Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:35 pm  

Steve51 wrote:

It's clear from the article where the stumbling block is.

The council have clearly offered to re-develop the stadium, the offer is still there as I read it.

Wakey simply want a free shiny new ground, keep all the revenue from it and pay sod all back in rent for the privilege. Simples

Not simple at all - and in a world where opinion trumps fact, this feels like tilting at windmills - but I'll give it a go.

The original proposal, for a new stadium at Newmarket, was based on a s106 agreement with Yorkcourt Properties; they got planning permission on land that would otherwise have been unavailable, in return for building a community stadium, with WT as anchor tenants. They've reneged on that from day 1, with WMDC's willing assistance, and this deal was meant to be a replacement for that; which it clearly isn't, as it proposes to charge the club a rent that isn't sustainable.

So as it stands, Yorkcourt are making millions off land they should never have been allowed to build on, the new developer bought Belle Vue uncontested due to Rodney Walker's dishonesty, and now the terms have been changed so radically, that the club don't feel it will be sustainable to agree.

There's a lot of people at fault here - but to imply that WT are looking for a stadium at taxpayers expense is simply not factual - they're just looking for the developer to meet their legal obligation, and if WMDC had any will to deliver this project, they'd be doing the same thing.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:36 pm  

Steve51 wrote:

It's clear from the article where the stumbling block is.

The council have clearly offered to re-develop the stadium, the offer is still there as I read it.

Wakey simply want a free shiny new ground, p[ay nothing towards the cost of it, keep all the revenue from it and pay sod all back in rent for the privilege. Simples

"Dear Council,
can we have all this greenbelt land. We'll make a complete mess of the landscape by building horrendous eyesores, but to make it worthwhile we'll build a ground that the club, and any other community group, can use at a low rent".

'Dear Yorkcourt,
that sounds great. Crack on."

"Dear Council,
we've built it. We've decided not to build the stadium. Thanks anyway."

"Dear Yorkcourt,
No worries. Lol."

"Dear Trinity,
Council here. Soz. All gone south."

"Dear Council,
Trinity here. That's not fair. Do something about it."

"Dear Trinity,
Nah."

Years pass ....

"Dear Trinity,
Stop going on and on. Okay, we give in. As we were, but we'll do Belle Vue instead. Okay."

"Dear Council,
Okay, but obviously on the same terms as before, as a promise is a promise."

"Dear Trinity,
Okaaaay,"

Weeks pass

"Dear Trinity,
Changed our minds. Proper rent, and if you want the money from drinks and food, you can do one. I don't care if it means you can't grow as a club. After all, we've already one got one great club in our area."

And on it goes ....

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:46 pm  

Bet they wish they took the offer of a groundshare with Cas now - ironic that pride at the time could cause the ultimate demise of their club.

It's become a joke now and i've seen posts all over social media mocking this latest failure, it must be pretty embarrassing for most Wakey fans even though they will still throw the 'it's the councils fault, they won't gift us a free stadium' line out everytime this happens.

I think the whole of RL has now realised Wakefield wont ever get a new ground no matter how many times they release statements saying they've got the green light !!!

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:00 pm  

GIANT DAZ wrote:

Bet they wish they took the offer of a groundshare with Cas now - ironic that pride at the time could cause the ultimate demise of their club.

It's become a joke now and i've seen posts all over social media mocking this latest failure, it must be pretty embarrassing for most Wakey fans even though they will still throw the 'it's the councils fault, they won't gift us a free stadium' line out everytime this happens.

I think the whole of RL has now realised Wakefield wont ever get a new ground no matter how many times they release statements saying they've got the green light !!!

Think you'll find that the Council was the main flag-bearer for the latest proposal. It rescued them from the hot water being thrown around at the time, given them some breathing space, and now they hope to cast the blame on the club. In fact, the club stance has never changed. They want what has been promised, those promises already benefiting everyone else involved to a huge extent, except the club, who have always suffered.

The promises made would allow the club to grow. The changed promises won't. The club won't agree to something that won't let them grow.

It is not unreasonable to want what people have promised. The club has reneged on nothing.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:08 pm  

Wakefield and Castleford should stop being so stubborn and share a new stadium. Neither club can afford a stadium on their own and both currently have ancient stadia with terrible facilities.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:13 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Wakefield and Castleford should stop being so stubborn and share a new stadium. Neither club can afford a stadium on their own and both currently have ancient stadia with terrible facilities.

Strangely enough that's not the daftest thing that's been said on this thread.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 2:22 pm  

jools wrote:

Of course they are refusing! We are currently going through austerity- people would rather millions be spent on local social services, schools etc!

Try and keep up.
The council were asked to "loan" the cash needed to build the stadium until the developer (Yorkcourt), whom they have allowed to build on the site at NM, paid them the agreed amount.
Micheal Carter said that he would pay any interest on said "loan" to avoid the council being out of pocket.
The issue here is that the developer, having secured masses of building land in the back of promising to build a community stadium, is being "allowed" by WMDC, to renege on their promise to build the ground, contravening the terms of the agreement and the council by "allowing" them not to build what was promised at the public hearing are stuffing Wakefields hopes of continuing in the top flight of RL and failing to fulfil their obligations as a Metropolitan Council.
It's not a case of building a RL Stadium instead of spending the cash on Hospitals, schools etc, they simply need to enforce the agreement everyone signed up to.
Rock all to do with austerity just local government intransigence and this has gone on for too long.
How we can go from "peppercorn" rent to "commercial" rent within the last 5 weeks is just mind boggling.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 3:22 pm  

Sir Kevin Sinfield wrote:

Wakefield and Castleford should stop being so stubborn and share a new stadium. Neither club can afford a stadium on their own and both currently have ancient stadia with terrible facilities.

Would you expect Bradford to share with you at Headingly rather than the millstone that is Odsal? Of course not.

There could have been scope more than ten years ago to build somewhere between the two, like Normanton, which sits on the boundary. That chance has gone. To move into Cas's proposed ground, and it is their proposed ground, and is in Castleford, would be the end of Wakey. Similarly, if Cas were expected to move into Wakey's new proposed stadium.

Wakey playing somewhere like Dewsbury is less problematic, as there isn't the shared rivalry, and that in fact might happen. The only problem then is that it is not in Wakefield, which would mean that the city would have lost its only professional sports team. What a sad indictment that would be for the council.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 3:46 pm  

Tigerade wrote:

The "Steve Gill style cake" doesn't involve 15 million pounds of ratepayers money though does it.

No, & neither did Wakefield's, until they were royally shafted by the developer, all in clear view of the local authority.

Re: Wakey stadium plans collapse- again. : Thu Oct 26, 2017 3:57 pm  

wrencat1873 wrote: How we can go from "peppercorn" rent to "commercial" rent within the last 5 weeks is just mind boggling. A statement from the council with the club a month back that clearly states 'Commercial Rent' begs to differ. This was dated 20th September so unless someone at the club has missed something again then WT knew it was a commercial rent the council were proposing. "The future of the new Belle Vue proposal now rests with the Club and a Trust who need to produce a robust business plan that clearly demonstrates how they will generate income to meet the running costs and commercial rent." Here :- http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/planning/re ... ty-stadium

wrencat1873 wrote: How we can go from "peppercorn" rent to "commercial" rent within the last 5 weeks is just mind boggling. A statement from the council with the club a month back that clearly states 'Commercial Rent' begs to differ. This was dated 20th September so unless someone at the club has missed something again then WT knew it was a commercial rent the council were proposing. "The future of the new Belle Vue proposal now rests with the Club and a Trust who need to produce a robust business plan that clearly demonstrates how they will generate income to meet the running costs and commercial rent." Here :- http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/planning/re ... ty-stadium