New stand proposals to be aired

3:01pm Tuesday 20th February 2001

WATFORD are involving the local community and fans as they prepare to develop the east side of the ground and build a new Main Stand.

The Hornets are proposing to commence building the £6m stand in the summer of 2002, closing down that side of the ground for a year.

But before drawing up the plans and proposals, Watford are seeking the views and co-operation of their neighbours and fans.

A letter to residents in Liverpool Road, whose gardens back onto the east side of the ground, were sent out or delivered over the past week, inviting them to a meeting.

The club has set up a Main Stand Project Office headed by project manager Gerald Knight, the managing director of Gerrards Cross-based GKA, who specialises in development planning and public affairs.

"There is a survey being conducted at the moment. We didn't want anything to happen in Liverpool Road until we told them what was coming," he said this week.

"If we have very noisy operations in the course of building the stand, the local residents will be informed in advance. We know there will be a degree of upheaval to people's lives. We are letting people know that we will have control over the contract.

"We don't want the football club to come out of this with any bad relationships. We want to make sure that everybody feels happy.

"Consultation is the key word. That is why we have set up a project office within Watford FC."

The local ward councillors have been informed in confidence about and their reaction was described as "positive" by the club's project manager.

"They are pleased to see we are consulting. We are going to deliver letters to the streets in the area. We are also covering a wider area, people not so immediately affected, and telling them this week.

We will also be writing to all the other councillors and briefing them and we have already briefed the leader of the council and the chief executive," he said.

As for the proposed stand, there are no designs or details because Watford will await the views of fans, neighbours, the council, emergency services and the local community organisations to state their preferences.

"We are not just doing a stand," explained Mr Knight. "We are looking at this club and assessing what those aspirations might be in 10 years' time. We won't be able to afford to meet all those aspirations but at least a judgement can be made on priorities.

"Those items put to one side, it can be scheduled for a future date. But at least it will be planned for and it won't be done in a way that is not thought through."

Watford will seek to demolish the current stands, erected in 1922 and extended in 1969, in May 2002 and it will be re-opened in July 2003.

Given the opportunity to redevelop the entire east side of the ground, it is almost certain the stand will run right into the existing corners.

"There is a need to work on the inter-relationship between the Rookery and Vicarage Road end stands with the new development. It gives us an opportunity to solve a few problems," he explained.

Asked if it will be a "double decker" stand, bearing in mind the limitations on height, he said that they had to study the relationship with the houses behind.

"We obviously want to move the building line backwards, maximising the depth, going back to the perimeter fence of the ground.

"We will see what we want to get into the building and take on board the views of people who are affected."

Said the club's director of marketing, Ed Coan: "In the past, it has been a matter of 'here's the drawing, what are you going to put in it?'

"This time we are looking at the views of everyone with regard to what we want to be in the stand. Then we can work from there."

Once this is decided, the architect, in the words of the project manager, "will have to come up with the best solution".

Fans too will be consulted and Watford hope to put on "exhibition(s) to make sure that everybody gets a good look at what we are proposing before it becomes part of the formal planning process with the council."

Watford do not rule out providing a community facility and stress that they want Vicarage Road facilities used more than once per week.

Said the project manager: "Obviously we will be discussing with the council as to what their views are, constraints, ideas and issues that need to be resolved.

"It is important that we get into early discussions with the council and that is happening.

"There are lots of different angles to be consulted: building control, planners; environmental, educational and leisure considerations and we will be looking to see if there are any new and extra ideas in co-operation with the council to meet community needs."

During the 2002/03 campaign, the east side of the ground will be closed, which means the dressing-rooms, weight and treatment rooms, boardroom, media facilities and the highly successful learning centre will have to be relocated, in some cases, perhaps permanently.

The club did not face such problems when they rebuilt the previous three stands.

When the Rous Stand was built, back in 1986, it was thought that the ground capacity would return to around 28,000 to 30,000 once the Main Stand side of the ground was redeveloped.

This in itself is an indication of how the thinking has changed, for now Watford will need to include so much in the new stand, they will not be able to fill it to the maximum with seats.

"The club does not see any point in having more than 25,000 and does not see the catchment for any greater numbers," said Mr Knight.

"We will take our time to get it right but we do not anticipate being in a position to put in a planning application for many months.

"There is no idea we would not look at.

"It will be a quality development and the best stand on this ground. It will be something the club will be very proud of."

While the club awaits suggestions as to what to include in the new development, such as a museum, a community centre, etc, it is not expected Watford will build any more executive boxes.

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