Bristol Rovers are now working against the clock to get their new £40million stadium opened in time for the start of the 2015/16 season. Club chairman Nick Higgs admitted that it was going to be "tight, very tight" but they were going to pull out all the stops to try to meet the target. The club and fans are delighted that a legal challenge has now been dropped. But Mr Higgs said it was not the time to break out the champagne because of all the work that must now be done to meet their deadlines. Higgs said: "The last nine months had been an emotional rollercoaster with highs and well as lows. We won planning permission and the Secretary of State gave us the all clear, then we got the Section 106 planning agreements signed off. All these things went through and when you think you're home and dry, something else crops up. Working backwards from the start of the new season in 2015, the build-time for the new stadium is 62 weeks. This means all the contracts must be signed off and construction workers on site by the end of May at the latest. Before matches can be held, the club must have an operator's licence from the Football League and pass all the health and safety tests". The club has chosen the Buckingham Group to build the 21,700-seat venue, a company which is an expert in the field and has built many stadiums up and down the country including those for Brighton and the MK Dons. Higgs said: "It won't be until we turn the first turf and the construction firm takes over that I'll be happy. Once they are on site, it will be in their hands. The nine-month delay had led to increased costs of up to £1.5 million due mostly to the rising prices of raw materials. It would mean that some of the community facilities at the new stadium would have to be trimmed but added they hoped to deliver as much of the original scheme as they possibly could. The hold-up has given an opportunity to tweak the scheme and make a number of improvements." The club is hoping that the new stadium will see them do a Swansea or Reading. These are just two clubs who have climbed up through the league after building new stadiums. Higgs said: "The level of interest is going to be immense because it's going to be such a new experience to have anything like this in the region. It's going to be a very exciting time â not just for the club but for the region."
if it aint done by the start of the 15/16 season, it wont be far off. higgs previously spoke about seeking permission to move part way into the season. so thats an option. another option we have could be similar to blackpool. when blackpool got to the prem they had to make changes to their stadium and it wasnt ready in time for the season so they had to play their 1st few games of the season away until their stadium was ready. if we fall a few weeks to a month behind we can ask to start the season playing away games 1st until the stadium is ready.
