AN empty stadium in Witney could be demolished to build a new supermarket, a landowner has claimed.

Witney Community Stadium has been vacant since the town’s football club left in February after failing to pay rates.

A senior shareholder of landowner On the Edge Ltd, who did not want to be named, said the Downs Road facility could now be knocked down.

He said: “It will be developed for employment and leisure. It is a 34-acre site and there is loads of scope. It certainly could be a supermarket, and I would not be surprised if it is a food retail market in the end.

“The supermarkets in Witney are massively over-trading and I am sure people would love to have another large supermarket.”

He said interest had also been shown by a care home operator and there had been discussions about moving the Stagecoach depot from Corn Street to the land and/or building a park and ride.

The shareholder added: “The land is for sale and we have a huge amount of interest, particularly with the current climate on Downs Road.”

Outline planning permission was granted last month to build 1,000 houses in Downs Road, which would finance the creation of a new junction on the A40.

Meanwhile, a planned move of Witney Town Council-owned sports facilities at West Witney Sports Ground, in Burford Road, to land behind the stadium – owned by On the Edge – collapsed two weeks ago.

The deal would have seen the sports ground sold to housing developers and the approximate £16m revenue used to build a £7m state-of-the-art facilities in Downs Road, improve other sports facilities in Witney and create a fund for future improvements.

The old leadership on the town council, which was in favour of the plan, was ousted from senior positions by new councillors last year, who voted to scrap the sale and instead invest in West Witney Sports Ground. Many of the sports ground’s users were against the plan, saying it would move facilities “out-of-town” and children would have to cross busy roads.

The On the Edge shareholder said building a large supermarket in Burford Road had been discussed for at least 18 months while the plan was still being pushed by the town council.

Witney Town FC folded in February – leaving the town without a senior football club – after failing to pay rates of nearly £10,000 a year, the shareholder said.

He added: “Although we supported the football club and always provided facilities completely free of charge, rates dragged them down.

“The stadium will eventually be knocked down. Part of the land will be used for an all-weather pitch, which can be used 24/7, and maybe five-a-side pitches, which would make it commercially viable.”

He said the sale was likely to go through within the next year.

Witney Mayor Harry Eaglestone said: “We made our decision on the town council to keep hold of West Witney and not to sell because we think we can do something with the site and a lot of people wanted to keep it there and not see more houses.”