THE Rugby Football Union (RFU) has written to Barnet Council urging it to allow Saracens to redevelop the Copthall Stadium “for the good of sport in north London”.

Yesterday 7,000 letters backing proposals to relocate the Premiership club to the Mill Hill site were handed to planners, including 1,500 from the local area.

The controversial proposals have sparked huge protest from a group of residents who fear the 10,000-seat stadium with temporary stands would cause traffic and parking chaos.

However, rugby's governing body the RFU said in a letter: “It is clear the refurbished stadium will provide an outstanding venue for Premiership rugby and also a genuine community asset.

“If this application is successful, the new Copthall stadium will not only be a stadium regularly seen on television but also a stadium used by local schools and clubs throughout the year.

“It is Saracens' innovative approach and ongoing commitment to rugby that we would support as a union.

“For the good of the sport in north London, we urge the London Borough of Barnet to approve this application and enable the Copthall Revival.”

Sport England, which is responsible for developing sporting participation, also backed the plans, saying they would help make local clubs who use the stadium “more attractive to new and existing participants”.

Their sentiments were echoed by Gordon Banks, the director of the Saracens Foundation, which helps provide sport and other opportunities for young people and would be based at Copthall.

He told the Times Series: “Our aim is to get activities going on there every day of the week, with groups of people taking part. At the moment if you go during the day it's one or two people using the track and that's it.

“We're very much a community club, we're the leading community club in the Premiership. We want to develop a very bespoke community offering and I have spent a lot of time in the past four months talking to local groups and clubs to find what they want.

“It's not just for the schools, who will have free access, but for everyone. We've been talking to Age UK Barnet about an over 60s programme to get people doing exercise together, it's something they're crying out for.”

Mr Banks, who has been director for eight years, said the club wanted to create strong ties with the community as they are “potential fans”.

He added: “We will also be offering apprenticeships. We've spoken to Barnet College about getting people doing NVQs in catering and hospitality to work here on match days for experience.

“We will have people doing retail qualifications working in the shop making decisions about displays and stock, giving people from less privileged backgrounds more opportunities.”

He also denied the club was using the community to manipulate planners, citing the fact chairman Nigel Wray lives in Totteridge and grew up in Mill Hill.

He added: “Nigel's passionate about the area he lives in and what sport's can do here. People say there's no real social problems here and we should take this project to the inner city.

“But I've sat down with police and they've told me about the gang and drug problems on the Inglis Barracks estate and about the murder (of teenager Marvin Henry) there last year.

“Sport can be a real unifying force and the Saracens Foundation has worked with over half a million youngsters in the last 13 years, and will continue to improve lives.”