Email to Sport England re Higgs application (2 Viewers)

armybike

Well-Known Member
For info I've forwarded the below email to Sport England re the proposed development of the Higgs Centre.

If/when I get a response I'll update accordingly.

===

Your ref: WM/COV/2016/42826/S

App Ref: FUL/2016/1458
Site: Allard Way Coventry CV3 1HW
Proposal: Extension to the Alan Higgs Centre


Mr Thomas,

Can you please confirm Sport England's views on the above planning application.

Have any issues or concerns been highlighted regarding the proposal?

Can you please confirm if Sport England are aware that, based on the current plans, if the application were approved it would require Coventry City Football Club's Academy to leave the site and this would most likely mean the end of the Academy.

This would not only take away a vitally important source of players for the club, but also remove a facility for local children to participate in sports under the guidance of highly qualified and trained staff.

Has this been taken into account in your considerations?

Furthermore, can any assistance be provided by Sport England to ensure the academy remains at this location on a long term basis.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated and please confirm receipt of this correspondence.

===
 

Terry Gibson's perm

Well-Known Member
For info I've forwarded the below email to Sport England re the proposed development of the Higgs Centre.

If/when I get a response I'll update accordingly.

===

Your ref: WM/COV/2016/42826/S

App Ref: FUL/2016/1458
Site: Allard Way Coventry CV3 1HW
Proposal: Extension to the Alan Higgs Centre


Mr Thomas,

Can you please confirm Sport England's views on the above planning application.

Have any issues or concerns been highlighted regarding the proposal?

Can you please confirm if Sport England are aware that, based on the current plans, if the application were approved it would require Coventry City Football Club's Academy to leave the site and this would most likely mean the end of the Academy.

This would not only take away a vitally important source of players for the club, but also remove a facility for local children to participate in sports under the guidance of highly qualified and trained staff.

Has this been taken into account in your considerations?

Furthermore, can any assistance be provided by Sport England to ensure the academy remains at this location on a long term basis.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated and please confirm receipt of this correspondence.

===


Another thing Anderson should have done rather than bitching about how nasty wasps are.
 

armybike

Well-Known Member
Having not received any response from Sport England I've made contact with them again this morning.

I've just received a reply saying that their consultation responses was forwarded to CCC on Friday (24th), however no details of the content of their reply was offered.

I'll drop CCC an email, but their reply will also be uploaded to the CCC Planning Portal over the next few days so I'll also keep an eye out there.
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
But Sport Emgland may enquire and find out sisu plan to build their own stadium complete with training centre or atleast that's what they will be told.
 

Colin Steins Smile

Well-Known Member
For info I've forwarded the below email to Sport England re the proposed development of the Higgs Centre.

If/when I get a response I'll update accordingly.

===

Your ref: WM/COV/2016/42826/S

App Ref: FUL/2016/1458
Site: Allard Way Coventry CV3 1HW
Proposal: Extension to the Alan Higgs Centre


Mr Thomas,

Can you please confirm Sport England's views on the above planning application.

Have any issues or concerns been highlighted regarding the proposal?

Can you please confirm if Sport England are aware that, based on the current plans, if the application were approved it would require Coventry City Football Club's Academy to leave the site and this would most likely mean the end of the Academy.

This would not only take away a vitally important source of players for the club, but also remove a facility for local children to participate in sports under the guidance of highly qualified and trained staff.

Has this been taken into account in your considerations?

Furthermore, can any assistance be provided by Sport England to ensure the academy remains at this location on a long term basis.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated and please confirm receipt of this correspondence.

===
Sport England has recently published it's new strategy "Towards an active nation", which will guide all of their decision making. This document is a response to DCMS's strategy document from December 2015.
The key question is on how CCFC contribute to raising activity levels in SE's key target areas and for what cost?
How does CCFC contribute to disadvantaged groups, people with disabilities, BME groups, mental well-being, social cohesion, etc. How much has the parent company of CCFC spending on these items and what evidence can they produce to justify SE investing in enhancing these things?
 

Warwickhunt

Well-Known Member
And How much has the WASPS demonstrated to the SE on those groups
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Very commendable, but it's not funded by CCFC is it?
It will be part funded yes, SBiTC is thr community arm of CCFC, they are separate entity and have charitable status specifically so they can access external funding sources like thr big lottery, children in need, etc that a private company can't. To try and pass it off as nothing to do with ccfc is a disingenuous.

Most clubs do that, even bloody wasps have a charitable arm http://www.wasps.co.uk/community/community-foundation villa launched there's a couple of years ago https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2013/10/07/club-launches-villa-in-the-community

I'm sure I could keep on googling.

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trondegilsoltvedt97

Active Member
It will be 'funded' - whether its through free match tickets, staff hours, support, stories on website etc. I've seen plenty about the Walking Football and the mens health stuff, and disability football etc, and at half time at matches too. Like stupot says - being a separate legal entity to CCFC and being a charity opens up lots of fudning options.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
To try and pass it off as nothing to do with ccfc is a disingenuous.
Not what I was trying to do, hence the ? at the end of my post, It's just that I'm sure I've seen previous posters say it wasn't funded at all by CCFC, so I asked.
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
Not what I was trying to do, hence the ? at the end of my post, It's just that I'm sure I've seen previous posters say it wasn't funded at all by CCFC, so I asked.
Fair enough CD. I'm just fed up at the club being hammered for doing nothing for thr community and ignoring what the SBiTC do, which is after all the community arm of the club.

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armybike

Well-Known Member
Latest response from Sport England re Higgs application -

"Thank you for consulting Sport England on the above planning application. The site is considered to constitute playing field, or land last used as playing field, as defined in The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (Statutory Instrument 2015 No. 595). As such Sport England is a statutory consultee.

Sport England are currently liaising with the City Council's Leisure and Culture Department and the relevant National Governing Bodies in regards to this proposal. At this time there is insufficient information to enable Sport England to adequately assess the proposal or to make a substantive response. Once further details have been established, including those relating to the existing and proposed use of the facilities at the Alan Higgs Centre, Sport England will be able to provide a response to the consultation."
 
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Orca

Well-Known Member
With regard to SBITC, the club provide no funds and no staff to the charity. I've been through all their financial statements on the charity commission website. The contribution CCFC makes is 'matchday tickets, office space and space in the club programme'. These items are deemed to have 'nil commercial value'.

In summary, CCFC only give to SBITC things that cost them nothing.
 

Nick

Administrator
With regard to SBITC, the club provide no funds and no staff to the charity. I've been through all their financial statements on the charity commission website. The contribution CCFC makes is 'matchday tickets, office space and space in the club programme'. These items are deemed to have 'nil commercial value'.

In summary, CCFC only give to SBITC things that cost them nothing.

Players wages don't cost anything for example?
 

Orca

Well-Known Member
Players wages don't cost anything for example?

Well, they do, but players will be paid regardless of their community work. So as an actual cost to CCFC, it's already on the balance sheet, so costs nothing in real terms. The official line in the accounts reads:

"During the year the charity received match day tickets as a donation from Coventry City Football Club.
The charity also receives financial support from the football club to the extent that premises are provided,
and webspace on the club website and editorial space in the match day programmes are granted, free of
any charges.
These donated tickets, services and facilities are not included in the statement of financial activities as
the charity is unable to reasonably quantify or measure the value of these donations."
 

Nick

Administrator
Well, they do, but players will be paid regardless of their community work. So as an actual cost to CCFC, it's already on the balance sheet, so costs nothing in real terms. The official line in the accounts reads:

"During the year the charity received match day tickets as a donation from Coventry City Football Club.
The charity also receives financial support from the football club to the extent that premises are provided,
and webspace on the club website and editorial space in the match day programmes are granted, free of
any charges.
These donated tickets, services and facilities are not included in the statement of financial activities as
the charity is unable to reasonably quantify or measure the value of these donations."

Looks like you have really gone all out to try and make the club look bad in terms of SBITC ;)

Whether it costs anything on a balance sheet or not, donations and resources can still be given. For example office space / premises etc.

I'd get paid regardless of doing something, but if my boss sent me somewhere during that time he would be donating my time that he is paying me for. He isn't handing over lots of cash, but is still having to pay me.

Microsoft give free licensing to charities for example, costs them nothing but it is still a donation / help.
 

stupot07

Well-Known Member
The whole point of setting up a charitable arm is to gain access to external funding that you can't as a business. Not sure what the issue is. It does look as though Orca wants to make the football club look bad

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Orca

Well-Known Member
My point is that I want the football club to look good, not bad. I understand about funding and I understand that giving things in kind has a cost to someone, but couldn't the club be doing more to reduce the creeping death of W*sps?
 

Nick

Administrator
My point is that I want the football club to look good, not bad. I understand about funding and I understand that giving things in kind has a cost to someone, but couldn't the club be doing more to reduce the creeping death of W*sps?

Why do the football look bad when it comes to sbitc? I don't get it?
 

Orca

Well-Known Member
Why do the football look bad when it comes to sbitc? I don't get it?

I didn't say that, Stu suggested that was my agenda. It's not. My point is that the club and the owners need to be doing more about the Higgs situation and saying 'look at all the good things we do with SBITC' isn't enough for me.
 

James Smith

Well-Known Member
Well, they do, but players will be paid regardless of their community work. So as an actual cost to CCFC, it's already on the balance sheet, so costs nothing in real terms. The official line in the accounts reads:

"During the year the charity received match day tickets as a donation from Coventry City Football Club.
The charity also receives financial support from the football club to the extent that premises are provided,
and webspace on the club website and editorial space in the match day programmes are granted, free of
any charges.
These donated tickets, services and facilities are not included in the statement of financial activities as
the charity is unable to reasonably quantify or measure the value of these donations."

What that says to me is we can't put a price on things like editorial and website space. What it doesn't say is that the club contribution is worthless.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
What that says to me is we can't put a price on things like editorial and website space. What it doesn't say is that the club contribution is worthless.
Worthless. Valueless. Priceless. Three words that look similar but have totally different meanings. I shall try and help in plain English.

Worthless. Not of any value or any use.

Valueless. Not of any monetary value but is useful and can be very helpful.

Priceless. Some of the comments made on here.
 

Orca

Well-Known Member
What that says to me is we can't put a price on things like editorial and website space. What it doesn't say is that the club contribution is worthless.
I never said it was worthless, I said I want the club to do more. SBITC is one thing, and yes, there's a non-monetary contribution from CCFC, but what about other things they could be doing? The club's website still has the article called "The Way Forward" published in January 2015.

Among other things they said:
• Financially stable – with the over-riding aim to field a competitive team
• Aim to move to long term financial independence from the owner
• To have a fully integrated football model with the Academy being a cornerstone of the club model
• To be a community pillar – to assist Sky Blues in the Community in delivering improved health, education, crime and social awareness targets to the local area where our supporters are drawn from
• To develop long-term relationships with businesses in the community along with membership of the Chamber of Commerce and Coventry & Warwickshire Champions

I'd say they've only achieved the SBITC part of this.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
Still not sure what point you are trying to make?
I think he is saying the owners make promises & don't deliver.
 

Nick

Administrator
I think he is saying the owners make promises & don't deliver.

He started off saying about the club and sbitc to try and make the club look bad, but then moves on to say the only promise they have delivered is the sbitc one?

That's what I don't get.

Bit of a strange way to get that point across, surely you would go onto an imaginary stadium one and make the point there?
 
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Orca

Well-Known Member
He started off saying about the club and sbitc to try and make the club look bad, but then moves on to say the only promise they have delivered is the sbitc one?

That's what I don't get.

Bit of a strange way to get that point across.
Well Nick, I started out by refuting the fact that CCFC fund SBITC in some way. They don't.

I don't have to do anything to make the club look bad, they're managing just fine on their own.

I have stated that I'd like them to do more than just the SBITC stuff and publicise that when they deliver on it.
 

Nick

Administrator
Well Nick, I started out by refuting the fact that CCFC fund SBITC in some way. They don't.

I don't have to do anything to make the club look bad, they're managing just fine on their own.

I have stated that I'd like them to do more than just the SBITC stuff and publicise that when they deliver on it.

So you go onto a thread, try and make out the club hardly do anything for SBITC. Then you list some other stuff and say the only promise they have kept is the SBITC one.

Very strange logic.

I could understand if you went onto a thread about the "stadium" and said the only promise they have kept is the SBITC one, wheres the stadium?
 

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