Homes proposal 'catastrophic' for football club

SUNDERLAND AFC has voiced strong opposition to proposals for residential development near their Stadium of Light home, warning of potential "catastrophic consequences".

- TOM KEIGHLEY Business writer [e-mail]

Club chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has indicated the club's intention to lodge formal objections with the city council against the plans to construct housing in what was previously a safe guarded buffer zone encircling the stadium.

Former chairman Sir Bob Murray, who orchestrated the club's relocation from Roker Park to the current 49,000-capacity arena in 1997, has expressed outrage at the proposal, labelling it a "disgrace". He criticised the local authority for reneging on earlier assurances that would bar development adjacent to the stadium, thereby preserving the option for future expansion.

Sir Bob highlighted the issue of encroachment, suggesting that building houses too close to the Stadium of Light could lead to the same constraints that necessitated the move from Roker Park. Mr Louis-Dreyfus has also made his stance clear regarding the contentious development plans.