10:18am Wednesday 3rd March 2010
A MAJOR part of the controversial Hampshire Rose Bowl project will not be completed in time for its maiden test match.
Work on the hotel is unlikely to be finished by next year and has been put on hold because of the legal battle surrounding the £32m scheme.
But Rose Bowl bosses claim that the rest of the stadium work is going ahead as planned and they are positive about keeping the England versus Sri Lanka clash planned for next year.
England cricket chiefs have confirmed they will be carrying out inspections nearer the time to make sure it meets their stringent standards but added that the test match could still be played with redevelopment work incomplete.
Work on the Hilton hotel has been halted pending a judicial review launched by neighbouring hoteliers Meridian Leisure, MacDonalds Hotels and Shire Hotel.
They claim that Eastleigh borough councillors did not have access to all relevant reports when making their decision, to invest £32m of taxpayers cash in the scheme last year. They also say the authority is taking risks with public money.
The work on the hotel project cannot restart until after the result of the judicial review is known and it is thought that the hearing won’t be heard until at least May or June.
Eastleigh Borough Council leader, Keith House, said: “It is highly likely that the hotel will not be completed in time for the test match in summer, 2011.
“The Rose Bowl scheme really does matter to the area as it will provide a major economic boost and help provide a world-class cricketing venue.
“It is our expectation that, along with the Rose Bowl, we will be able to manage the process to ensure that the viability of the scheme is maintained and that the scheme can go ahead.”
There were fears that work on the new stand might also be delayed after the death of a 34-year-old construction worker in an accident on the West End site which is currently being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive.
However, bosses say work has been resumed and they are still on schedule.
In addition to the 175- bedroom hotel, the completed £48m project will include a championship golf course, additional stands, 75 hospitality boxes and a state-of-the art media centre.
Rose Bowl boss, Glenn Delve, said: “Work on our parts of the project has restarted and is on schedule to be completed before the test match.
“We are in constant contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board and they are extremely positive.
“The test match will bring world-class cricket and money to the area. It is a major coup and will bring with it a lot of kudos.”
An ECB spokesman confirmed that it would be holding further inspections to make sure the facilities were up to test match standards.
He said: “Hampshire Cricket has been extremely open about what’s going on and we are in constant discussions with them.
“It is possible to stage a test match before the work is completed and the lack of a hotel would be unlikely to have a significant impact on that.
“We will continue to monitor it, as we do all our test match grounds.”
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