AMBITIOUS plans for a new soccer and rugby stadium near the M25 in Kent are under consideration, it can be revealed.

Simon Hume-Kendall, owner of the Hop Farm Country Park near Paddock Wood and Bewl Water at Lamberhurst, is among a group of potential investors convinced that an accessible venue would attract fans fed up with the cost and inconvenience of watching top London teams.

They claim that the south east is poorly served by existing clubs, with KRBS Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham’s home ground, and Charlton’s venue The Valley difficult to reach.

They believe that a new £25 million multi-functional venue, seating around 25,000 people, would attract a new audience of football - and rugby - supporters who rarely if ever attend games.

Mr Hume-Kendall, chairman of the company that recently bought Sport Newspapers, is a former deputy chairman of Crystal Palace, and has close links with individuals involved in the game, including David Gold, chairman of Birmingham City.

He says fans have to pay "absurd money" to watch Premiership clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal, especially if they take their families.

He says Kent, Surrey and Sussex have some good smaller teams but only Gillingham and Brighton are in the Football League.

If a suitable site can be identified – Mr Hume-Kendall confirmed he had spoken to Kent County Council about finding one – he wants to sign up an existing club and build it up from non-league status, just as Wimbledon did.

He admitted it could be a 10-year project and might be hard to achieve. But he says he and his fellow investors serious about the plan. "One or two friends of mine are very keen to make an investment of that size," he said. "I think there’s plenty of room for another club and we are very lightly served here."

But Gillingham FC chairman Paul Scally has poured cold water on the idea. Fans would not go to a club just because there was a new stadium, he said.

"They will stick to a team they’ve been supporting all their lives. I don’t see it working. I don’t think there a market that doesn’t already exist. There’s plenty of choice for people to go and watch their football. It sounds pie in the sky to me."

Paul Bowden Brown, chairman of Maidstone United, was equally sceptical. A club had to be part of its local community and that was why he was committed to bringing the Stones back to the County Town after years on the road.

He had no interest in switching Maidstone to an M25 venue. "We’re loyal to Maidstone. We’ve been out of Maidstone too long and my only wish is to bring Maidstone home."

He added: "If it does happen, good luck, but I hope their business plan is strong."