AN OPPOSITION group says they want to create a “Big Society initiative” to rival Saracens’ plans for the Barnet Copthall stadium.

The Premiership rugby side want to redevelop the current athletics stadium into a 10,000 seat home ground in the winter, but some Mill Hill residents fear it will cause disruption to the area.

Now a group called the Copthall Community Initiative (CCI) has been set up calling on people to object to the scheme, expected to go before Barnet Council’s planning committee in the summer.

Paul Herman, an organiser of the group, said: “I am a rugby fan and support Saracens, but the proposals we have now had the chance to inspect are far more concerning than those originally mooted and raise numerous unanswered questions. “Why, for example, are the huge floodlights not included on the graphics put out by Saracens and why is the brand new stand shown from an angle it is on the mock up?

“People need to write personal letters expressing their concerns to the planning officers in charge. This will make a difference.

“Apathy is the biggest enemy and people are suddenly realising that in five weeks time this protestation could all be too late.”

Concerns raised by residents include parking on match days, with 3,000 cars projected to be coming to the area, and noise and light pollution from the stadium, as well as a perceived threat to the green belt.

Some fear the initial 10,000 seater stadium could be usurped by an application for a larger stadium in years to come.

Mr Herman said the group, which claims to have around 700 active supporters, are drawing up the Big Society plans with adult and children’s activities as an alternative use for the site.

He added: “The CCI is attracting some very strong support and there is now excitement about our plans for a Big Society initiative in line with central and local government wishes.

“We will be holding a meeting in the coming weeks to showcase what these plans are.”

Hilary Cass, another member of CCI, fought against two previous planning applications for the site from Barnet FC, which were eventually thrown-out by a planning inspector.

She said: “The arguments that went before the public enquiry remain absolutely valid and we are miffed as to why the Saracens shareholders believe that their plans will not receive the same response.

“Traffic is worse than before and we understood that the green belt was even more heavily regulated by the current local and central administration.

“We can take a cash draining liability that is Copthall off of Barnet's hands and make it a true community asset. That is our aim."

On Monday councillors agreed to grant Saracens a 99-year lease, at a peppercorn rent of £1-per-year, which would allow the club access to the stadium to do some work before any planning consent was given.

The club has proposed a range of measures to mitigate traffic concerns and have committed to at least 30 hours per week of community use for the stadium, which will have a synthetic pitch.

Chief executive Edward Griffiths told the Times Series the CCI had refused to meet with them to discuss their fears, denying they had at any point misrepresented the scale of the project.

He added: “I would very much like to meet with them to discuss their concerns and no doubt from looking at their flyers and website they are labouring under several misunderstandings.

“The reality of our proposals is a reduction in noise and light pollution by using modern technology which is more efficient than what is currently there.

“As we have said over and over again a 10,000 seat stadium is the extent of our ambition at Copthall.

The system would require a whole new planning application, and a whole new chance for people to object.”

For more information on CCI visit www.copthallcommunityinitiative.org and for Saracens’ official Copthall Revival website visit www.copthallrevival.co.uk.