UPDATED: Southampton City Council and Parliament to Debate Safe Standing

Southampton Independents
Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt
at St. Mary's Stadium

UPDATED (15th May): Parliament sets date to debate Safe Standing Following Fan Campaign. The Daily Echo has reported here. Our Councillor Andrew Pope is quoted in the Echo article.

Councillor Pope is to propose the below motion at the Full Council meeting of Southampton City Council tomorrow.

Sadly Denise Wyatt narrowly missed out on being elected to the Council. See the other article on this website for more on how Southampton Independents has made a Labour "safe" seat into a marginal seat.

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Commenting on the latest news on Safe Standing, Councillor Andrew Pope says:

Councillor Andrew Pope has led the local campaign
for Safe Standing

"This is brilliant news. 

Thanks to all fans who have signed both petitions - our local one and the one for Parliament. We have shown the Tory Government that Safe Standing is not backed by a "vocal minority" as claimed by Tracey Crouch MP.

Now both Southampton City Council and Parliament will debate Safe Standing in the next couple of months. I expect all Southampton City councillors to back safe standing with action.

The debates locally and nationally are major milestones in the Southampton Independents campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's.

I am delighted."

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Southampton Independents has been campaigning for trials of Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium since 2017. We are upping the pressure on the Government to change the law to allow safe standing in the Premier League and Championship.

The issue has been on the front page of the Southern Daily Echo twice since. Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope appeared on the Sasha Twining programme on BBC Radio Solent, listened to supporters and answered questions on what Safe Standing is.

Southampton Independents started a local petition, which is here. Please sign it and share it to increase the pressure on the owners of Saints to come out publicly to support Safe Standing. Thanks to everyone who has signed it so far.

St. Mary's Stadium is all seater.
England and Saints fans should be able to stand

Councillor Andrew Pope started the Safe Standing campaign
in 2017

Councillor Andrew Pope says:

"The Tory Government is living in the dark ages. They need to change the law because Saints fans demand it. I am proposing a motion on Safe Standing to the May Full Council meeting later this month. I very much hope ALL Southampton City Councillors support the Southampton Independents campaign. Some of them have said they support it, but so far have done nothing to support our campaign."

Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt says:

Denise at St. Mary's Stadium with the seats
We would prefer to stand and shout louder!

"I want Saints fans to be able to stand safely at the match, using rail seats that have a rail in front and behind every row. 

Then we can all stand and shout louder! 

I like shouting, but not only at Labour and Tory councillors who are letting our City down!

I like shouting at St. Mary's Stadium.

Listen to Andrew and other Saints fans talk about this on the Total Saints Podcast here. 

We all like going to the match and letting off steam, don't we?"

If elected this Thursday 3rd May, Denise Wyatt will be seconding Councillor Pope's motion at the Full Council meeting later this month.

The motion, which may be amended, reads:

"This Council supports standing up for Southampton FC fans and standing up with Saints fans. But since the Taylor Report, and changes to safety regulations, fans are not allowed to stand up at the match. 

Yet Saints' fans passion means that they do stand at every match in the Itchen and Northam stands. They want to stand. They want to sing. They want to shout. Safe standing allows them to support the team with more passion and to do so safely.

This Council supports the national campaign for Safe Standing in the Premier League, and supports Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium. 

This Council agrees to write to the Board of Saints and to the Secretary of State to urge the Government and/or Parliament to change legislation to allow trials in the Premier League and then full installation of rail seats or other safe alternatives."

Please Vote Denise Wyatt Southampton Independents on 3rd May to make it happen!

Save our Parks! Working With Residents and Sports Clubs

Dodgy Building: Residents have likened it to a shanty town

UPDATED (26th April 2018): Please see our new article on working with sports clubs and residents, with a statement by Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope

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WITH RESIDENTS' HELP, WE HAVE DEFEATED A BID BY QUEENS KEEP FC

Residents told us about a ramshackle "building" suddenly erected on Five Acres by Queens Keep FC.

We worked with them to bring it to the attention of Southampton City Council.

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope says:

"We support all sports clubs. But Queens Keep FC should have applied for planning permission. They only did this AFTER we had seen the building, and after I had reported it to the Council. They can't do whatever they like and ignore Council planning rules.

This is what Southampton Independents promised to residents - to work with our sports clubs and also to protect our public parks from bad developments like this."

More photos of the structure, now ruled illegal by the Council, are below.

Our Redbridge Council Candidate Denise Wyatt says:

"I couldn't believe it when I first saw it when I was walking our dog Dotty. The building looks unfit for human habitation. It is dangerous. How can Queens Keep FC think it is acceptable?

I am pleased that planning officers at the Council listened.

It is interesting to note that my opponent in the election, Labour Councillor Cathie McEwing, actually SUPPORTED THIS STRUCTURE. Her support is clearly shown on the Council's own planning website.

WHY? Councillor Pope has sought clarification with her.

Vote me in to replace her. I stand up for residents. Cathie McEwing stands up for cronyism and the removal of public park to private interests."

What do you think?

On 3rd May, VOTE SOUTHAMPTON INDEPENDENTS FOR A POSITIVE FUTURE with sports clubs supported and working with the local community and residents.

UPDATED: Labour-run Council Mishandles Bush Hill FC's Proposal

Southampton Independents
Councillor Andrew Pope

Our Redbridge Council Candidate Denise Wyatt
and
Millbrook Council Candidate Ed Edworthy

UPDATED (20th April 2018):

Our Councillor Andrew Pope has complained again to Council officers that the website does not properly show the objections and comments relating to this application. This is a week after he raised initial complaints. Andrew says:

"Just what is this Labour-run Council doing? They are failing on planning applications and on protecting our parks. 

Having had six years in power, Southampton Labour have failed to keep weekly bins, failed to fix our roads, failed to fix our pavements, closed care centres at Woodside Lodge, Brownhill House and Kentish Road, and threatened countless times to take away our public park. Vote them out on 3rd May.".

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On this website, Facebook and Twitter, we have shown that we care about Southampton and its communities, sports clubs, businesses and parks.

And we care about local residents.

You may have read on this website about the proposal by Bush Hill FC to put up a large 7 foot solid metal fence around an area larger than their football pitch on Mansel Park. It would include gating off public park owned by the Council.

Residents have told us that the impact of Bush Hill FC on the area is already unacceptable, especially on match days. And this proposal would make things worse.

Residents have objected to the proposal. More residents then objected to the proposal. The objectors have included local residents and Council Candidates Denise Wyatt and Ed Edworthy, and Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope.

And now even more residents across the area are objecting to the proposal.

New information has now come to light, because the Labour-run Southampton City Council has failed to handle this planning application properly.

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope says:

"I have raised concerns with officers of Labour-run Southampton City Council about how they have handled this case. I have contacted senior officers including the Chief Executive.

Now, new information has come to light about quite how badly they have handled it.

To protect local residents, I am not divulging that information now.

I have raised the issue with the authorities.

I am also raising other issues such as the continuing criminal incidents on retail businesses in our area, and the continuing rogue motorbike problems.

I have asked for an urgent meeting with the Tory Police and Crime Commissioner Michael Lane. 

This is not the first time I have had to meet with a Police Commissioner. The previous one, Independent Simon Hayes, listened and acted when I met with him. I hope Conservative Michael Lane will do the same.

Mr Lane needs to get a grip on policing in Southampton. 

And the Labour Council need to get a grip too. They are supposed to be a local authority, so they need to start acting like one."

Football Needs Change

The Campaign for Reform in Football

With today's BBC headlines on the English Football Association (The FA), Independent Councillor Andrew Pope has made a statement on the website of the Campaign for Reform in Football, which he was involved in founding.