'Hands off the Arenas' say Feltham residents

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 8th May 2001

A survey into the future of Feltham Arenas conducted by Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesperson Andy Darley has produced a massive response.

A third of all residents living closest to the site replied - and dealt a major blow to the council's ambitious plans for a 'super-stadium' on the site. The results also make gloomy reading for Brentford FC, which hopes to move there.

Residents rejected both options in favour of repairing existing facilities and keeping them for the local community.

The results revealed:

• Three quarters of residents want the Arenas kept for the local community and 92% oppose the council's plans for a major development

• 88% think a stadium would cause traffic problems and 82% think it would cause noise

• Barely half think it would create jobs and only a third think it would help to regenerate Feltham

• In all, 125 people replied from the 368 households surveyed in Shakespeare, Ruskin, Helen, Shaftesbury and Burns Avenues.

Andy Darley, Lib Dem prospective Parliamentary candidate for Feltham and Heston, said:

"This one-third response rate makes the results impossible to ignore.

"The message from residents is clear: a stadium would bring many problems and few, if any, benefits.

"Hounslow Council must drop its ridiculous scheme at once - and if Brentford FC really have to leave Griffin Park, urgent steps must be taken to find a different site for them."