“At last, a real, Tory budget,” Daily Mail 24/9/22 "It may be that the honourable gentleman doesn't like mixing with his own side … but we on this side have a more convivial, fraternal spirit." Jacob Rees-Mogg 21/10/21
A member of the Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati.
Leeds City Council made the choice, when they elected to provide a rent-free lease to Harvey Nicks (IIRC), to attract the wives of the NHS mandarins when Leeds was after the NHS HQ, or when they chose to target investment at the previously-dilapidated gateways to the city to make the place look a load better to potential inward investees. They could, instead, have spent that money on the things you listed. But they saw the bigger picture. Had teh "vision" that Bulliac described.
The best way to help pay for all those things you list is by increasing the wealth of the city by attracting inwards investment. Leeds (aided and abetted by a Tory Government in the 1980s that shot itself in the foot big-time) is an example of a council that understood that. Bradford seemingly never did.
You have to create some wealth to have wealth to spend. Too many people seem to fail to understand that. Wealth up here requires inward investment. Inward investment requires some existing success stories to help convince the investors. Bradford has too few of those. A top-class sporting complex at a key gateway to Bradford, anchored by a successful sporting team (we can hope!) would surely send out a much more powerful positive message to potential investors? Without whom this city is well and truly fecked.
I agree with all of that. It is very easy to slag off Bradford council, it's probably well deserved, but I wouldn't fancy trying to resurrect this city especially at this time. I was trying to put a question in some peoples minds when they trot out the usual blame sentences. RL & Bradford Bulls aren't in the state they are due to incompetent local authorities.
Well as the OSV scheme is dead, surely the most sensible way forward to to leave Odsal. And by that I do not mean go to VP.
The OSV was in line to cost in the region of £80 million. But Saint's new stadium has cost only a third of that coming in at £25 million.
Surely the club is not in a position where it would be unable to raise that sort of cash? I know the board are not wanting to be lumped with large debts, but a new stadium would surely go some way to paying for itself?
As for getting out of the deal we have with the council, given the way the council have cocked up most of their recent dealings with private companies to their own loss, I'm sure there's some loophole to get us out of having to pay anything to leave Odsal.
even if we could get out of repaying remaining portion of odsal settlement (currently 1-2 million Iirc), How is leaving odsal going to mean we can suddenly raise £25 million? Only benefit to leaving odsal in terms of money raising is potential of partnering with a supermarket ala sts,wire etc. Current figure being floated around to put a roof on pop side and bring it upto standard is £8 million. surely if we could raise significant capital it would make more sense to go down that route. whether we can raise capital is another matter entirely.
I agree with all of that. It is very easy to slag off Bradford council, it's probably well deserved, but I wouldn't fancy trying to resurrect this city especially at this time....
Except that I'm old enough to remember when there wasn't much to choose between Leeds and Bradford as places, but the Leeds Council had a forward looking plan, whereas the Bradford Council has, over decades, consistently failed, consistently fooked up, and consistently run the place down until we are where we are today, where comparing the centre of Leeds with the centre of Bradford is a bit like comparing a modern cruise ship with the wreck of the Titanic, which on a night attracts a similar number of visitors. If all those decades ago the Council had had the balls and the vision to make a new Odsal Superdome or whatever happen, we'd have reaped the benefits. Instead the succession of Odsal farragos is a microcosm of the procession of appalling decisions and lack of ambition that has got Bradford to where it festers today.
I too simply cannot believe that your revolting council would hold us to ransom if we were able to get out there and self finance a new stadium somewhere else. However I have to admit to being entirely ignorant about the way that new RL stadiums at Saints, warrington and Leigh etc have been funded. Who of them did it alone without council help?
As for siting we've said before that we barely have to move to pop into Kirklees (half way down the M606) or Calderdale (Buttershaw ish). Perhaps to save apoplexy from Fax it'd be best to go the other way and be the Kirklees Bulls.
Or....4.5 miles down the Road in Pudsey we could be the Leeds Bulls
I too simply cannot believe that your revolting council would hold us to ransom if we were able to get out there and self finance a new stadium somewhere else. However I have to admit to being entirely ignorant about the way that new RL stadiums at Saints, warrington and Leigh etc have been funded. Who of them did it alone without council help?
As for siting we've said before that we barely have to move to pop into Kirklees (half way down the M606) or Calderdale (Buttershaw ish). Perhaps to save apoplexy from Fax it'd be best to go the other way and be the Kirklees Bulls.
Or....4.5 miles down the Road in Pudsey we could be the Leeds Bulls
Both Saints and Warrington had a big cash handout from Tesco, I believe (a simplified version of the actual agreements I'm sure). While Leigh's Sporting Village was built with the help of their council who could see the benefit to the town and surrounding area of such a scheme
As for moving to Pudsey? Why go that far. Aren't Park Ave trying to get a ground built at Thornbury? Surely getting in on a joint venture with them is still an option?
Except that I'm old enough to remember when there wasn't much to choose between Leeds and Bradford as places, but the Leeds Council had a forward looking plan, whereas the Bradford Council has, over decades, consistently failed, consistently fooked up, and consistently run the place down .
Whilst thats fair comment the numerous helping hands leeds have received financially from central goverment which were usually at bradfords expense certainly helped to accelerate the relative rise and decline in the cities respective fortunes.
Last edited by mat on Thu Sep 01, 2011 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Both Saints and Warrington had a big cash handout from Tesco, I believe (a simplified version of the actual agreements I'm sure). While Leigh's Sporting Village was built with the help of their council who could see the benefit to the town and surrounding area of such a scheme
As for moving to Pudsey? Why go that far. Aren't Park Ave trying to get a ground built at Thornbury? Surely getting in on a joint venture with them is still an option?
Wasnt that scheme just a load of hot air from their chairman (since departed I think?) which died a death pretty quickly. Havent heard it mentioned for several years now.
Wasnt that scheme just a load of hot air from their chairman (since departed I think?) which died a death pretty quickly. Havent heard it mentioned for several years now.
Well even so, it wouldn't be a bad place for a stadium. And we could have it done so the away stand is called the Dick Lane....