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A Century United

Firewalking for HD
Joined
Jan 26, 2007
Messages
10,004
Article in the Telegraph on Saturday. I can't find it online, but the gist of it is:

The Government Planning White Paper, which is to be published on Monday, will scrap the "need test" which allows local authority planners to turn down supermarkets on the outskirts of towns and beyond to protect the traditional highstreet.

What is most interesting and relevant to us is this quote:

"Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary is said to be keen to support new development to improve the range of shops and consumer choice both on the High Street and in developments close to towns."

Ruthie-babes, is, of course, going to be giving our stadium with associated retail development the once over in October or thereabouts.
 
Ruthie-babes, is, of course, going to be giving our stadium with associated retail development the once over in October or thereabouts.

Unless she gets reallocated to another Department in "King Gordon's Coronation"* reshuffle?

* - Thanks(? ? ?) to the Daily Mail for this spin on things!
 
The new planning overhaul does seem to favour edge of town retail developments which can only help our cause. The 600 houses planned for the fields just round the corner from me will also probably go ahead thanks to this but if it helps the Billy Best Arena, it's a small price to pay.

And "King Gordon" seems to be behind it all so even if there is a reshuffle it shouldn't make much difference.
 
when are we likely to hear the outcome after it has been called in ?

It's already been called in. the next step is the Public Enquiry which was to be held on the 14th August but has been delayed by RM until September/October not sure of the exact date.

Public Enquiry will probably last about 5 days, the decision for the B&Q site took 3 months so we could be looking at a final decision in Jan/Feb 2008.
 
The Public Inquiry will begin on Tuesday 25th September 2007 at the Civic Centre and the Planning Inspectorate has advised that it could last for up to 16 working days.
 
The Public Inquiry will begin on Tuesday 25th September 2007 at the Civic Centre and the Planning Inspectorate has advised that it could last for up to 16 working days.

Do we know the usual time scales for delivering a verdict on these things?
 
A rule of thumb is often to allow a week for each day the Inquiry takes so based on the anticipated length of the Inquiry, it could well be 4 months.

Certainly unlikely to be before Christmas anyway.
 
Just been back to Southend for the first time since the end of the season. Took a left turn at Temple Farm on Sutton Road, and all I can say is....

Wow.

How completely different the whole area looks! The plot of land for the stadium complex to sit can now be clearly seen, and is flanked on all sides by large retail units (huge B&Q, Comet, and more to come). Any arguments about preserving green belt land or a 'blot on the horizon' are surely out of the window now. Especially with the enourmous wooden fence blocking the road off from the Smither's Farm cottages.

Not only that....but the road turn section (don't know the technical term for it) is already in place for the access road to the stadium car park/training pitches - surely they must be confident!

If I were Ruth Kelly, visiting the FF site for the first time in a few months, I'd find it almost impossible to refuse permission. Anyone that hasn't seen the change in the area in person, try and get down there. Hugely optomistic now :)
 
Indeed, an amazing transformation in so little time.

That acoustic fencing along the new road is huge, you wouldnt even know there were houses behind it, and im sure the affect this development has had on the residents is minimal in terms of noise pollution.

If Ruth Kelly doesnt pass these plans now it will be an absoloute joke and extremely contradictory.

The stadium itself will probably rise less into the skyline than the B&Q/Comet megastores due to the fact part of it is built into the ground.

These huge developments on the Fossetts site can only improve the chances of Ruth giving the green light.

As Reading Shrimper has mentioned, there is definitely a junction on the new road, which is just waiting to lead to the new stadium, there is also plenty of young trees lining the site which IIRC was a main objective set by Rochford Council, that Ron had to fulfill before construction of the stadium began.

Ron has kept his end of the bargain, over to you Ruth..

Roll on 25th September when the public enquiry will begin, plenty of time for the club and the SZ faithful to arrange a mass show of support on the opening day of the enquiry.

Fingers crossed it will pass with no problems and a green light will be announced before xmas...with the diggers rolling in early 2008..

It must be a formality now, surely?..

On a seperate note, does anyone feel that decision made by the club to deny parking on the fields at Boots & Laces for Meet The Blues day is something to do with the proposed stadium development?
 
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Not sure if the link below will work, but the Council's preliminary statement to the Inquiry (called a Rule 6) setting out why permission should be granted is now on the Council's website under the planning section.

Having read through it, my view is, notwithstanding recent retail development in the vicinity, that the amount of retail use proposed with the stadium is likley to be the major stumbling block.

http://www.southend.gov.uk/resources/sufcrule6statementglhbmcginput2_2_.pdf
 
Good spot sir!..

With regards to the retail development, Im sure Ron knows he is pushing the limits with regard to the amount of retail space he wants to provide.

I also expect he has already taken into account any proposed reduction in the retail space he can supply....this will look good on him when he agrees to a reduction, without jeapordising the project long term.

He is a very clever man.
 
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Interesting to note we can have 3 concerts per year at the new stadium.

That should pull in alot of extra cash.

eg: roughly 20,000 people paying a concert AVP of £50 = £1m in ticket sales alone!!.

Thats one for the marketing dept to get their teeth into, and show what they are really made of.
 
Not sure if the link below will work, but the Council's preliminary statement to the Inquiry (called a Rule 6) setting out why permission should be granted is now on the Council's website under the planning section.

Having read through it, my view is, notwithstanding recent retail development in the vicinity, that the amount of retail use proposed with the stadium is likley to be the major stumbling block.

http://www.southend.gov.uk/resources/sufcrule6statementglhbmcginput2_2_.pdf

We the completion of B@Q, Comet and the exsisting Waitrose I think it was a wise move of Ron to delay until October as the area will certainly look more like an out of town shopping area then. I think the regeneration and need for more housing in the whole of Southend are both plus points in our favour and any project of this size was going to go to a public enquiry anyway.

Reading through the Council's planning letter I dont see alot of stumbling blocks. I feel Ron will, with the benefit of more time on his hands until Oct have everything in place by then..The Overall message the Council is giving albiet with a list of requirements that would make any normal developer "run for cover" is all very positive. Fingers crossed that the finance, even if the retail area has to be "toned" down will be in place by then.

Good spot Sussex.
 
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