Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond has committed the club's long-term future to Valley Parade vowing to fight for his plans to further extend the stadium.

And he has revealed that the club will take legal action to try to block a controversial planning chief having a say in the ambitious plans to create a 35,000 seat ground.

The Bantams chief has delighted fans by pledging the club's long-term future to their home of more than 90 years ending uncertainty after he had revealed earlier this month that City had considered moving to the proposed new Odsal Stadium.

Work to extend the capacity at Valley Parade to 25,000 by building a second tier on the main stand is now set to start in early February and hopefully be finished by October.

Planning chiefs earlier this month approved the plans but Labour councillors sent out the clear message that they wanted no further development at Valley Parade once the new £7 million stand extension is completed.

Mr Richmond was incensed when Councillor Syd Collard, chairman of the then Bradford Area Planning Sub-Committee now called Bradford Area Planning Panel, branded the new tier a "monstrosity" while voting against the plans.

And the Bantams chief said today: "There appeared to be a clear signal that future planning applications would be subject to considerable doubt and that put the club's board in a serious dilemma.

"On reflection, however, the board have decided that, with or without political will, we are confident that any future applications that go forward will, under the law, receive proper consideration.

"Without the club wishing to launch any personal attack on the chairman of the planning committee, Mr Collard, he does appear to have disqualified himself by his comments from sitting on any future planning applications by the club. Or so our legal officers inform us.

"We would certainly publicly and legally challenge him sitting on any future applications."

Coun Collard was unavailable for comment today.

But Mr Richmond added that by this time next year, City directors hope to be submitting plans to add a second tier on top of the existing Midland Road stand which would add a further 5-6,000 to the capacity.

He ended speculation about any possible move to Odsal before yesterday's clash with Everton when he addressed the capacity crowd.

He said: "The message to the politicians is we are staying at Valley Parade. What they should realise is that the same people who vote them into power, can vote them out of power as well."

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus today, he added: "There is no place like home. We own the Bradford & Bingley Stadium at Valley Parade and there is a considerable amount of money already invested here.

"Our supporters have also made their feelings known to the club via calls, letters and e-mails. What the board wanted to do was remove at the very earliest opportunity any uncertainty.

"I felt the supporters should be the first people to know that and that is why I spoke to them before the Everton game.

"What I will say is that Bradford City very much hopes that the new stadium does materialise at Odsal. It can only be good news for the city if both of the professional sporting clubs have fine stadia and are successful."

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