Trust look to buy the CG

[horlock07]

I err on the side of scepticism as regards SBC... they do things like impose a 10% increase in Council Tax, when central government says there's a 4.9% limit without a local referendum. Central government's imposition of austerity cuts is now hitting hard, leaving SBC desperately short of cash and more or less any fund raising sale of assets is fair game.

No idea of the detail, but no doubt someone will be taking them to court and rightly winning for them acting unlawfully based on this, looking on-line (not particularly reliable I accept) there is no mention of 10% rise? http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15079062.Council_tax_to_go_up_by_7_2_per_cent_but_residents_won_t_get_a_referendum/

[Reg Smeeton]

No idea of the detail, but no doubt someone will be taking them to court and rightly winning for them acting unlawfully based on this, looking on-line (not particularly reliable I accept) there is no mention of 10% rise? http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15079062.Council_tax_to_go_up_by_7_2_per_cent_but_residents_won_t_get_a_referendum/

Depends what bit of town you're in... the 7.2 is prob a mean figure. Mine has gone up 10%.  Had it gone to a referendum, I'd have voted for an increase in Council Tax.

[horlock07]

Depends what bit of town you're in... the 7.2 is prob a mean figure. Mine has gone up 10%.  Had it gone to a referendum, I'd have voted for an increase in Council Tax.

According to the Adver the average is 4.99% handily on the threashold for a referendum? If yours has gone up 10% both the Council and Adver are bullshitting, entirely likely I accept?

[Reg Smeeton]

According to the Adver the average is 4.99% handily on the threashold for a referendum? If yours has gone up 10% both the Council and Adver are bullshitting, entirely likely I accept?

TBF on my Council Tax Bill, SBC quite clearly state that it has gone up 10.9% this year.

[horlock07]

TBF on my Council Tax Bill, SBC quite clearly state that it has gone up 10.9% this year.

Well here's your opportunity to go all sad face in the advertiser, put mattress trapped women to shame.

[Batch]

http://truststfc.tv/fans-meeting-overview/

[ronnie21]

According to the Adver the average is 4.99% handily on the threashold for a referendum? If yours has gone up 10% both the Council and Adver are bullshitting, entirely likely I accept?

Reg is not alone as most people's has gone up by almost as much, including ourselves, but SBC have pulled a fast one by setting up new parishes so the general rise is 4.99% is their share, the rest goes to the new council's precepts who now have to buy services like grass cutting and recreation grounds maintenance from SBC.  Bloody criminal.

[johnritsons toupe]

Have the Council actually stated that they will sell to a third party (i.e. not the Trust) whilst they have to give the Trust first dibs as its an ACV there is nothing to stop them not selling it at all if the Trust either cannot raise the cash, or choose not to proceed?

My concern with the £500/share price is that it will price a heck of a lot of the fan base out of the scheme and leave it liable to just become dominated by a small group? 

Nick Watkins is indeed no fool, but his ego is massive.

This is the same bloke that lobbed the trust out of their match day office when he was CEO and effectively marginalised them. I know, I used to pop in there back in the day and the guys that were around at the time were really hacked off about it as theys spent supporters money doing it up. Also, I never heard Watkins or Fitton bigging them uip to any major degree while they owned the club, so why now?

It's worrying that the trust hierarchy would openly publicise Watkins supporting them with this. He's a nobody nowadays and it's patronising in the extreme that he's banging on about doing due dilligence on the trust board now that they look like getting something tangible off the ground.

I'd tell him do one, but egos can be odd things at times.

[pauld]

Nick Watkins is indeed no fool, but his ego is massive.

All the more reason he's not going to risk looking like an idiot putting his backing behind any scheme that isn't a viable project.

[Flashheart]

Remind me again who Watkins is. Wasn't he about during the Black era?

[pauld]

So in conclusion you don't know?

No-one does, but to be fair to Reg it's as close to sure bet as you can get. I wouldn't be surprised if the Trust's bid wasn't triggered because the council tipped them the wink that the CG was next on the asset jumble sale list. The council will also be hoping that the publicity around the Trust bid effectively acts as a for sale sign and attracts the vultures who will move in if the Trust bid fails. That's why it has to succeed.

[pauld]

Remind me again who Watkins is. Wasn't he about during the Black era?

Yes he was Fitton/Wray's Chief Exec

[jayohaitchenn]

Reg is not alone as most people's has gone up by almost as much, including ourselves, but SBC have pulled a fast one by setting up new parishes so the general rise is 4.99% is their share, the rest goes to the new council's precepts who now have to buy services like grass cutting and recreation grounds maintenance from SBC.  Bloody criminal.

And now the whole town is paying the non-parish fee too.

[Power to people]

No-one does, but to be fair to Reg it's as close to sure bet as you can get. I wouldn't be surprised if the Trust's bid wasn't triggered because the council tipped them the wink that the CG was next on the asset jumble sale list. The council will also be hoping that the publicity around the Trust bid effectively acts as a for sale sign and attracts the vultures who will move in if the Trust bid fails. That's why it has to succeed.

Listening to the Trust guys the other night they know what they are doing, they are investigating the various charitable funding they can apply for, it seems they are confident of the council selling  to them for £1m + , they are yet to agree a fee, when they do they will have 6 months to get the money.

They would be purchasing the footprint of the CG which would include the car park and the grass verges to the roads, they admitted that tidying up the outside of the CG would be easier than the inside.

The council would hope in future that the trust purchasing the ground and making plans could be a catalyst for regeneration of the area

Being community owned makes it easier for the council to sell to them, they are getting the council to do a survey on the ground again to see what comes up that may need fixing, they believe there may be water utilities / pipes under the stand

These are just bits that stick in my mind but they are a very good outfit and have a lot of knowledgeable people helping they out with the required areas of expertise I thought both Mytton and Phipps spoke very well and gave over a lot of information in a short period of time.

They also mentioned the possibility of taking a loan from high net work individuals

I do hope that this comes off and I get the feeling that it will not be for the want to trying if this fails, sounds like they are putting a lot of hard work into this and know what needs to be done to see it through.

[Samdy Gray]

They would be purchasing the footprint of the CG which would include the car park and the grass verges to the roads, they admitted that tidying up the outside of the CG would be easier than the inside.

Will they be bringing in Gary Stanley as a consultant?