Bristol City Football Club's (BCFC) chief executive, Colin Sexstone, has described a decision to refuse planning consent for an access route to the club's new stadium at Ashton Vale as an "utter farce".

Sexstone said North Somerset Council's (NSC) Central Area Committee had shown "clear bias" during a meeting on 9 December, which resulted in the proposals being rejected following a unanimous vote of members. Planning officers had recommended the scheme be approved to provide an access route to the club's new 30,000-seat venue at Ashton Vale, which is currently subject to a separate planning application.

Sexstone said: "It was clearly biased and decisions had been made a long time before the meeting. They ignored their own officers' advice and the advice of independent experts. They even questioned the environmental agency. "The positive news is that the manner in which this was dealt with will strengthen our position later in the day. We now go to the [council's] Planning and Regulatory Committee in the New Year."