New Stadium Plans being submitted Friday 28th April 2017

[leeblue]

Interesting times ahead.
Just to adress the high street dying issue...I've just come from there....it's amost dead already. Loads of empty shops...including the vic plaza and the royals. Plenty of coffee shops though...I hate coffee and many bookies. If the council were really concerned about the hight street they would reduce the ridiculously high business rates.

 

[rigsby]

Interesting times ahead.
Just to adress the high street dying issue...I've just come from there....it's amost dead already. Loads of empty shops...including the vic plaza and the royals. Plenty of coffee shops though...I hate coffee and many bookies. If the council were really concerned about the hight street they would reduce the ridiculously high business rates.

With all the extra income from FF they should be able to but no doubt won't.

 

[leeblue]

With all the extra income from FF they should be able to but no doubt won't.

Coupled with the enticement of having to pay to park anywhere near the high street....thumbs up all round for high street trade.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Yes I think this was the big news that was originally going to be announced at the end of season dinner on Sunday evening. You didn't exactly have to be Sherlock Holmes to guess what it would be, unless of course Ron will be unveiling our new big signing for next season. By that I mean in the one position we have clearly lacked for a number of months...Head groundsman.

Thanks. You're right that something along these lines was always the likelihood, I just thought I'd ask in light of some of the alternative theories that had been advanced, such as Ron handing on control to family.

 

[Cockle43]

Interesting times ahead.
Just to adress the high street dying issue...I've just come from there....it's amost dead already. Loads of empty shops...including the vic plaza and the royals. Plenty of coffee shops though...I hate coffee and many bookies. If the council were really concerned about the hight street they would reduce the ridiculously high business rates.

Local councils do not set Business Rates, the Government does. Local councils just collect the Business rate and pass it to the Treasury.
Rents for the shops are also not set by the Council, unless they are the owner of the property, the rents are set by the property owner.

 

[Fairport]

I think they'd be mad not to. That doesn't mean it will definitely be passed though. They will almost certainly have met with the planning officials (whatever they're called) and they may well recommend the council approve the scheme. However, that doesn't mean that the elected councillors (some of whom represent the people of St. Lukes etc that will be affected by the scheme) will accept the recommendation. There will inevitably be some objections which may well lead to an amendment or two.

Although some councillors will probably object, those in St Lukes and Victoria wards maybe, I would have thought that Ron has had his cards marked about this and has been advised that there will be a majority in favour of the scheme. There are no local elections in Southend this year so the make up of the Council will be unchanged. As others have said, we need to get in as many positive letters and on line statements to the Council as soon as we have been given the date for this. There will be plenty of NIMBYS around moaning about traffic, loss of trade in the High Street etc. This whole scheme is so important for our clubs development.

 

[Cockle43]

We've been here before several times.

It's great that plans are being submitted (and even if they are deposited today, don't expect them to be publicly available until at least Tuesday/Wednesday next week) and although we've seen it all before, it's important that we play our part in this and don't let the inevitable apathy of the last 17 years lose us this new stadium.

The plans will be huge, as Smiffy says there will be more objections than ever before. Government policy on housing is in our favour and we have precedents for planning but we will still need to write to the council in support of this application. Those residents of Southend-on-Sea are particularly important. When the consultation opens, as many people as possible need to write individual letters (petitions carry little weight in the planning process) supporting the application ALONG PLANNING GUIDELINES (ie, don't bang on about how great the club is and how much we deserve a new ground because it's not a planning consideration).

There will be significant opposition to both schemes (don't forget planning consent for one is no good without the other). We need to ensure the support drowns it out. Use the sneering comments about how we'll never fill the stadium because we've got no fans from Premier league ***** on the Echo comments section as your motivation. We need to show how powerful we are as a support base by ensuring the council know the town is behind this.

Also, local elections coming up. Support those who support the stadium.

There are no local elections in Southend this year, it is an electoral fallow year. There are three councillors for each ward in Southend and they serve a term of four years, therefore every fourth year there is no election, just happens 2017 is that year.

 

[Jai]

Interesting times ahead.
Just to adress the high street dying issue...I've just come from there....it's amost dead already. Loads of empty shops...including the vic plaza and the royals. Plenty of coffee shops though...I hate coffee and many bookies. If the council were really concerned about the hight street they would reduce the ridiculously high business rates.

You appear to have described every high street in the UK. As someone else pointed out, there are many factors that have influenced high streets in recent years. If FF isn't built, Southend High Street won't suddenly become a thriving retail hub.

 

[leeblue]

Local councils do not set Business Rates, the Government does. Local councils just collect the Business rate and pass it to the Treasury.
Rents for the shops are also not set by the Council, unless they are the owner of the property, the rents are set by the property owner.

Cheers for clearing that up.

 

[leeblue]

Our three sided stadium will basically look the same as Plymouths redeveloped part of the ground.

 

[LennySUFC]

Let's face it, there will be some complaints from businesses in Southend regarding this. We won't be on site in 16 weeks time!

I can imagine them saying no and RM's argument being, "We have already put the boards up, can't stop it the wheels are in motion"

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

I've got to admit I'm really confused regarding a new stadium. I go from 100% cynical and doubt it will ever happen. Then about 6 weeks ago I was in the reception at the Civic Centre and RM and a few others walked through with shedloads of documents. Maybe, just maybe this development will start to happen as it has gone so public and there are some big companies going to look very silly if it all goes tits up again.

 

[leeblue]

I've got to admit I'm really confused regarding a new stadium. I go from 100% cynical and doubt it will ever happen. Then about 6 weeks ago I was in the reception at the Civic Centre and RM and a few others walked through with shedloads of documents. Maybe, just maybe this development will start to happen as it has gone so public and there are some big companies going to look very silly if it all goes tits up again.

Don't change that signature just yet. Still unclear on income streams etc.....how if at all this benefits the club...I'm still concerned that we are just an inconvenience in the middle of a huge property deal that has been in the making for a long time now.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Don't change that signature just yet. Still unclear on income streams etc.....how if at all this benefits the club...I'm still concerned that we are just an inconvenience in the middle of a huge property deal that has been in the making for a long time now.

Oh yeah. I'm still very concerned as to how the financials will pan out if we move. In fact that is an understatement it looks to my untrained eye that it could be a complete nightmare.

 

[leeblue]

Oh yeah. I'm still very concerned as to how the financials will pan out if we move. In fact that is an understatement it looks to my untrained eye that it could be a complete nightmare.

Precisely, im assuming the hospitality facilities etc are in the main stand, which isnt actually being built.....but its coming!!!!!
so how do we as a club increase matchday revenue. At RH currently we have the boxes, blues lounge as far as i can tell these things will not be available at the ronnie three sided scheme

 

[AndyT]

You appear to have described every high street in the UK. As someone else pointed out, there are many factors that have influenced high streets in recent years. If FF isn't built, Southend High Street won't suddenly become a thriving retail hub.

^
This.

That said, Chelmsford is a good example of how a development of the High Street, particularly the Bond Street development, can help a city/town grow.

Maybe this could be the catalyst to bulldozing the Vic Circus end of the high street and developing the Pier Hill end into a far more attractive area for shoppers and the like, moving the larger retail outlets like Next and so on, down to the end where Debenhams and M&S already are and open planning the top end for parking and the like.

There's way too much dead-wood in the High Street.

 

[Fairport]

^
This.

That said, Chelmsford is a good example of how a development of the High Street, particularly the Bond Street development, can help a city/town grow.

Maybe this could be the catalyst to bulldozing the Vic Circus end of the high street and developing the Pier Hill end into a far more attractive area for shoppers and the like, moving the larger retail outlets like Next and so on, down to the end where Debenhams and M&S already are and open planning the top end for parking and the like.

There's way too much dead-wood in the High Street.

You are right about Chelmsford, it is a town/city on the way up. Unfortunately Southend doesn't seem to be a likely investment from the likes of John Lewis and other upmarket retailers. These businesses go for areas where there are plenty of high spending consumers. Unfortunately Southend is becoming the poor relation to the likes of Chelmsford. By comparison our high street looks run down and on top of it we have that irritating Spurs shop that does nothing to enhance local pride in our town and football club.

 

[AndyT]

Good point about the demographics.

Was talking about this at breakfast, today. Maybe that could change with a more upmarket development of the Pier Hill end, enticing the Chalkwell/Leigh and even Billericay/Brentwood/Rayleigh population back to the town.

I know plenty of people in my area, who prefer Chelmsford, Lakeside and even Bluewater to coming to Southend.

 

[Blue94]

Just to clarify, it will be a 3-sided stadium to start off with, then the 4th main stand will be built once funds have been released from the Roots Hall redevelopment. I've heard Weston Homes will be developing RH. So realistically the main stand might not be built until 2/3 years later.

 

[Liam AAS]

I dont live in that area so no objection from me anyway.

My point is the project has become bigger and bigger,your stating anyone who objects should be drowned out...democracy at its finest.

That is exactly how democracy works.