Peterborough United keen to enter into dialogue with athletics club over stadium concerns

Athletics action hosted by Peterborough and Nene Valley Athletics Club.

Last week, the Peterborough Telegraph published an open letter written by Tim Needham, Chairman of Peterborough and Nene Valley Athletics Club, on behalf of the club, which expressed their concerns over the plans for the future of the Embankment out forward by both Posh and Anglia Ruskin University.

Among the concerns, were congestion and a loss of car parking spaces, which could lead to the athletics club being unable to hold large meetings and issues with wind that removing an existing treeline would create.

Peterborough athletics club outraged with embankment plans which could leave them unable to host large meetings

A coach from the athletics club attended Posh’s fans forum, hosted by co-owners Darragh MacAnthony, Stewart Thompson and Jason Neale, and asked if the two potential neighbours could enter in a dialogue for the good of the community.

Mr MacAnthony appeared critical of the fact that these concerns had not been raised directly with the club and that although, he was unwilling to communicate through the PT, that the club are open to a dialogue over the concerns.

Mr Thompson elaborated: “Right from the very beginning, when we looked the potential sites, it was actually the city that suggested the Embankment. I thought that was holy ground and that there was no way it could happen but then one of the city employees said, ‘what about over the river?’ and we said, absolutely!

“We then went back to them with a plan and they said they could get control of Middleholme and the thought process was move the track and swimming pool across.

Everything we’ve said, however, has been with the intention of keeping the track. We’ve been going to preserve the pool and the track and keep them in the community centre.

“We are open to dialogue. We literally hosted 15 stakeholders that are part of the not-for-profit community, including the running track, as part of the document (feasibility study) that is on our website. Dialogue is the core if this, every community that has failed on a new stadium have failed to get the stakeholders. I get a little more sensitive when people suggest we haven’t entered into dialogue because that is not the way we do things.”

IN PICTURES: Peterborough United’s vision for the future of the Embankment with new stadium