Butts Park Arena (1 Viewer)

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
Went to watch Cov rugby again on Saturday and a great day it was once more. People keep talking about the City moving to the BPA including that moron Fisher of course but it would be a mammoth task to get that place ready for professional football. The crowd on Saturday was an admirable 1770 which is good for League 1 rugby but CCFC would undoubtedly, even in the National League attract upwards of 4000. There would be major issues surrounding seating, toilets, turnstiles, traffic flow, policing, preventing drinks being taken into viewing areas and segregation etc. It's a non starter and SISU as usual must know this, it is just another distraction to their main 'court room' ambitions and a chance to point the finger at the council when objections and planning regulations stifle progress. Jon Sharp at Cov rugby should distance himself from these cretins as it will end in tears for Cov rugby, just when they are making positive steps of their own without outside interference.
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
Went to watch Cov rugby again on Saturday and a great day it was once more. People keep talking about the City moving to the BPA including that moron Fisher of course but it would be a mammoth task to get that place ready for professional football. The crowd on Saturday was an admirable 1770 which is good for League 1 rugby but CCFC would undoubtedly, even in the National League attract upwards of 4000. There would be major issues surrounding seating, toilets, turnstiles, traffic flow, policing, preventing drinks being taken into viewing areas and segregation etc. It's a non starter and SISU as usual must know this, it is just another distraction to their main 'court room' ambitions and a chance to point the finger at the council when objections and planning regulations stifle progress. Jon Sharp at Cov rugby should distance himself from these cretins as it will end in tears for Cov rugby, just when they are making positive steps of their own without outside interference.
Wouldn't need the council to veto planning permission, the residents commitee at the retirement village I know for certain are biding their time for any official announcement and also projects like that have to go to the Secretary of State for approval. This has always been a non starter.
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
BPA already has planning permission for up to 12000 (although not sure when that expires). I'm not saying it is viable for the football club for lots of reasons, but the site is certainly capable of scaling up notably and has permission to do so.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
BPA already has planning permission for up to 12000 (although not sure when that expires). I'm not saying it is viable for the football club for lots of reasons, but the site is certainly capable of scaling up notably and has permission to do so.
It expired a few years ago. detail in CCC planning portal.
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
It will never happen because the Council never will let it happen.
 

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
BPA already has planning permission for up to 12000 (although not sure when that expires). I'm not saying it is viable for the football club for lots of reasons, but the site is certainly capable of scaling up notably and has permission to do so.
Planning permission aside, it would take a fortune to upscale that site, something the owners of CCFC or CRFC do not have.
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
It will never happen because the Council never will let it happen.
Nothing to do with whether council allows it or not that residential village will block it, that isn't a nursing home you know it's what it says and has retired professional types like solicitors etc I know for a fact they will object all the way to the Secretary of State.
I'm surprised the local media haven't asked them the question already.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
Planning permission aside, it would take a fortune to upscale that site, something the owners of CCFC or CRFC do not have.

I'm in no doubt the site will be developed, I think to a max of 6- 8,000 and that there will be other facilities built on the site, (retail, accommodation etc), that's what Sharps plan is and he comes across as someone who get's things done and someone who has the best interests of his club at heart.
 

rupert_bear

Well-Known Member
Apart from anything the cost of getting the infrastructure upto speed would be huge, millions, who pays for that.
 

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
I would love to see that site modernised and expanded to take a capacity of perhaps 8,000 for Coventry rugby...............but 1, I don't think they have the funds or backers and 2, I don't want any input or influence from SISU. We have to remember that CRFC were all but bust just a few years back but have steadily built back up a sustainable club now.
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
Don't buy in the the praise for CRFC. I think they have been very badly run over the years and have massively underachieved. They have allowed one of the biggest names in the sport to descend to the 3rd tier and almost become an irrelevance. A pale shadow of what it once was. A real shame. Maybe Sharp is different, don't know enough to say either way.
 

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
Yes terrible mismanagement and alleged fraud with the previous administration...................however the current coaching set up is much more professional and the management is building steadily within financial constraints to maintain sustainability. CRFC missed the professional boat much the same as City just missed out on the Premier League gravy train.
 

McLovin87

Well-Known Member
Yes terrible mismanagement and alleged fraud with the previous administration...................however the current coaching set up is much more professional and the management is building steadily within financial constraints to maintain sustainability. CRFC missed the professional boat much the same as City just missed out on the Premier League gravy train.

We didn't miss the gravy train it was just a smaller gravy boat when we were there
 

torchomatic

Well-Known Member
That's the council who doesn't have a final say? Secretary of state has the final say so not sure how you can say what you've said.

Well they've tried once, haven't they, what with their change of lease tactics.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
I would love to see that site modernised and expanded to take a capacity of perhaps 8,000 for Coventry rugby...............but 1, I don't think they have the funds or backers and 2, I don't want any input or influence from SISU. We have to remember that CRFC were all but bust just a few years back but have steadily built back up a sustainable club now.

think your under estimating the people involved, they have a plan and they're not daft enough to get involved with sisu unless it was firmly on their terms. Personally, I can't see any joint venture happening between the two.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
Well they've tried once, haven't they, what with their change of lease tactics.

Makes no odds what they've tried to do the simple fact is they don't have the final say. You're also ignoring that the very first hurdle is SISU wanting this to happen and then the second hurdle of having the means to make it happen. There's a long long way to go before the council get the opportunity to pass the final decision on to the secretary of state.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
Wouldn't need the council to veto planning permission, the residents commitee at the retirement village I know for certain are biding their time for any official announcement and also projects like that have to go to the Secretary of State for approval. This has always been a non starter.

No, you're wrong. There is permission already to build a stadium up to 10k which CRFC apparently wants to do. The residents committee should have done their research before buying a flat next to a stadium.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
It seems any council information or policies you just need to ask Jack.
Lives and breathes the place.

There is a public web site, google "Coventry planning portal", anyone can access it and search.
I was just responding to the lie fernandopartridge told.
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
No there is not. A prior permission lapsed in 2008 a fresh application will be required.
Coventry City Council: Planning Application Details

View attachment 7249


The permission hasn't lapsed, that lapse of permission only really applies if no construction is started. Considering there is a stadium in situ, that stadium will retain its right to expand. I don't even think your pals at the council dispute that, hence their meddling with trying to impose a condition that only rugby could be played there.
 

Joy Division

Well-Known Member
Yes, but the fact that permission has been previously granted means that in essence it should be granted again.

The permission hasn't lapsed in the true sense of the word as it was partly discharged when the Arena was built.

It doesn't always work like that, any new application has to factor in possible new developments in the surrounding area that could have an impact. Quite often a second application for planning permission can be rejected.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
It will never happen because the Council never will let it happen.
It will never happen because CRFC won't deal with SISU and CCFC is skint. And CRFC want CCFC to pay for the improvements but not own any of it.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
Planning permission aside, it would take a fortune to upscale that site, something the owners of CCFC or CRFC do not have.
Don't disagree with you.

What annoys me most about SISU, however, is that they take kernals of truths and because of spinning thm in nonsense, stop us talking about them reasonably. Forget the cost, and a ground that's our own would absolutely be an ideal - not necessarily the Butts, but *somewhere*, and cost shouldn't really come into that aim. Not long term, at least.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Not that I think we'll end up there (although I said that about Northampton) I think people are overestimating the work required to bring the Butts up to L2 standard.
Whack a temporary stand opposite the current stand and you easily meet the capacity requirements. Similarly temporary turnstiles can be added.

F&B etc can be done out of a van if needed or some other temporary facility. Same with toilets, bring in temporary facilities.

Would need to be a stadium control room and press facilities and a perimeter around the pitch but once you've done that you're pretty much there.

There have been temporary stands there before so planning for that shouldn't be an issue. As for infrastructure and ability to cope with the number of people expected how are they going to cope with the large outdoor shows?

There's no doubt in my mind that if the club wanted to and CRFC also wanted to everything needed could be in place for next season and certainly by the season after when our deal at the Ricoh expires.
 

NorthernWisdom

Well-Known Member
Not that I think we'll end up there (although I said that about Northampton) I think people are overestimating the work required to bring the Butts up to L2 standard.
Whack a temporary stand opposite the current stand and you easily meet the capacity requirements. Similarly temporary turnstiles can be added.
Yeah it'd be relatively easy for a temporary ground.

That's not what SISU talk about either, mind!
 

Esoterica

Well-Known Member
I'm glad this thread got started. I mean we've already had threads on:
  • The utter uselessness of Gilbert and the CT
  • Bob bones being back and so might Carl Baker.
  • Everyone ignoring what Nick is actually always positive about - SBitC.
  • ST holders getting slagged off, ending in a bunch of grown men deciding what words they find offensive.
  • The Hoffman thread reaching 100 pages of pure gibberish.
So it was already quite a good SBT day. But what we really needed to make it a GREAT day, was to rake back over some old ground and have a good old ding dong about whether the BPA could ever be expanded and if CCFC will ever play there. And as if by magic!
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duffer

Well-Known Member
Planning permission isn't an insurmountable hurdle, it really isn't. If a developer is persistent enough and has deep enough pockets then it's not rare for them to find a way even in the most unlikely of circumstances. There are a lot of other obstacles to the Butts, (not least of which is Jon Sharp refusing to deal with SISU) and the council could (and would) make it painful but getting PP certainly isn't impossible.

Personally I don't think it's beyond the realms of possiblity that we'll end up moving out of town again and groundsharing. I'm not for one moment saying that I want that to happen, but if it did I bet the Butts would suddenly look like a relatively attractive option!

As for CRFC, they were hardly unique in failing to adjust to the professional era. They're certainly under much better management now, and at least they haven't felt obliged to up sticks and move 100 miles from their home town to 'survive'.
 

Captain Dart

Well-Known Member
The permission hasn't lapsed, that lapse of permission only really applies if no construction is started. Considering there is a stadium in situ, that stadium will retain its right to expand. I don't even think your pals at the council dispute that, hence their meddling with trying to impose a condition that only rugby could be played there.

I don't know anyone at the council, that is fake news Grendel disseminates.
I can't see how that permission still applies if there is a date on it?
I'm sure the stadium could be expanded but surely new plans need a new application, they won't be the same as 2002 will they!
 

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