New Fossetts Farm Planning Permission

[hlane17]

A monstrosity isn't it.

However, with Ron unlikely to finance it now, perhaps the only way to get it built by new owners is as per the plans. Planning permission for 100+ homes as part of the main stand will generate a tidy return for any investor?

I'd rather no residential at all. But I can't see it.

Absolutely vomit-inducing, and I'm trying to be kind here.

I think a hotel (considering the proximity to an airport) would be so much better and also take up a smaller profile than the flats. I understand there is no interested franchise at the moment but who says there won't be at some point? I can't stand MK Dons but the Stadium MK nailed the hotel part.

If the club is going to be bought anytime soon, I think the vision for the 4th stand (and ownership of the ground in general) should be discussed with the new ownership as a matter of great importance.

The fourth stand being nothing more than a block of flats or even worse not existing at all are both equally undesirable outcomes for SUFC fans.

 

[Shrimper Brownie]

So am I right in thinking a whole SIDE of the ground will be an Oxford style fence for years. What a shambles.

One of the first things on the agenda for us to tell the new owner should be that we want all 4 sides to be built, not 3.

 

[WhiteNoise]

imagine being in one of those lower level flats where all you'll see from the window is the grey roof of the stands, probably with a few deflated mitre footballs that have landed up there after our strikers pre-match warm up.

 

[Smiffy]

So am I right in thinking a whole SIDE of the ground will be an Oxford style fence for years. What a shambles.

One of the first things on the agenda for us to tell the new owner should be that we want all 4 sides to be built, not 3.

Correct. Although I think it will be more of a giant mud-bank stretching the length of the pitch. There will be lovely views from the South Stand though of the rolling hills of Sutton with Shopland and out towards Rochford, Ashingdon & Canewdon..

As @hlane17 rightly says above, let's hope the new owners are willing to engage regards stadium ownership and main stand plans.

 

[North Banker]

For those just finding out about the side that is missing - these are some of the graphics from the last application. It's not a small piece that won't be finished, it's the main stand! Oxford hardly even compares.





Perhaps my optimism is misplaced but for all the embarrassment this will cause us in the short term, it's in many ways better that the main stand is the one that will be missing. If it were one of the other stands, with nothing but a few thousand seats, what is the incentive for whoever owns the club to finish it? It's not like we'd be desperate for that little bit more capacity as it stands. It could sit empty forever as far as they care, it'll be treated as a potential future expansion site like Oxford's.

Instead if the missing stand is the one that contains the player's changing rooms, the directors box, offices, executive boxes, function rooms and, crucially, a ton of flats, there are some big incentives to build it. We don't have to rely on the owner (current or future) caring about the club or how embarrassing the stadium looks, it ought to make sense on paper anyway. They'll want the money from those flats and they'll no doubt be fed up of entertaining guests in a portacabin in the car park.

 

[kentblues]

10,944 capacity (2,700 safe standing seats in the West Stand - left end) across 3 stands to start with. Less than RH (officially).

The 4th main stand (5,282 seats) no doubt will be down to new owners now to finance and could take many years to follow, if at all (despite the noise that it would "follow quickly/be built in tandem" etc) This concerns me greatly I'm afraid and always has done. We could be the modern day Oxford, renting a 3 sided stadium with naff all income streams other than the usual tickets, merch and catering.

Very deep pockets required to deliver what Ron promised, but scaled back on massively to barely fulfil weak planning criteria.

Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon Ron is on his way out, it's a necessity. But, I can't help feeling we have all been taken for right mugs on a number of things.

Hopefully the new owners see the potential in the whole project and the club and can raise the finance sharp to not only steady us day to day, but to purchase the 3 sides and get the wheels in motion on the main stand. Because without ownership of the site or 4 sides, we are in trouble.

The hard reality is we wouldn't want to wait for Ron to build the 4th side so its down to the new owners. Natural and obvious consequence of an earlier sale.

The perfect new owners will go for the bigger 4th stand with hotel (or even Regus Serviced Offices or something else long term revenue generating) as well as some residential element. But we are getting what we wanted in terms of "Ron out", we can't really complain he's not fast tracking the 4th side as a goodbye gift I guess...

 

[GDM]

The hard reality is we wouldn't want to wait for Ron to build the 4th side so its down to the new owners. Natural and obvious consequence of an earlier sale.

The perfect new owners will go for the bigger 4th stand with hotel (or even Regus Serviced Offices or something else long term revenue generating) as well as some residential element. But we are getting what we wanted in terms of "Ron out", we can't really complain he's not fast tracking the 4th side as a goodbye gift I guess...

We deffo can complain. This is not the stadium we were sold, in fact this will generate zero income until the main stand is built, so we are only marginally better off.
Ron will never build the main stand. So that means new owners are going to have the buy the stadium (which looks pretty worthless) so that's one plus. Then hopefully they can build a main stand how they want (subject to planning permission!)

Basically its going to be a **** experience in our new home, Ron really couldn't have ****ed this up anymore than he has!

 

[kentblues]

So am I right in thinking a whole SIDE of the ground will be an Oxford style fence for years. What a shambles.

One of the first things on the agenda for us to tell the new owner should be that we want all 4 sides to be built, not 3.

And if they don't agree I imagine the #<insert name>Out banners will be whipped up in no time :-)

The reality remains we don't get to choose who buys. We, therefore, don't get to choose the buyer who has our optimum outcome for the 4th stand either. We also have next to no influence over what that buyer chooses to build or if he has the funds to build it. Regrettably. I doubt we will even know who the successful bidder is until its all done.

Lets just hope the buyer has those deep deep pockets

 

[kentblues]

We deffo can complain. This is not the stadium we were sold, in fact this will generate zero income until the main stand is built, so we are only marginally better off.
Ron will never build the main stand. So that means new owners are going to have the buy the stadium (which looks pretty worthless) so that's one plus. Then hopefully they can build a main stand how they want (subject to planning permission!)

Basically its going to be a **** experience in our new home, Ron really couldn't have ****ed this up anymore than he has!

Its simply not true it will deliver zero income. There is additional corporate/hospitality incorporated into the three sides and this has been covered previously.

We wanted a new owner now. #RonOut. So its probably the new owner that gets to take this forward beyond the three sides. Because it was always a forward stage in the project, and clearly it's in a timescale that the new owner needs to take responsibility. That new owner could bring forward the building of the 4th side. Maybe they will. In the end if we suggested stopping the sale until Ron builds I don't think there would be many agreeing..

 

[Smiffy]

2,700 safe standing rail seats in the West Stand is a plus point though. Kudos for eventually including that as part of the plans. Should certainly improve the atmosphere, which is often lost at new grounds, especially those with 3 sides!

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

25 years and he comes up with that bucket of shyte. Not the 21,000 he always said we needed, now a case of 'I've had my snout in the trough and now there is nothing left to be had...see ya suckers'.

 

[kentblues]

25 years and he comes up with that bucket of shyte. Not the 21,000 he always said we needed, now a case of 'I've had my snout in the trough and now there is nothing left to be had...see ya suckers'.

He couldn't afford his dream. The King had no clothes. But our much dreamt about new owner can easily revert to something close to the original plan through the 4th side. So if we can believe the club can attract the right new owner than we shouldn't give up on this either..

 

[Liam AAS]

There will be X number of flats in the main stand that will be sold off-plan to help pay for it. Then the club, as the builder, will collect the ground rent as a revenue stream.

It will definitely get done, the club cannot afford not to build it.

 

[PrawNZ]

You wouldn't want to be a ball boy on the missing 4th side. 'Av it!

 

[SPALDINGBLUE]

10,944 capacity (2,700 safe standing seats in the West Stand - left end) across 3 stands to start with. Less than RH (officially).

The 4th main stand (5,282 seats) no doubt will be down to new owners now to finance and could take many years to follow, if at all (despite the noise that it would "follow quickly/be built in tandem" etc) This concerns me greatly I'm afraid and always has done. We could be the modern day Oxford, renting a 3 sided stadium with naff all income streams other than the usual tickets, merch and catering.

Very deep pockets required to deliver what Ron promised, but scaled back on massively to barely fulfil weak planning criteria.

Don't get me wrong, I am over the moon Ron is on his way out, it's a necessity. But, I can't help feeling we have all been taken for right mugs on a number of things.

Hopefully the new owners see the potential in the whole project and the club and can raise the finance sharp to not only steady us day to day, but to purchase the 3 sides and get the wheels in motion on the main stand. Because without ownership of the site or 4 sides, we are in trouble.

yes I agree, I always said the capacity would would come down from the original 21,000 suspect by time 4th stand built total capacity will be around 14,000 tops, makes it all worth while when you picking your way home in the dark from a FA Trophy 3rd round match against Dartford with lots of locals milling around . Yes fans have stood by and let this happen, with the exception of the those fighting from day 1. guess those that were there against Liverpool ( I was ) will go down in history as being biggest home crowd ever in our history , still as much as I hate Bournemouth, I have to say they do get a decent noise going when they winning, and have been over to lincoln many times recently and they have capacity of 9,000 and that place rocks

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Just waded through it. Stadium seems pretty much the same. Obviously the scheduling is different so us oldies need to keep fit to see the four sided ground. Possibly a new section in SZ needed.
Haven't previously looked at the community stuff but liked the Cecil Jones classroom at the community dome. Well they might never have used that field but it is theirs so right they get first dibs on its use.
Christ I'll be old if and when it's finished. But the plans are good in my opinion.

 

[Holy Joe]

I think Roots Hall planning has a condition in it that stadium couldn't be demolished until new stadium phase 1 with capacity not less than something like 13000 ish was completed. This won't comply with that so I guess they'll also be applying to vary that condition.

If people aren't happy, you can object to the plans on the planning portal - or if you're happy comment that you approve. And if you're in Southend can also contact your local councillor

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Basically everything that was said at the pitch tour was wrong or changed. All 4 sides were starting together with the 4th side taking longer to complete, but we would be moving in before the completion of the 4th. Now there is a clear 1yr gap before it even commences which seems odd. This smacks of getting us out of RH as soon as possible so that can be developed. I’m not sure how a 3 sided stadium for 2 years helps the club

Much cheaper rent.

In fact if I was a new owner I’d be pushing for a rent free period until such time as the 4th stand is completed.

 

[Holy Joe]

I think Roots Hall planning has a condition in it that stadium couldn't be demolished until new stadium phase 1 with capacity not less than something like 13000 ish was completed. This won't comply with that so I guess they'll also be applying to vary that condition.

If people aren't happy, you can object to the plans on the planning portal - or if you're happy comment that you approve. And if you're in Southend can also contact your local councillor

Yep - this condition in the Roots Hall planning permission will need amending - or the council to refuse permission as an inadequate replacement