The decision to exclude both of the major northern grounds is ridiculous. There are only actually six grounds that have staged any more than a handful of Ashes Tests held in England and Wales. We’ve managed for well over a century with those so why add more?
I accept that the two London venues are pretty much non negotiable (not saying they should be but realistically the MCC members won’t be giving up their quadrennial Ashes knees up) so there should always be at least one from each of what might be described as the midlands and northern pairs. We don’t need any more southern grounds. It’s not like The Rose Bowl is much easier to get to than London for fans in my neck of the woods.