Oxford United stadium plan faces more delay

Oxford United’s plan for a new stadium is facing another delay, after the secretary of state was given more time to decide whether to call it in.

The club want to build a 16,000-seater stadium at The Triangle site near Kidlington, which will become their new home after their lease at the Kassam Stadium runs out.

Cherwell District Council granted planning permission for the stadium on August 14.

Due to its size, the application was referred to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The minister initially gets 21 days to decide whether or not to ‘call in’ the application for further reconsideration.

The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government issued a ‘holding direction’ on September 11 to allow the secretary of state more time to decide whether to call it in.

It will remain in place until the secretary of state decides whether or not to call in the planning application.

The department said the holding direction should not be read as an indication of how the secretary of state views the application.

They have also received requests to call in the plans.

Steve Reed became the new secretary of state after deputy prime minister Angela Rayner resigned earlier this month.

The club has already faced numerous delays to the application going forward before a decision was made by the district council.

• oxford united fc