HEYBRIDGE Swifts chairman Gary White is understandably dis - appointed to lose the new stadium proposal in Goldhanger Road.

But he needs to understand, it wasn’t ever officially the council’s proposed plan, as the new stadium was never mentioned in the public consultation of the Local Development Plan.

When we saw the draft LDP, with new houses on the old football pitch, we asked where will the Swifts go and we were told by the Council’s officials and a planning officer, that this was all being discussed privately, by letters being exchanged and could not be made public.

This is surely just not right, it should always have been a part of the LDP for wider consultation, which might have avoided the disappointment that some are now feeling.

Most residents here and people from all over the country enjoy leisure time here in Heybridge and are not against football. Could not Mr. White seek out grants for Swifts to stay where they are now and improve their facilities, we often read of clubs securing grants for youth teams.

The best way forward is open public discussion and not secret meetings and letters.

I would like to add that both Swifts and Bloor developers con - stantly state about the jobs they could have created.

What about the established jobs and livelihoods that are already here and have been for many years?

They would have been lost forever.

Pauline Wood, Goldhanger Road, Heybridge