FEARS that a new football ground would harm river wildlife could scupper plans to rebuild the old stadium in Newbury.

Plans to build a new football stadium on the old ground at Faraday Road were given support by council planners on January 15.

But now the Environment Agency has said the plans are too close to the Kennet canal — so the football pitch could potentially harm biodiversity.

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Alex Swann, planning adviser at the agency, said: “The proposed new senior football pitch would have an adverse impact on the River Kennet Site of Special Scientific Interest, because of the encroachment closer to the river than the existing pitch.

“The River Kennet in this location is a chalk river of national importance. This means the ecology of the river is particularly sensitive in this location to direct and indirect impact of new developments.”

‘Buffer zones’ next to rivers are needed for wildlife corridors, nesting areas, and to reduce the risk of accidental pollution from run-off.

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But Mr Swann added: “It may be possible to overcome this objection if the proposed senior pitch is moved back to provide a minimum eight-metre-wide buffer zone.”

The Environment Agency also want two assessments: one on flood risk and another on ecological impact.

The Newbury Community Football Group, who are applying for the planning permission, are confident that simply moving the stand away from the river will allay all the concerns.

Paul Morgan, chair of the group, said: “We’re going to put the stand on the other side of the pitch and resubmit the application. We’re very confident we can get it through.

“What they’ve objected to, we have no worries about it. We’re not going to stop, and it’s the right thing to do for that area.”

The application was due to be considered by councillors — at the western area planning committee at West Berkshire Council — on Wednesday, February 26. But Mr Morgan said the community group will withdraw the application until the location of the stand is changed. 

At a previous meeting, on January 15, councillors voted to support the plans. But despite this, the community group do not own the land, and so do not have the power to build the new stadium.

The land is owned by the council, which wants to use it for building flats as part of the huge regeneration development of the London Road Industrial Estate. 

But the hope is the community group can prove to the council the economic viability of rebuilding the football pitch, after getting planning permission. 

The ground was closed by the council in June 2018, to make way for the new regeneration development — which still has not started.