Linford Christie Stadium May Not Be The Answer For QPR
Thought club unlikely to want to lease ground rather than own it
Picture: Linda Gregory
Proposals to redevelop the Linford Christie athletics centre into a huge multi-purpose stadium have been taken a step further, but whether it could become a new home for Queen’s Park Rangers FC remains unclear.
The idea of building a £40 million stadium earned overwhelming support when a public consultation of 8,800 people was carried out last year by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
But QPR fans have said they doubt the Championship league club will move to the Linford Christie.
However “major development” of a 30,000-seat arena was supported by 81 per cent of those who took part in the surveys, many of whom were people who use the Linford Christie. 77 per cent said a new stadium on Wormwood Scrubs Park could be used for “professional sports”.
The council recently spent £370,000 on hiring consultants from a firm called In Partnership With Ltd to produce a “business case” – a major piece of research that would set out how the stadium could be developed.
Little more has been decided between the council and the club since last summer, when a local planning officer suggested the QPR could potentially lease the new stadium.
Its long-running search for a new ground goes on, with the club’s management maintaining that Loftus Road could not provide a “sustainable” future.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke to fans from the ‘Optimistic QPR Supporters’ Facebook group, who were sceptical about the club inhabiting a ground it doesn’t fully own.
Tom Faulkner said the club’s current owners “could build the stadium but don’t want that sort of investment”.
Another member of the group, Graham Hodson, said: “I Like the idea of a new stadium, current one isn’t fit for purpose in the modern era.
“We would have to own the ground though not lease it, as we could end up wandering around looking for where to play our home games like Coventry City.”
Peter Chadburn called the proposal of QPR leasing their new ground “nonsense”.
“Maybe a site could be found in Greenford or Hillingdon,” he said. “Developing around the Bush I feel is unlikely.”
Picture: Ungry Young Man
Seán Bielecki commented: “Do QPR own the Loftus Road site? If so, a straight swap seems fair. QPR get a new ground on the Lindford Christie site, the council get prime building land. Everyone’s a winner.”
At a town hall meeting in July 2019, following the results of the consultation, Mr Cowan said he would “bend over backwards” to help QPR, but suggested it was unlikely the club could buy the site from the council.
Owen Sheppard - Local Democracy Reporter
February 5, 2020