Corney may walk away from the club

Last Updated : 16-Nov-2007 by The Chairman
Simon Corney (pictured) told startled fans outside after the Council meeting that the club would not be appealing the decision and hinted that he may even walk away. He said, "We want to see the best for Oldham. We purchased the club four years ago and started our planning straight away. This was never about making money, it was about doing the best for the football club and securing its future."

"We have always been jealous of other towns with much better facilities, such as Huddersfield, Doncaster and Shrewsbury. We want to provide first-class facilities on our own doorstep. Why should business go to other towns? We could be much more than just a junction off the M62 corridor."

The spokeswoman for the opposition, Linda Brooks said: "We accept that the stadium requires upgrading and has done for some time but the proposed development would be totally overpowering for neighbouring properties. There is no evidence to show that we need these facilities in this area. The stadium may need upgrading but the area doesn't. An apartment block eight storeys high would not be in keeping next to bungalows and two-storey buildings and will not blend in with the neighbourhood. We just want people to realise what it will be like for us if this goes ahead. The increased traffic will be a big issue. We need to sustain our neighbourhood. We can't live next to an eight-storey apartment block as it doesn't sit with where we live."

Councillor Stephen Bashforth said, "We are being asked to approve something that could possibly cause chaos on roads around our town. This could affect anybody who is driving on all major roads around this development."