Varnsverry wades back into Franklins Gardens debate

West Hunsbury's ward councillor Paul Varnsverry has accused Conservatives on the borough council of failing to check their facts in the ongoing war of words over the development of Northampton Saints' Franklins Gardens stadium.

In a blog post yesterday, Cllr Varnverry - who is also the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats administration - said Tory leader David Palethorpe has been perpetuating 'the untruth that the Guildhall is refusing planning permission for an Asda store at Franklins Gardens – despite knowing that both the club and supermarket have yet to submit their applications.'

His statement is the latest salvo in a long running saga which has seen Saints and the council clash over the past year over plans to expand Franklins Gardens.
The club wants to use cash raised from the development of a new Asda store close to the ground, but has met resistance from council bosses who have refused to back the move, instead preferring to concentrate on developing the town centre.
But in an earlier blog post on Monday, Cllr Varnsverry insisted the Lib Dem administration had not been blocking the development - because Saints have still not put in an official planning application.
He wrote: 'It is now 12 months since the Saints unveiled their ambitious plans to complete the development of Franklins Gardens and increase the capacity to 17,500, in line with future Heineken Cup requirements. So where is the planning application?
'Unless the Saints' board starts the planning process by submitting an application, they will be letting down their fans, supporters and the town, as we will not see a new stand being built next summer in readiness for the 2011/12 season.'
He added: 'The Saints are a great club. They have the support of the public and the borough council; but like the Saints supporters, we do not understand why, 12 months after revealing their plans, their board has not submitted a planning application.'
His outburst prompted an article in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo in which Cllr Palethorpe accused him of 'goading the Saints into submitting a planning application for the new stand when he knows full well his Liberal Democrat administration is refusing to allow the Asda store that’s needed to fund it.'
The same article quoted a Saints spokesman saying that discussions with Asda are still ongoing and that an application will be submitted in due course.
This led to Cllr Varnsverry's second blog outburst in four days.
In it he welcomed the Saints statement, writing: 'At last we have clarity. Previously, the Saints board had claimed it was the Liberal Democrat administration at the Guildhall that were blocking their plans.
'True to form, local Conservatives were quick to jump on the bandwagon without checking the facts.
'Now the Saints, whom we all support, have confirmed that we are not blocking their plans. Their negotiations with Asda are taking time.
'As for Cllr Palethorpe's remarks, he continued to mislead fans, shareholders and taxpayers over several months despite having access to all the information as an elected councillor.'