OLDHAM Athletic will kick-start Boundary Park’s redevelopment by demolishing the Broadway Stand this summer – but latest attempts to appease local residents have drawn a blank.

Officials have confirmed that, barring a late surge into the League One play-offs, bulldozers will move in on the 37-year-old structure following the final home game of the season against Cheltenham (April 29).

The moribund facility, built in 1971 with prize money from the short-lived Ford Sporting League, will be replaced by a new state-of-the-art ‘Main Stand’ with a 5,000-plus capacity, new club shop, dressing rooms, conferencing and banqueting facilities and lettable office space. Construction work is likely to start in early 2009.

Simon Blitz, chairman, said: "The decision has been taken at board level to demolish the stand after the final home game of the season. A demolition company will come in and advise us how it’s going to be done.

"We know the plans and we know we want the stand, so let’s go ahead rather than stop half-way through a season, relocate people to demolish it and then have to wait another three months.

"We believe the best time to do it is in the summer – the site’s then clean when people come back for the new season."

Despite victory last December in their fight to gain full permission for that new stand, and outline permission – consent in principle – for plans for the rest of the site, club officials again met Residents’ Together, the local group opposed to the scheme on the grounds of density and scale.

The Advertiser can reveal that alternative plans for a reduced development were offered and generally well received by residents.

However, some are still threatening a potential legal challenge based around issues relating to their property deeds and covenants, which they believe could yet block any scheme for the 21-acre site.

Ian Hill, Latics’ director, said: "Having seen the relevant documents we don’t believe that to be the case.

"We still offered a reduced plan to appease the residents, which we didn’t have to do, and their representatives at the meeting seemed to welcome it. We hoped to move forward in agreement but, after the representatives discussed it with all their members, it seems a smaller group still want to continue looking into the situation regarding covenants.

"It appears some still want to resist a development of any sort at all costs."

A Residents’ Together spokesman confirmed the plans had been "much more acceptable" but that not all members will give consent.

"Some, I understand, may have covenants built into their property deeds and are seeking advice," he said. "That might place restrictions on activities that can take place on the land covered by the covenant, but what that means in legal terms is yet to be established.

"We’re still open to talking to the club. We were surprised and glad they came back to us after getting planning permission, but we’re uncertain what will happen next."