Saints do not want a Milton Keynes move
Saints chairman Keith Barwell has said the rugby club had 'no desire' to move to Milton Keynes.
The 66-year-old has warned that without a bigger stadium the Saints would have to hold some cup games in Milton Keynes.
But last night he told the Chron that the club had no long-term wish to move down the motorway.
He said: "Moving to Milton Keynes is not what we want to do, but we do need a larger stadium than we have at the moment."
Last May, the club announced plans to expand Franklin's Gardens funded by the development of an Asda supermarket on one of the club's car parks. But Mr Barwell has blamed delays in the project on Northampton Borough Council's opposition to out-of-town retail developments.
Asking for the council's support, he said: "We don't want any cash from the council, we don't even want planning permission from them, because the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) will make the final decision, we just want them to allow us to put a planning application in and let democracy run its course."
The Asda plan would see a new north stand built at Franklin's Gardens, taking the capacity up from 13,500 to 17,000.
The increased seating would be enough to take the stadium over the capacity needed to stage the European Heineken Cup matches, which may now have to be staged at Milton Keynes.
Asda's property spokesman, Jonathan Refoy last night confirm the supermarket was still very much behind the scheme.
He said: "We're incredibly committed to the deal. The tie-up with the Saints not only gives us the opportunity for a new store, but also to link up with one of Britain's most iconic sports clubs.
"We're still working very hard to make it happen."
The borough council's cabinet member for regeneration, councillor Richard Church (Lib Dem, Kingsthorpe) stressed that the door was 'entirely open' for both Asda and the Saints to submit planning applications to the WNDC. He said: "The council has no objections to the Saints building an extension to their ground and we've said we would welcome a planning application for that.
"But the issue of a major supermarket development would have to be considered by us against our 'town centre first' policy."
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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