PLANS to build and open a sports stadium in Newbury by March 2022 have been described as “incredibly ambitious”.

West Berkshire Council wants to build a floodlight stadium, with an artificial grass pitch, changing rooms and a function room, at Newbury Rugby Club.

The Conservative-run council says the new ground will “serve as a replacement” for the former Newbury Football Club ground in Faraday Road.

It wants to submit a planning application in the coming months, so construction can begin in the autumn and the ground can open at the end of March 2022.

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But at a council meeting on January 14, several councillors raised concerns about the timescale, with Cllr Alan Macro (Liberal Democrat) describing it as “incredibly ambitious”.

“You’ve still got to negotiate a legal agreement with the rugby club, you’ve got to get planning permission, and you’ve got to go out to tender for a contractor to actually build the thing and negotiate a contract with them,” he said.

The council is currently holding negotiations with Newbury Rugby Club about renting the land for the new stadium, drawing up a budget and asking people to have their say on the plans, by taking part in a public consultation.

According to the plans, it will be a ‘Step 6’ facility, which means it can be used by sports teams that compete in a semi-professional leagues.

“I do acknowledge that this is a tight timetable with little room for mishaps,” said Cllr Howard Woollaston, lead member for leisure.

“It will provide a facility we can be proud of as a town and allow Newbury men’s and lady’s teams to scale the ladders of their respective leagues.”

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“Are you not setting yourself up to fail because of this tight timeframe?” Cllr Steve Masters (Green Party) asked.

“Are you not risking more reputational damage to the council?”

Cllr Woollaston said: “You have to de-couple what’s happened in the past with what we’re doing now.

“We are very focused on what we’re trying to achieve and we will get there.”

At the meeting, there were also calls for the council to reopen the Faraday Road ground, which it closed in 2018 to make way for the London Road Industrial Estate redevelopment.