the stadium on the site would be a ‘squeeze’. Not so if you refer to p59 of the Stage 0 report published on October 11, 2022. 

A stadium site on The Triangle has always been an option. ‘Limited but possible’ is the exact wording used. 

Finally, the forced vote that FOSB has left the parish council with is simply a way to try to get people onside before they know what the actual and full proposal contains.

It is easier to continue to spread misinformation before the details are known by the public and it comes across as a transparent desperation tactic from a losing side.

The people of Kidlington have in the past been great supporters of their football team and only last year residents lined the roads for the funeral of club legend Joey Beauchamp. 

Ms McIvor and FOSB’s continued insistence that they speak for the residents of Kidlington is misguided and misinformed. 

James Hobbs
Oxford 

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