I am delighted with the new stadium plans proposed by Paschal Taggart. They show much consideration for the `local’ community unlike the Galliard Homes/AFC plans.

They will give to the community what the Galliard Homes/AFC plans don’t: less congestion and more peace, a doctor’s surgery, a much needed pre-school, a gym and dance studio and parking facilities for hospital staff. What will the Galliard Homes/AFC plan give us?

It will let the council off the hook from constant attack by AFC fans for allowing the old Plough Lane stadium to be sold off but it will give `local’ people the headache of increased traffic in an already overcrowded and polluted area with the worry every week of who and how many will descend on their doorstep, mainly arriving at the narrow Haydon's Road Station platform, closely surrounded by family homes and a Pentecostal church.

It will also expand the floodplain area, as shown on the Environment Agency website, into neighbouring areas, thereby heavily increasing local home owners building insurance.

It will also mean that all of us around the Plough Lane area in the CPZ zone, which currently runs from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday, will need longer later hours and weekends to be covered as well, thereby introducing extra costs for visitors permits for every resident, including the old and infirm, visited by their families and friends at evenings or weekends.

All this is not applicable if the greyhound stadium plan wins as we have lived alongside peacefully for many years. Paschal Taggart also offers more facilities for local people. It’s a win/ win situation for locals, although AFC supporters claim that those of us locals who don’t support their plans don’t count as 'they’ are in the majority and know what’s good for us. The Guardian Poll should only apply to people actually living in the area including AFC supporters.

Only then would we see the true picture of 'for and against Taggart's plan emerging.

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