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Paul Steadman, a member of the BIAS Stadium Action Group and leader of the ABeeC Party, the political party formed by Bees fans – has asked Beesotted to post a reminder for Bees fans to apply political pressure on the local council for a new stadium.

It is probably one of the most famous addages of “football fandom” that gets wheeled out when the need arises “… supporters need to be the 12th player in the team” – the obvious implication being that supporters can tip the balance.

The truth of this is likely to be tested to the extreme this Summer (or what passes for a summer these days). Brentford supporters have the opportunity to shape the future of the Football Club in a way that has not been known in more than a generation. Tipping the balance hardly does it justice. Pressure from supporters can make all the difference.

Brentford FC has now submitted its planning application on the new community stadium at Lionel Road. Hounslow Council have “validated” the paperwork, to confirm it is all in order. A decision on the application is likely in September or October of this year. If the application is successful then work could start on the site next Summer and Brentford could be in their new stadium in time for the 2016-17 season.

There is a lot of information on the BIAS web site http://www.bias.org.uk/news_story.php?id=1036_0 but in essence the Football Club needs supporters to write or email in droves to support their planning application.

Many supporters will have, understandable, reservations about the prospects of a new stadium – the fear being that the new stadium will not have the character of our present proud stadium. Anyone who has studied the plans for the new stadium in any depth, will recognise that Lionel Road Stadium can bring nothing but good for Brentford and, most importantly, could revolutionise the Club’s finances – the issue that has handicapped the Club for close on to 50 years. The stakes could not be higher.

However outstanding the Club’s proposals might be ­– there is likely to be significant opposition from local residents who have concerns about the scale of the development. Brentford have gone a long way to address these understandable concerns, and have put forward very strong arguments that the scale of the development is no worse than already exists elsewhere in the locality and that it could transform an area of land that is unattractive and needs just the sort of development that a new community stadium will deliver.

  • Letters and emails from all supporters will be welcome – irrespective of where you live
  • Quote Application reference number 00703 / A / P11
  • By post – letters should be addressed to – Development Management, London Borough of Hounslow, Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 4DN
  • By Email – [email protected], (put the ref no. 00703/A/P11 in the title and mark the email for the attention of Shane Baker). Copy in your local ward councillors in your correspondence (irrespective of which Council you live in).
  • also copy in the MP for Brentford and Isleworth – Mary Macleod [email protected].
  • If your email programme has the ability to request a read receipt, please enable it to ensure your message has been acknowledged.
  • If you don’t live in Hounslow Borough, your support is still crucial, but you can do even more by going through your contacts to find people who do live in Hounslow Borough and ask them if they would consider registering their support in the same way.
  • Ideally your letters and emails should be submitted by the end of July.

Feel free to write as much or as little as you like, but the BIAS Stadium Action Group have worked with the Lionel Road Stadium Team to produce some background briefing documents which can be downloaded here http://www.bias.org.uk/news_story.php?id=1037_0 and might just give you a few pointers that could be used in your letters or emails.

 Paul Stedman