BBC Article - takeover completion still seems 2 months away

[Yorkshire Blue]

I understand the worry, but I'm not hearing anything that concerns me unduly at the moment. Due diligence is still ongoing, with lawyers having been in rooms this week, and there have been no red flags come up thus far.


The aim from everyone involved is to get it done before. Once DD completes, there will likely be an additional week or two for council and Thames Plaza to finalise an Agreement for Lease for Fossetts. Probably looking at 2nd/3rd week of April at the moment, but no guarantees that it won't slip slightly again.

*If* it does slip beyond elections, then with both sides of the local council's political spectrum pledging their support and desire to get this deal done, the deal shouldn't be sensitive to a change in administration.

That sounds optimistic to me given the number of parties involved and that Easter is around the corner. Invariably someone is going to be off at Easter to slow it all down and push it back a couple of weeks.

 

[Maldon Shrimper]

Recently had the opportunity to speak to two Southend Council Members who are also supporters they believe that sometime in April will be a completion date.
Watch this space

 

[Medway Blue]

That sounds optimistic to me given the number of parties involved and that Easter is around the corner. Invariably someone is going to be off at Easter to slow it all down and push it back a couple of weeks.

Yep, absolutely. That's speculation though. To me, anyway. Nobody but those undertaking the process really know what exactly it entails, where they are with it, and can give an informed opinion as to how long it takes.

I can only go by what the leader of the council says, and that takes us to mid-April. Perhaps mid-late.

That's not to say there won't be a delay like you've mentioned, of course. Previous form says to be prepared for it. Again though, can only go by what I'm being told at the moment, in the absence of a being in the room with the lawyers.

 

[Banksy]

I think Ron will be very pleased you're letting him off the hook. The council aren't selling the club - Ron is.

That is a view about the Council not about Ron.

 

[RHB]

Our local election polling cards dropped through the letter box today, so local elections are just around the corner. Now is a great opportunity to email your ward Councillors and press them to push for completion of the sale as soon as possible. Point out that with local elections looming a positive response would be welcome.

I've included a new poll in this thread now to get a feel for just how many of our number have lobbied.

 

[Richard Hearn]

Probably not much point lobbying my local councillors as I live in Benfleet.

 

[Supershrimper]

Our local election polling cards dropped through the letter box today, so local elections are just around the corner. Now is a great opportunity to email your ward Councillors and press them to push for completion of the sale as soon as possible. Point out that with local elections looming a positive response would be welcome.

I've included a new poll in this thread now to get a feel for just how many of our number have lobbied.

If you could add another option to state that you don't live in the area that would be great. I don't think my local councilors in Stanford-le-Hope care what goes on in Stanford, let alone elsewhere

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Get the clown out

 

[fbm]

I understand the worry, but I'm not hearing anything that concerns me unduly at the moment. Due diligence is still ongoing, with lawyers having been in rooms this week, and there have been no red flags come up thus far.

The aim from everyone involved is to get it done before. Once DD completes, there will likely be an additional week or two for council and Thames Plaza to finalise an Agreement for Lease for Fossetts. Probably looking at 2nd/3rd week of April at the moment, but no guarantees that it won't slip slightly again.

*If* it does slip beyond elections, then with both sides of the local council's political spectrum pledging their support and desire to get this deal done, the deal shouldn't be sensitive to a change in administration.

I'm not sure the council have the final say though, do they? That is surely at a government level and I'm not sure that a policy actually exists for everyone to be able to do what they want to do or what needs to be done - no matter how willing and supportive the parties are.

Plus - won't there be loads of objections when the revised plans for Fossetts go in? Will that not hugely delay matters?

 

[tommy tucker]

If it falls into the hands of the goverment to have the final say .I really cant see them saying no .After all it was them that said there is a desorate need for homes to rent .

 

[Holy Joe]

I'm not sure the council have the final say though, do they? That is surely at a government level and I'm not sure that a policy actually exists for everyone to be able to do what they want to do or what needs to be done - no matter how willing and supportive the parties are.

Plus - won't there be loads of objections when the revised plans for Fossetts go in? Will that not hugely delay matters?

Are you talking about planning permission?

I don't think that's what is holding up the deal - they're DD'ing the rental agreement for Southend council to lease the new properties.

 

[fbm]

Are you talking about planning permission?

I don't think that's what is holding up the deal - they're DD'ing the rental agreement for Southend council to lease the new properties.

I mean for the new properties that are to be built at FF which - unless I've missed something - has been verbally agreed can go through but for which no plans have yet been submitted, so the only permission at the moment is for a residential development with a stadium.

I'm quite happy to hold my hands up if I've got this wrong, but my understanding is that contracts have been exchanged subject to permission being granted. As I see it, we have FF, which was green belt land and with the permission only given because of the community asset (stadium) being included. What we now have is a proposal of 100% residential on green belt land.

I really want someone to shoot me down in flames and show me that I have this completely wrong because, believe me, I want to be.

 

[annie1954]

I thought the main factor to sealing the deal with Ron was the council saying yes you can have your extra houses on the site of the stadium? So surely they can’t back down on this

 

[Holy Joe]

I mean for the new properties that are to be built at FF which - unless I've missed something - has been verbally agreed can go through but for which no plans have yet been submitted, so the only permission at the moment is for a residential development with a stadium.

I'm quite happy to hold my hands up if I've got this wrong, but my understanding is that contracts have been exchanged subject to permission being granted. As I see it, we have FF, which was green belt land and with the permission only given because of the community asset (stadium) being included. What we now have is a proposal of 100% residential on green belt land.

I really want someone to shoot me down in flames and show me that I have this completely wrong because, believe me, I want to be.

I'm pretty sure the sale of the club is not dependant on planning permission being granted but on the agreement of the council to lease the additional properties at FF instead of at RH. If it was dependant on the planning permission then all the timescales given so far will have been totally unrealistic - and I appreciate most of the timescales given so far have been missed!

 

[Medway Blue]

I'm not sure the council have the final say though, do they? That is surely at a government level and I'm not sure that a policy actually exists for everyone to be able to do what they want to do or what needs to be done - no matter how willing and supportive the parties are.

Plus - won't there be loads of objections when the revised plans for Fossetts go in? Will that not hugely delay matters?

The council has the final say on the Agreement for Lease, because that is a commercial contract between them and the Martins. That's the main thing to be concerned about at the moment because once that is signed, the consortium's purchase of the club can be finalised.

Obviously, the movement of the Fossetts plans onto the planning stage is another matter. I don't know what stage the drawing-up of the plans is at and yes, of course, there could be delays with objections and what not. I think it will ultimately get approved because the housing is needed and the council will do well out of it financially. Decision will rest with their planning committee though, and there are never any guarantees that they'll grant permission. Central government won't become involved unless the plans get called in, though, which is also a probability and would cause more delays.

I believe the consortium has some potential alternative plans to raise some funds in the event of delays or rejection of the Fossetts plans, and the failure of the £20m to appear. Not sure what they are though.

 

[shrimpled]

I believe the consortium has some potential alternative plans to raise some funds in the event of delays or rejection of the Fossetts plans, and the failure of the £20m to appear. Not sure what they are though.

I'm hearing there'll be a quiz night and barn dance in the fanzone.

 

[rigsby]

I'm pretty sure the sale of the club is not dependant on planning permission being granted but on the agreement of the council to lease the additional properties at FF instead of at RH. If it was dependant on the planning permission then all the timescales given so far will have been totally unrealistic - and I appreciate most of the timescales given so far have been missed!

The council wont be able to lease properties that don't exist because PP was blocked by a change of council after May. Or overruled at Government level by well organised Nimby/green brigade......Which has just happened to a lovely little business close to me on the sea front in the last 2 weeks.

The good news is the government set Southend a target of 14,000 new houses by 2035....That was over 5 years ago when I was told by head of SBC.

Unlike so many other northern towns we don't have lots of Brownfield sites available and we can't go North as its Rochford and obviously can't go South because of the Thames. That means development has to be allowed green belt land. With houses at B&L, the back of B&Q and permission granted for flats as part of the Ron stadium you would hope the decision is easily in our favour.......Having said that I would never put my house on SBC doing the right thing

 

[Medway Blue]

The council wont be able to lease properties that don't exist because PP was blocked by a change of council after May. Or overruled at Government level by well organised Nimby/green brigade......Which has just happened to a lovely little business close to me on the sea front in the last 2 weeks.

The good news is the government set Southend a target of 14,000 new houses by 2035....That was over 5 years ago when I was told by thread of SBC.

Unlike so many other northern towns we don't have lots of Brownfield sites available and we can't go North as its Rochford and obviously can't go South because of the Thames. That means development has to be allowed green belt land. With houses at B&L, the back of B&Q and permission granted for flats as part of the stadium you would hope the decision is easily in our favour.......Having said that I would never put my house on SBC doing the right thing

Absolutely, but it seems that PP and the finalisation of the sale of the club have been de-coupled to an extent. A huge leap of faith perhaps, but once the AfL is signed, the sale of the club can complete.

PP is another matter.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Probably not much point lobbying my local councillors as I live in Benfleet.

Yeah. We have our own problems.

 

[Richard Hearn]

Yeah. We have our own problems.

Yes, and from tomorrow, courtesy of our lovely friends at Cadent (company motto "Why dig up a road once when you can dig it up multiple times?") actually getting out of the town may well be another of them.