Locals from Swanley, Farningham and Hextable have been left furious after plans were announced to build a new 28,000-seater stadium.
Wasps Rugby Football Club announced on Wednesday it had bought a 10-year-option on land ‘in the South East near London’. The club has not disclosed exactly where the land is, but it is presumed to be either Pedham Place or Peltham Court farm. Both are situated close to the M25/M20 junction near Swanley. The club had proposed both sites to Sevenoaks District Council to be included in its upcoming Local Plan review as suitable for a 28,000-seat stadium.
It comes as the club submitted plans to join the second tier of a new-look English pyramid set to launch next season.
Locals said documentation they had previously seen also meant a stadium could only go ahead at one location if an extra 2,500 houses were built. There are fears that 2,500 new homes will push the already overcrowded roads near the Dartford Crossing over the tipping point.
A resident said ‘It’s a recipe for total disaster. I am strongly opposed to it. What are the advantages? Other than loads of traffic and house prices going down?’
Another person added ‘The traffic is already horrendous now… you can only imagine what it will be like with 2,500 more homes.’
Others are not impressed that the club, which has recenrly played home games in Coventry, now want to move to Kent. There appears to be no fanbase in the area, with the club hoping to start again with new fans from the South-East. It appears an illogical choice for a club that wants to use its years of history to continue into the future.
one person said ‘The plans are a shambles. Why on earth would they want to build something like that out here? It is appalling. It makes no sense. They have never really had any links here.’
Su Hewitt, the campaign leader for No Pedham New Town, said ‘This announcement has come as both a surprise and a shock. Everyone thought they Wasps had gone away. We didn’t expect the stadium plan to rear its ugly head again. A previous document in the preparation of the draft Sevenoaks Local Plan 2040 suggested that the stadium could only be allowed at Pedham Place if there were also at least 2,500 houses, and that seems increasingly unlikely with the new government regulations protecting AONBs (now named National Landscapes). We understand the stadium on its own can’t be built – and the housing seems less likely than before. If the stadium were built here, it would be a disaster for our local roads.’
One further person said ‘Wasps have to have the fan base and that is what they have been missing, by moving around. Clubs like Northampton and Leicester have a traditional fan base based in their towns and cities.’
