Residents decide to abandon their legal fight against $5.4 million Norwood Oval redevelopment
RESIDENTS have abandoned a legal fight to block Norwood Oval’s $5.4 million redevelopment, clearing the way for the long-awaited project to go-ahead.
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RESIDENTS have abandoned a legal fight to block Norwood Oval’s $5.4 million redevelopment, clearing the way for the long-awaited project to go-ahead.
Woods St resident Peter Fairlie-Jones and Claudia Lepore have dropped their case against the approval of plans to replace the oval’s Baulderstone Stand with a new grandstand, function room and bar – less than a month before a scheduled court hearing.
Mr Fairlie-Jones said it was not worth continuing to a hearing in the Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) Court because of the “cost of proceeding and (low) likelihood of success”.
Norwood Football Club and Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council have welcomed an end to the legal stoush, which cost ratepayers tens of thousands of dollars and delayed the project for more than six months.
Mr Fairlie-Jones said he had no regrets about pursuing the case, saying there was – and still is – widespread community concern that a planned 180-person function room would create late-night noise, traffic and parking problems in the area.
He raised “in excess of $20,000” to fund the legal battle, and said local residents and businesses who donated were disappointed the case would not be heard in court.
All donors would be reimbursed, he said.
“I probably would not have taken it this far without the support of the community – it was good to see the community coming together on an issue,” Mr Fairlie-Jones said.
The residents had wanted to restrict the use of the function room outside of SANFL match-days from to eight to six times a month, but were unsuccessful.
However, NP&SP will install “keep quiet” signs around the oval in attempt to limit noise disruptions for local residents.
The end of the legal battle paves the way for the oval’s long-awaited upgrade, which has been plagued by delays since it was scheduled to start in April last year.
Redlegs president Paul Di Iulio was excited the upgrade – which also includes refurbishing change rooms, administration offices and toilets in the Sir Edwin T Smith Stand – would finally go ahead.
Mr Di Iulio expected work to be completed early next year, in time for the club’s 140th anniversary celebrations.
“It’s been a long time coming, but it is great to know that we will finally have a place to call home,” Mr Di Iulio said.
NP&SP Mayor Robert Bria said the council had budgeted $50,000 to fight the case, and “would have got very close” to spending that amount during the four-month battle.
“This has been a long and frustrating process, but we are pleased this facility – which will have economic and community benefits – will be built,” Mr Bria said.