Does Anyone know anything?

[londonblue]

It's now the 29th March. Surely we should have heard by now?

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I would have guessed that if anyone knew anything, it would have been posted. Similarly on the official front. Patience. The timeframe was a guideline only.

[londonblue]

I would have guessed that if anyone knew anything, it would have been posted. Similarly on the official front. Patience. The timeframe was a guideline only.

I'm not being impatient, I am just interested to know where we stand. I'm also amazed that we haven't had a progress report from the club, even if it's to say that the plans have been passed on to Ruth Kelly, and that they are awaiting news...

[Xàbia Shrimper]

But we already know that the plans were passed to Ruth Kelly more than a month ago. Granted, there's not been a lot of information on the SUFC official website since the plans were approved at local government level but the Shrimpers Trust Liaison Meeting minutes of 28th February 2007 states that "Geoffrey King said that the FF application is now with Ruth Kelly MP, and it was hoped that this would be finally approved before the end of March".

[leeblue]

it is the end of march

[Fred]

Does anyone believe everything that GK says!!

[Smiffy]

Come on people this is SUFC, nothing EVER goes according to plan really does it...

Just keep your fingers crossed and hope we get the right decision, whenever that may be.

[Xàbia Shrimper]

it is the end of march

Who are some people so preoccupied with the end of the March as some sort of cut-off date?! No-one said that things would happen by now; both RM and GK admitted that they HOPED* the application would be approved by the end of March. There is nothing to suggest that they counted on it being so. I hoped that my local would be open by now after a major re-fit, although I didn't count on it to be so. :D

* Hope - anticipation, desire, longing, wish, craving, yearning, dream, assumption ...

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Does anyone believe everything that GK says!!

FFS! What has he said, Fred?! He said that he "HOPED" that the plans would be approved by the end of March. Why is that suddenly sufficient evidence to condemn the man?! It seems that blinkered vision has taken over some people. Jeez ...

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Come on people this is SUFC, nothing EVER goes according to plan really does it. Just keep your fingers crossed and hope we get the right decision, whenever that may be.

Spot on, Smiffy. But, may I ask, what has not gone to plan here? No-one said that the plans WOULD DEFINITELY BE APPROVED BY THE END OF MARCH (this is like a broken record, eh?) but that they hoped they might be. I see nothing wrong with that and I can't see why some people are starting to get all hysterical about it!

[Spaceman Spiff]

I think its just that we have been advised by those in the know that Ruth Kelly has 21 days from the date the plans are received by her to issue a decision. Its almost certainly been that long now - and understandably people are impatient for news...

:)

I'm sure we'll hear something in the next week or so though so keep the faith everyone!

[mattytheshrimper]

i do think that the os should keep us updated as its to be expected that fans are very interested about the progression of the new stadium. i don't know if theres any particular reason why there keeping quiet about it all but i do think the time is up for ruth kelly and it would be brilliant to know

i can't wait to go and see it all get started and see it take its shape. but i do understand people on here becoming inpatient with no news!

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I understand that people are impatient, Steve - so am I - but the hysterical demand for news is somewhat surprising, considering NO-ONE from the football club said that a decision would DEFINITELY be made by the end of March. I'm sure the proposal wouldn't be on the top of the in-tray anyway and, having followed other stadium and commercial developments elsewhere, I always considered this 21 day window as somewhat hopeful ... as GK actually admits to the Trust a month ago: "we HOPE ... etc.)

:)

[Xàbia Shrimper]

i do think that the os should keep us updated as its to be expected that fans are very interested about the progression of the new stadium. i don't know if theres any particular reason why there keeping quiet about it all but i do think the time is up for ruth kelly and it would be brilliant to know. i can't wait to go and see it all get started and see it take its shape. but i do understand people on here becoming inpatient with no news!

But they can't report news they don't have!! What do you want them to publish: "we have no news today" each and every morning?! That would be ridiculous!! I know sure how much you know about development but these things do sometimes take time, some people have to accept that and not get so worked up by it. It's a huge step for Southend United; it will happen but people need to be patient!

[mattytheshrimper]

But they can't report news they don't have!! What do you want them to publish: "we have no news today" each and every morning?! That;s just ridiculous!! I know sure how much you know about development but these things do sometimes take time, some people have to accept that and not get so worked up by it. It's a huge step for Southend United; it will happen but people need to be patient!

ok ok ok ok ok. i can see your very passionate about this, i was just saying. I don't know what they can report. for all we know they do have info, who's knows. i was just saying

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Patience is not a dirty word. Crevice is a dirty word, but patience isn't!

[sussex by the sea]

XS is correct on this, we do have to be patient. In actual fact, the process so far has been remarkably quick since the planning application was submitted.

While we are all anxious for news, what could have happened in the last few weeks is Ruth Kelly indicating quickly she wanted to call the plans in for her determination. As a very general rule of thumb, the quicker she calls a plan in, the more likley there is to be something wrong with it. If she does call the plan in, we won't be worrying about a few days at the end of March, it will more whether we get a decision before autumn.

It may be well be the case that no news is good news at the moment.

[Xàbia Shrimper]

It may be well be the case that no news is good news at the moment.

Hallelujah!

[londonblue]

It may be well be the case that no news is good news at the moment.


Hallelujah!

It may also be the other way. If Ruth Kelly only needs to rubber stamp something there is a chance that the delay is because it isn't that simple and that she has concerns that need to be ironed out.

I don't think anyone is getting hysterical about this, I am just surprised that:-

a) The club didn't have anything on the web site about the plans being submitted to Ruth Kelly, and
b) The club didn't have anything about expected timelines on the web site, even if it had a caveat saying these may not be adhered to.

I'm not expecting an announcement every day saying there is no news, but something outlining what they expect to happen would be nice.

Don't forget that SUFC get extra money for every hit on their web site. It therefore also makes sense to post this just to make a few extra quid.

[londonblue]

I guess my concerns were justified. Shame, I would love to have been proven wrong.