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Club set to wait until October for go-ahead

7/ 4/2006

DESPITE a public inquiry date being announced for the City of Salford Stadium, the final go- ahead is not expected to be given before October.

Red City Developments, who are overseeing the plans for the 22,000 capacity stadium at Barton, are only expecting the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to give his blessing to the project in time for the Rugby League Grand Final which is set for Saturday, October 14.

Red City's managing director Adam Thomas explained the process. He said: "A public inquiry date is set for Tuesday, June 20.

That will take two weeks initially, then there will be a break for a week because not all the relevant solicitors are available for the week of July 4.

"Then it is likely to take a week longer meaning the inquiry will end in mid-July. Then the planning inspector has three days for every day of the inquiry to come to a decision.

"This is likely to come to around seven weeks. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott then has up to six weeks to make a final decision. If he doesn't make a decision in that time frame he has to explain himself to parliament so we fully expect a decision by early October.

"We hope it will come before the Grand Final and if Salford continue their great form it could be quite a week!"