Statement from Wycombe Sports Development Limited Chief Executive Mike Brooks on Wycombe Air Park at Booker: “Wycombe Sports Development Limited are delighted to see that Wycombe Air Park at Booker has now been chosen by both the public and the Council as the site with the best potential for a new community stadium and sports village for Wycombe.
Booker is the only site where we can deliver our vision for a new stadium and sports village for Wycombe and for the Clubs and we are therefore delighted that the public and the council have now come out in support of Booker and made their voices heard loud and clear.
The public consultation process, including the independent focus groups, resulted in a show of overwhelming support, in that the majority of people think that a new sports village with community sports facilities should be located alongside a new stadium for Wycombe Wanderers and Wasps at Booker. What was particularly pleasing was the local element of that support which came out and supported Booker and the Sports Village option.
This now has been further endorsed by Wycombe District Council with their cabinet approval and on behalf of the Clubs and WSDL team I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to come out and support us and to also thank WDC for their well run and comprehensive consultation.
We are delighted to be moving onto the site specific stages of the project. We are looking forward to getting on with the business of engaging further with the public to make clearer our plans.
In doing so we understand and appreciate that the Council and the public are asking for more clarity and comfort on certain key areas such as transport, local economic and community benefits. We accept the recommendations that have been passed and will work with WDC on these to ensure that we are able to provide all the information that is needed for further Public consultation.
Over the coming months we will be working hard on designs, further investigative work and business plans to advance the case for Booker. We then intend to carry out comprehensive consultation and eventually make a full planning application for a community stadium and sports village at Booker.
We will also look to correct some of the myths about Booker and some of the clearly unworkable options at other sites that have gained attention in the last few weeks. For now though we will focus on the confirmation of Booker as the preferred site – this is a great outcome for the clubs within the new sports village and community stadium, and most importantly a great step forward for Wycombe.”
Mike Brooks
WSDL Chief Executive