Controversial Oval development given green light

Surrey have been given permission to build a new £21 million stand at the Vauxhall End at The Oval, despite determined opposition from local residents. Lambeth council agreed to the plan which people living close to the ground claim will cast a shadow over nearby flats.

Perhaps the most controversial part of the development is the "living screen" which would be used to improve the view for residents. The screen would be covered in vegetation, and if it failed to achieve its aim, then the club would not be allowed to use the stand.

Surrey's proposals were made out of necessity the council were told, and were they to be rejected then the long-term future of the ground as a Test venue would be in severe doubt.

Patrick Grincell, representing Surrey, tried to reassure residents that the club were committed to a sympathetic development. "We have worked long and hard to get a high-quality design," he told the South London Press. "We are confident the living screen will be a success. Surrey is keen that the external face of the ground attracts people and does not become an eyesore. The condition is we cannot use the stand if it does not succeed. That would be a disaster."

Residents were unimpressed, insisting that there was no evidence the screen would work. "A 50ft living screen is almost unprecedented anywhere," one told reporters. "We cannot experiment with such a large building."

If the development goes ahead it will increase the capacity at The Oval from 18,000 to 23,000.