Arsenal stadium setback

Arsenal Football Club has received a massive setback in its plans for a new 60,000 capacity stadium in Ashburton Grove after worried residents rejected the club's plans.

A public consultation carried out by the London Borough of Islington revealed a number of concerns relating to the possible multi-use of a stadium for concerts, the impact of fans arriving in the area without strict control of car use, the potential loss of existing employment at the proposed site, and the future of local nature conservation sites.

As a result of the 600 written responses, council officers have had to revise the draft briefs to take into account these concerns. These were due to be presented to a meeting of Islington's planning committee last Monday (17 April) for consideration and approval by members.

In response, the club claims that of the Islington residents who filled in its own website questionnaire, 87% were in support and only 8% opposed to the idea.

Ken Friar, the club's managing director, added: "This shows that despite the efforts of our opponents, the majority view is in favour of the new stadium at that site."