Clem'll Fix It

[donkey]

I just think it's a bit late, if we hope to get moving any time soon.  If you want housing, regardless of type, it is going to take a couple of years.  That should have been in the works well before the deal was signed.  You can apply for Planning Permission without ownership.  In this case the Goddard Estate need negotiating with as well.

Whilst I agree with you, had the club (Clem) applied for planning permission for houses on the CG before the purchase, it would have set off alarm bells for many fans.  I can see why we are where we are.

[Batch]

To be clear, there isn't currently a plan to build houses is there?

[Mooneyraker]

To be clear, there isn't currently a plan to build houses is there?

Fixed it for you

[Jimmy HaveHave]

If we're speculating building houses/apartments behind the Stratton back I'm not sure they could put in any access road.

[DMC]

I am not against any development that helps support the ground improvement.  I think gauging public opinion is a good thing.

I just think it's a bit late, if we hope to get moving any time soon.  If you want housing, regardless of type, it is going to take a couple of years.  That should have been in the works well before the deal was signed.  You can apply for Planning Permission without ownership.  In this case the Goddard Estate need negotiating with as well.

What I would want to see is the next couple of years already planned out and ready to be financed by now.  The club cannot plan on increased revenue without a realistic way of delivering it.  The attendances of the past year are not a million miles off of our peak, even for L1.  The revenue has to come from something else.  There is a lot of work to do.  Take those Exec boxes, not only do we need to get some sort of consent, we need to finance it, find a contractor, do the work, but also recruit a team to run them.

TBF to them Rob they've only got the keys 3 weeks ago

[STFC_Manc]

But they can still put in place any relevant planning application, and have a bit more of a vision that a questionnaire sent out via the Trust.

It all seems pie in the sky. Formerly Drummer Boy and myself have joked in the past about how we would develop the ground which is a bit of harmless fun...it doesn't even feel like the club are any further forward than a fag packet in terms of what the complete plan is. Although the Artists Impression of what the Stadia might look like is nice, there doesn't really appear to be end decent emphasis on what the start or middle will look like.

It's as if the ThinkTank thought it but now they have no idea what to do next. Perhaps the owners will be asking for chartered surveyors and draughtspersons to volunteer their professional time gratis, maybe in lieu of some perishing Kingswood shirts and an unopened batch of 'I <3 Power' bumper stickers...

Cue Trust Member vehemently defending the club and berating anyone questioning that the club might be owned by people who haven't got a fucking clue.

Yes agreed they could have done but I would much rather they take into account fans views.

I honestly don't get your 'issue' here, if it 2 years time nothing has been done then agreed.

Have we ever seen anything from the club suggesting they will have planning permission within months of competing the sale?

[Cookie]

I can't believe we haven't built the town end yet, what the fuck are they playing at.

[4D]

TBF to them Rob they've only got the keys 3 weeks ago

TBF the club have been tenants for a long time.

[BambooToTheFuture]

Yes agreed they could have done but I would much rather they take into account fans views.

I honestly don't get your 'issue' here, if it 2 years time nothing has been done then agreed.

Have we ever seen anything from the club suggesting they will have planning permission within months of competing the sale?

I've no issue. To clarify, I mean that they could have applied for relevant planning - not necessarily been granted it. So in that sense they can do both, have already applied for planning and ask fans their views. If fans then massively opposed any potential idea, they don't have to act upon any planning potentially granted AND they can adapt their idea and apply for planning again with it amended.

I'm very well aware that these things can and do take time but the current owner[s ] of STFC seem to always be behind any curve or lacking. It's all good having big ideas, I've had plenty and I'm sure many more have too, but putting them into motion and efficiently so tends to need a good team of professional people. We have Clem [front] and Rob [club puppet and nothing against Rob but it's clear he's been used as the bridge between fans and the others] who seem ok but lacking in experience, then we have Zav [unofficial VC but is just a guest honest guv], Adam Hart... SdM   and Chris Kiely...plus whatever detritus lingers from an era that still manages to be worse than spreading season on a hot day.

Maybe the questioning lies more with the uncertainty of the qualifying element of those running the show and by that I don't necessarily mean anything nefarious, just wondering whether they have they acumen between them to get this project over the line. At present, I'm firmly in the ''most probably not camp''...so that's probably what my real underlying issue is.

[STFC_Manc]

I've no issue. To clarify, I mean that they could have applied for relevant planning - not necessarily been granted it. So in that sense they can do both, have already applied for planning and ask fans their views. If fans then massively opposed any potential idea, they don't have to act upon any planning potentially granted AND they can adapt their idea and apply for planning again with it amended.

I'm very well aware that these things can and do take time but the current owner[s ] of STFC seem to always be behind any curve or lacking. It's all good having big ideas, I've had plenty and I'm sure many more have too, but putting them into motion and efficiently so tends to need a good team of professional people. We have Clem [front] and Rob [club puppet and nothing against Rob but it's clear he's been used as the bridge between fans and the others] who seem ok but lacking in experience, then we have Zav [unofficial VC but is just a guest honest guv], Adam Hart... SdM  and Chris Kiely...plus whatever detritus lingers from an era that still manages to be worse than spreading season on a hot day.

Maybe the questioning lies more with the uncertainty of the qualifying element of those running the show and by that I don't necessarily mean anything nefarious, just wondering whether they have they acumen between them to get this project over the line. At present, I'm firmly in the ''most probably not camp''...so that's probably what my real underlying issue is.

Proof is in the pudding but I'm perfectly happy with what's happened so far and the timing of it all. 

I would expect to see the right professionals in for the job, fingers crossed that happens but I can't see why it wouldn't..

[DMC]

TBF the club have been tenants for a long time.

Right so that means the current owners should have the diggers in already?

[dalumpimunki]

Proof is in the pudding but I'm perfectly happy with what's happened so far and the timing of it all. 

I would expect to see the right professionals in for the job, fingers crossed that happens but I can't see why it wouldn't..

NO!

The proof OF the pudding is in the EATING. It drives me mental when people in the media (especially football pundits) get this wrong pretty much every time. "The proof is in the pudding" is utterly meaningless.

[Jimmy HaveHave]

I'm pretty sure Angus said "nothing would happen for at least 18 months"

[RedRag]

We shall judge Clem, like all other owners, on his departure but for now I certainly still feel fortunate to have him as owner.  Like many others I do have serious doubts about the quality of Clem's setup, both on-field and off-field management.  Zav and Sandro, for sure and, without more experienced support, then also Rob.

I don't believe that expectations of 100% commercial transparency beyond the boardroom are realistic.  Therefore much fan criticism is rather hypothetical.  I'd hope no one is demanding planning permissions should already be in NOW for Ground development and a promotion winning spine of next season's squad be in place in plenty of time for next August's kick off - whilst boasting they are not renewing their season ticket for the first time in X years.

Clem has brought a little bit of honour to club finances but, taking into account a soft loan of £5m to him, the balance sheet is not dramatically improved. We might be a well supported L2 club (or an averagely supported L1 club) but that's still relatively tinpot.  Clem is no Madejski.

Right now the rather happy clappy Advisory Board tells us that a County Ground Joint Venture Board is being appointed this month and that a first meeting is scheduled for next month.  We're going to have to suck it up some more till its composition is known and till it has met and reported.  And my guess is for what will seem like a decent while longer.  

We do however know there is a Council buyback option condition in our CG purchase agreement if development work has not started within (I believe) 3 years.  Not sure exactly what is meant by development work but that makes some progress likely.  We can but support the club financially as best as possible meanwhile whilst continuing to air our concerns.

[horlock07]

All this talk of planning, where does one begin....

I would be flabbergasted if they don't already have a pretty good idea of what they want to do having been advised as to what works and what doesn't, from experience 9 times out of 10 public consultation is more often than not to rubber stamp for support for what is aspired to rather than to remotely steer the development of proposals.

Yes they could have applied for planning permission previously, but a) that would have been a pain in the arse procedurally as the Council would have had a financial interest as land owner which would delay matters and b) from reading this forum alone know that whatever they proposed a proportion of the fan base will be fuming about it, albeit whether that runs to sticking head above parapet and formally objecting who knows and c) would mean spunking £!0's k's up the wall on professional and application fees alone.

I would imagine that the residential bit is a kite flying exercise just to gauge opinions, would probably make the best returns financially but is it worth the hassle, lets see what the fans say. I imagine that a master plan is already sketched out for the site with interchangeable uses for certain plots, with a viability appraisal standing along side it to be updated as per type/use, quality, siting and quantum of developments.

Haven't even looked at the questionnaire yet, but I did receive one a I am not black balled by Sandro/Kiely/Austin so we shall see.