‘Parish poll on new Oxford United stadium was waste of public funds’

I read with interest Victoria Campbell’s response (18/05/23) to my letter regarding the stadium poll (15/05/23).

Ms Campbell appears to have got the wrong end of the stick to my letter.

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I merely stated that with 70 per cent of the Kidlington electorate were ambivalent to the project to the point that they were not willing to vote either way. Those numbers are the ones that are ‘statistically significant’.

You cannot draw any meaningful result when nearly three quarters of the population simply aren’t bothered, interested in or convinced to go out and vote.

If a 30 per cent turnout is now deemed ‘undeniably impressive’ to this poll, what does a poor turnout look like?

The Fan Engagement Survey that Ms Campbell is keen to ridicule was regarded as one of the most responded to in Oxfordshire County Council history, as stated by the OCC themselves.

Comparing an online fan engagement survey with many questions to a straight yes or no poll is like comparing oranges and apples.

I fear her decision to dismiss the results of the fan survey are simply because it didn’t go the way of her and her fringe pressure group Friends of Stratfield Brake’s aims.; 79 per cent of the Oxfordshire-based responders to that survey wanted the council to enter negotiations with OUFC over the lease to the land.

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I see that Ms Campbell – who was complicit in calling the KPC poll – completely failed to address the waste of public funds in running it.

Why call for a poll before full details could be heard from the club?

Are FOSB, who Ms Campbell heads up, going to ask for another fruitless poll from Gosford and Water Eton’s Parish Council and ask them to spend their limited resources?

I’ll reiterate that opponents to the stadium should find ways that are less wasteful on taxpayer resources to pursue their aims

James Hobbs

Oxford 

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Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

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