Outline Minutes of the New Stadium Forum Committee.
These minutes are a brief outline of the points discussed at this meeting. They are not a verbatimrecord and as such, should not be duplicated, distributed or placed on any media, website orforum as a record of those discussions, without the express permission of the Chair.
Any feedback, contributions or ideas on the new Stadium should be addressed to the Chair
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DATE: 31st March 2014 – 6.30pm – at The Quadrant Club
Present:
Sandra Garlick (Chair)
Steve Barnett (SCG Representative)Bob Eales (CCFPA)
Rav Takhar
Jim Brown
Pay Raybould
Simon Smith
Ben Evans
George Ireland
Michael Garlick
John McQuillan
Nigel Warren
Visitors:
Mike Best (Turley Planning)Tim Fisher (Football Club)
Apologies:
David Busst (SBiTC)Dan Gage
The proposed agenda to discuss Community and Fan Zone ideas was put on hold until a later date.Round the table introductions were made.
Mike Best from Turley Planning Consultants was invited to explain the planning applicationprocess.
x He informed us that he and the company were experienced with football clubs and their
applications, and named a few he had been involved in. His company were approached last
August to work beside CBRE to conduct a site search. The actual land deal is a separate process.x They identified a number of sites. Some of the sites were on the market and some were
not. Some sites were filtered out early as the landowners had other ideas. They also havelooked at any issues with these sites that may come up in the planning application. They thenreduced to a shortlist of 2 potential sites.
x The confidentiality of the process is not unusual and in the initial stages neither is the fact thatthey have not spoken to key stakeholders.
x The planning authority can take between 4*6 months with technical work around – highways,environment, local community, ecology, contamination etc – which are all needed for a pre*
application. Likely planning issues can be identified by knowing the planning policies of the
authorities concerned and a lot of judgements can be made before going to them.
x Once the decision is made a pre*application is filed after approx 4*6 months. A planning
application, with support can take a further 3 months. Our application could take 6 months to
decide.
x There could also be a Section 106 agreement regarding off*site matters (highways etc).
x If planning permission is refused there is right of appeal. This would take about 5 months and
possibly a public enquiry, followed by 1*2 months for a final decision to be reached. The plans
could also be taken out of the Local Authority’s hands and be called in by The Secretary of State.x It is estimated that planning permission, at best would take 1 year and at worst 2 years.
x The planning strategy for the 2 sites is different and in different local authority areas.
x The club has proposals from all the consultant teams working on this project. Advance
discussions could be sooner rather than later.
x Both sites will initially be stadium and parking and the 2nd phase will be the Academy.x There is great competition to purchase sites for housing, retail, industrial, commercial
enterprise.
x The Ricoh is not a factor in getting planning permission.
x Obviously, it is important for the fans to support the new location.
x A Travel Plan will be a vital part and will be produced by a transport consultant.
Tim Fisher then joined the discussion.
x He gave a summary of the economic impact of the project from an Economic Impact Assessment
(EIA) which has been commissioned for submission as part of the subsequent planning
application
x SQW undertook an assessment that looked at – construction, job creation (direct and indirect),
operations, supply chain, expenditure and community impact.
x Coventry and Warwickshire has a number of areas of high levels of deprivation and a stadium
will have a major impact on social inclusion, education, health.
x TF will ask Steve Waggott to attend a future meeting to show the results of the Charlton Athletic
FC stadium re*development in terms of both community and economic impact TF then gave outinformation and figures from the EIA to show the impact a new stadium would have which aresummarised as follows:
o The figures are:
- will generate between £12.7m and £14.1m as a one*off economic impact
- significant scale of on*going employment for the operations of the stadium, club
(including permanent staff and stewards, but excluding first team players),
academy and SBiTC will directly employ 575 – equivalent to 174 FTE jobs
- the net economic impact would not vary hugely between locations. For an
expansion of the stadium for either location, the impact on the respective localauthority areas * in headline terms * are estimated at:
x location at Site 1: £129.4m
x location at Site 2: £123.6m
x The impact on the community both financially and socially will be huge.
based on the club playing at League 1/Championship level
conservative drawing on information from the club’s last season at the Ricoh;and
were based on the club’s initial estimate of 12,000 capacity (this is nowincreased)
based on either of the two short listed locationso Findings:
x Of the 2 sites – one in the North and one in the South, the value was on a par. However, basedon social impact, the North has higher unemployment and deprivation.
x The Head Groundsman at the club has been shown the stadium plans and is in discussion withthe club on the various options to develop the pitch.
x CCFC would hope to be able to help local clubs with technical input and sports club assets asmuch as possible.
x As far as the purchase of the land is concerned – they are looking at 2 sites but won’t go downone road and will pursue both sites in parallel.
x The locations will be kept confidential at this time as it is commercially sensitive.
x Heads of Terms are agreed on 1 site and they are still talking to the 2nd site owner.
x The proposal to stay at Sixfields has been agreed by the FL. The FL have also asked for details
about this forum, stadium development communication to fans and will maybe pay a visit to a
meeting at a later date.
x Season Ticket campaign begins on 14th April 2014.
x There is a 3 year business plan + a further 2 years that can be added.
x On the ideas so far TF loves the stadium ideas around capturing and presenting the history of
the club. Over the next few weeks the architect will collect all of the ideas/requirements and sift
through them. Non match day use of the ground needs to be fed in too.
x TF has spent time with Brentford and he will send the committee a link to their plans. Isleworth
Council committed £11 million community spend to the club.
x There then followed a general discussion around Sixfields and the new stadium.
x SG will circulate information/suggestions that she had received for today’s proposed agenda and
also a diary date for a future open meeting.
Date of next meeting: – TBA (due to the Easter Holidays this is likely to take place after the end ofthe season, in early May)
Meeting closed at 8.15pm.
