Council to consider plans for Bristol stadium to become housing and retail precinct

The Bristol City Council will consider plans on 16 January for supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to transform Memorial Stadium, Horfield, into a housing and retail precinct.

The move would pave the way for current owners Bristol Rovers FC to relocate to land at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus, where they already have planning permission to build a 21,700 all-seated stadium.

The club needs to sell the Memorial Stadium to finance the move.

Memorial Stadium sits on 3.3ha designated as a sports stadium in the Local Plan and is safeguarded from other development.

The report to go before council states, however, the benefits in the club relocating to a purpose built facility within Bristol are grounds for an exception to the development plan.

Sainsbury’s plans for Memorial Stadium include the demolition of all buildings on site and their replacement with a mixed use development comprising a food store with underground car parking and 65 dwellings.

If the council approves Sainsbury’s application, it would then be referred to the Secretary of State, because it is not in line with planning policy in the Local Plan.