Legal challenge launched against Oxford United stadium complex

The challenge is being brought by campaign group Friends of Stratfield Brake (FoSB), which takes issue with the stadium’s proposed location in the city’s green belt, its impact on wildlife and aspects of the planned road closures.

The group says that Cherwell District Council, which has now been put on legal notice, should not have approved the development.  

A full planning application for the new stadium, to which Oxford United would move from its current Kassam Stadium south of the city, was submitted in February 2024. The plans are for a 16,000 capacity stadium along with additional facilities including a hotel, restaurant and conference centre.   

The site of the development sits between Kidlington and Oxford in a space known as ‘the Triangle’, adjacent to part of the Stratfield Brake area of woodland. The site, owned by Oxfordshire County Council, is in the Oxford green belt and is not allocated for development in Cherwell’s Local Plan. FoSB is particularly concerned about the impact on the woodland which, according to detailed reports from its expert ecologist, is ancient woodland.   

The group also argues that the full impact on local traffic has not been properly considered, and raises concerns that the potential impact of an emergency evacuation has not been properly considered either. 

Following the submission of the planning application, FoSB wrote to Cherwell District Council with its concerns on numerous occasions. However, in August 2025 the council agreed to approve the planning application, subject to a section 106 agreement with developer Oxford United. 

In February 2026, this was agreed and planning permission was formally granted, a decision which FoSB is now challenging.  

The group has sent a pre-action protocol letter to Cherwell District Council, the first step towards a judicial review claim, laying out its opposition to the decision and calling for the council to quash it.  

A FoSB representative said: 

“We are extremely grateful for the support we have received over the past three years as we have diligently opposed this egregious proposal which even Cherwell agrees is inappropriate development in the Green Belt.  In our opinion, the stadium would bring no real benefits but regular widespread inconvenience to the local community as a result of road closures, parking issues and more.  We encourage people to refer to our website to make donations and to stay up to date with our progress” 

Leigh Day partner Ricardo Gama, who represents FoSB, said: 

“Our clients are concerned that Cherwell District Council’s decision to greenlight a new stadium for Oxford United does not give due consideration to several important factors, including the effects on nearby woodland and the impact on traffic. They feel that the development would end up resulting in disturbances and inconvenience to the local area. In sending this pre-action letter, they hope the council will reconsider its decision.”