Further to the news that Cambridge United have submitted revised plans for the proposed redevelopment of the Abbey Stadium, and yesterday met with planners and councillors to discuss the alterations, the allotment holders have indicated that they feel the revisions do not go far enough.

The reduction in width of access routes for emergency vehicles and spectators means that around 26 feet less of the Whitehill Allotments would be required by the £4m stadium redevelopment, affecting four to six fewer plots. According to the Cambridge Evening News, the club are also offering the sixteen affected allotment holders a lump sum of £5,000 to divide amongst themselves, and an extra incentive of £20,000 to be paid to the council to spend on allotment improvements has been tabled along with a pledge to promote allotments. Proposals to set up a Community Sport and Development Trust at a cost of £200,000 over five years and offers to help cut traffic congestion are also in the revised scheme.

United's general manager Colin Davies told the CEN, "We have compromised for a space of four or five allotments to be retained. I have had long discussions with the allotment holders and I am very encouraged by the response to those meetings. We will continue to talk to them."

The club unveiled the compromise scheme to members of the Whitehill Allotment Society and secretary Rue Preston, secretary of the society, said he was pleased the club was talking to the plot holders but suggested that the new plans did not represent a real compromise.

He stated, "If they cam back with a 50-50 compromise and said we could keep 16 metres then more people would consider it - that would seem like a reasonable suggestion. They have come up with financial help but at the end of the day it's not about money - it is about land. We are still willing to talk but we are not convinced about what we have seen today."

He also said he hoped the club could reconsider the design of the stadium and move the ground closer to Newmarket Road but Mr Davies said he felt the restyled 10,000 seater stadium plans were a significant step forward and hoped the would be discussed at the Planning Committee in March.

Meanwhile the CEN reports that Police have been patrolling allotments next to the Abbey Stadium in the wake of an "internet threat" to vandalise plots. If it is the "internet threat" I think they refer to, it was a barely literate suggestion on the redevelopment message board that they were going to get their sheds "kicked in", but consisted mainly of a string of insults aimed at the City Council and I removed it from the board the same day.

Apparently the club has paid for extra police to watch over the plots and officers patrolled the Whitehill Allotments last Saturday, the day of the FA Cup fifth round tie and the day after the message was left. This underlines the fact that messages of this nature - and I would stress that this is the only one - are counter-productive to the club's plans and as Cambridge United supporters we must use our voices, contacts and various areas of expertise in positive ways to help and not hinder the redevelopment plans.

Once again the Opinion column in today's Cambridge Evening News spoke for many Cambridge United supporters when they wrote:

Allotment holders say the latest offer of a compromise by Cambridge United over plans for a new Abbey Stadium does not go far enough.

What more do they want?

Money may not be the answer but £25,000 for compensation and improvements is not to be sneezed at. Neither is the club's decision to reduce the allotment land they would need - nor the offer of funding a Community Sport and Development Trust that would benefit the city. Quite simply United have gone to enormous lengths to try to satisfy the allotment holders and city councillors.

The time for haggling is now over. United's demonstration of good faith has earned them the planning approval they need and deserve.

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