The Mayor of Watford has claimed he will do everything in his power to make sure that Watford FC stay home to Vicarage Road, amid plans of a new stadium.
At the beginning of April, the Watford Observer revealed that plans for a 33,000-seater carbon zero football stadium had been published after the private owners of Bushey Hall had put forward their site for redevelopment as part of Hertsmere Borough Council’s local plan, proposing the club as the occupier of the site.
And following the polarising reaction to the potential move, Watford Borough Council made it clear that it desires to keep the club in the town.
Addressing his thoughts more publicly, Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor left a series of tweets to explain his desire to keep the club in Vicarage Road.
He said: “I know there has been much speculation about the future of Watford FC's stadium and a possible move to Bushey. The rebuilding of Watford General Hospital could free up land to improve Watford FC’s Vicarage Road stadium, helping to keep the club on its current site.
“The current stadium is on a constrained site and they need extra capacity and more land. But the hospital plans make it easier to expand the existing stadium. We have held workshops with the club to explore the possibilities for keeping the stadium where it is.
“We have a great relationship with the club, which has really played its part in the community during the Covid crisis by making its stadium a haven for hospital staff. I will do everything in my power to enable the club to stay in Vicarage Road & remain in the heart of Watford.”
Donna Nolan, the managing director of the council, previously stated there were ongoing talks to keep Watford FC in their hometown.
At a fans forum in October CEO and chairman Scott Duxbury said he was happy with the current site, but a move away would be considered if it made sense.
He said: "I've always been happy with Vicarage Road, I think it's a great stadium and we'll continue to develop it.
"If commercially it made sense to move stadium, and it's not just an ego move, because the infrastructure was better, access for supporters was better, we would explore it."
Those explorations have at least begun tentatively, as last year the Observer reported talks had taken place with Hertsmere Borough Council about a potential stadium move to Bushey.
However, a club source said they were just "scoping out the opportunity".
The recent submission provides no guarantee the golf club will be taken forward in Hertsmere’s local plan, due to be published later this spring, nor that a new stadium will ever be built there, or that Watford will even leave Vicarage Road.
However, the latest planning document claims the club supports redevelopment of Bushey Hall.
An extract from the document states: "Watford Football Club endorse the promotion of the BHCG (Bushey Hall Golf Club) site for a new stadium as part of Hertsmere's new Local Plan, for proposals that would provide them with the opportunity to develop a new stadium and community hub in a location within the catchment of the club's existing supporter base."
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