Lib Dems demand Arenas referendum - Packed meeting slams council leader for proposing 25,000-seat stadium

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 18th Jul 2001

Local residents should be allowed to vote in a referendum before any plan to develop a stadium on Feltham Arenas is decided, Liberal Democrat members of Hounslow Council have demanded.

They made the call at a packed meeting of the West Area Planning Committee where Lib Dem councillor John Howliston presented a 495-signature petition against a stadium.

The petition was co-ordinated by Shaftesbury Avenue resident Gill Lambert and Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesperson Andy Darley.

They also distributed over 1,000 leaflets to nearby homes to tell residents about the meeting, which was held in the hall at Southville Schools in Bedfont Lane to allow a bigger audience to attend.

Council leader John Connelly told the audience there were no detailed plans for the site yet, only aspirations - and his aspiration was to build a 25,000-seat stadium.

Shocked residents, unable to believe what they had heard, challenged him to repeat the figure - which he did, prompting angry shouts.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Ray Fincher was applauded for calling for a public vote if a firm proposal was ever put forward, but Cllr Connelly drew more criticism by saying he didn't believe any referendum should be restricted to Feltham residents.

Cllr Connelly told Brentford FC fans that he was prepared to work with the club to find a site for a smaller stadium elsewhere in the borough. But it was clear that if this happened it would not prevent the council trying to build on the Arenas as well.

Andy Darley commented afterwards:

"Labour has come clean at last about its hopes for Feltham Arenas - it wants an oversized monstrosity that would wreck the area.

"Local residents have made their opposition very clear, and will continue to do so until this foolish scheme is abandoned."