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Questions;

Who owns the land around Roots Hall? I mean the shops and properties bought or acquired through compulsory purchase orders? Ron? Or someone else?

What happened to the Sainsburys money used to pay tax bills? Does this have to be paid back?

Who now owns the Prospects site?

If Fossets Farm is a dead duck can the site be sold to fund refurbishment of Roots Hall?

If the outskirts of RH are owned by RM can this land be developed to fund further rebuilding of RH or expansion?

Do do we have any other options?
 
Questions;

Who owns the land around Roots Hall? I mean the shops and properties bought or acquired through compulsory purchase orders? Ron? Or someone else?

What happened to the Sainsburys money used to pay tax bills? Does this have to be paid back?

Who now owns the Prospects site?

If Fossets Farm is a dead duck can the site be sold to fund refurbishment of Roots Hall?

If the outskirts of RH are owned by RM can this land be developed to fund further rebuilding of RH or expansion?

Do do we have any other options?

I believe the answer to the Prospects question is Weston Homes.
 
On Saturday we met up with a family we got friendly with on holiday last year. He's a real estate lawyer with a very big firm. I knew he knew the Ritblats, and had dealings with British Land, but I found out on Saturday he actually drew up the agreement between Delancey and Ron Martin when they invested in SUFC Ltd many years ago.

He asked if Ron Martin was still in charge and I'm pretty certain I detected him roll his eyes when I said yes. I also mentioned that when Delancey wanted out RM paid them back their money plus 20% as I'm sure that was what was reported in the Echo. Again, I'm pretty certain I saw him crack a smile at that.

In the end I came out straight and asked him if BL had pulled out of the deal, and his answer was that he doesn't know!
 
On Saturday we met up with a family we got friendly with on holiday last year. He's a real estate lawyer with a very big firm. I knew he knew the Ritblats, and had dealings with British Land, but I found out on Saturday he actually drew up the agreement between Delancey and Ron Martin when they invested in SUFC Ltd many years ago.

He asked if Ron Martin was still in charge and I'm pretty certain I detected him roll his eyes when I said yes. I also mentioned that when Delancey wanted out RM paid them back their money plus 20% as I'm sure that was what was reported in the Echo. Again, I'm pretty certain I saw him crack a smile at that.

In the end I came out straight and asked him if BL had pulled out of the deal, and his answer was that he doesn't know!

You mean I read all the way down to the bottom to read 'he doesn't know ' :smile:
 
There has to be some news sooner or later, good or bad. It can't just 'never be spoken of again' while RH crumbles around us. Just tell us the situation Ron, if its bad news there's not much we can do about it except moan, which we do anyway. If its good news, great. But we deserve an update at least.
 
With all this lovely weather we are having I hope the Dome framework is not rusting away
 
With all this lovely weather we are having I hope the Dome framework is not rusting away
Someone told me that all the pieces had numbers on them so you know what goes where. Unfortunately as its been sitting in all types of weather for umpteen years they have all washed off. Also the Astro pitches have been rolled up in a warehouse . It should look stunning if and when it's assembled.Nice purchase Mr Martin.
 
Someone told me that all the pieces had numbers on them so you know what goes where. Unfortunately as its been sitting in all types of weather for umpteen years they have all washed off. Also the Astro pitches have been rolled up in a warehouse . It should look stunning if and when it's assembled.Nice purchase Mr Martin.

I was told a long time ago that not only didn't we have planning permission, we didn't own the land it was going to be built on.
 
I was told a long time ago that not only didn't we have planning permission, we didn't own the land it was going to be built on.

Correct.

There is no planning permission for any part of the development at the moment. The land that is meant to be used for this dome is in trust and leased to Cecil Jones school I believe. I am sure Cecil Jones will be up for a deal if they get use of the dome for nothing for school activities.

I had a meeting with the club about a year ago now to discuss our youth teams at Manor using the dome. Lots of boxes to tick to get grants etc. But in reality this is a long long way off happening, unless a major investor comes out of the woodwork. Even the chap I met with didn't seem that confident it would ever happen!

I am not even sure the Council would pass the revised plans anyhow, as it is a huge change from the last ones submitted and the town centre is getting worse and worse. The traders in the town have made their feelings quite clear and the Council seem keen on this Seaway development as well, which surely would have an impact on the FF plans.

The whole thing is not viable IMO and needs scaling down massively, with less focus on the retail side. At the moment with these new plans (which are still un-submitted) it is a giant retail park with a stadium. It needs to be stadium first and foremost with a small retail annex, if they are to be granted permission IMO. But would scaling down on the retail side then mean Ron doesn't have the outside finance to fund it?...I would suggest so. Perhaps selling the RH site to a home developer (Weston Homes have been rumoured) would provide enough finance to get the ball rolling. But my fear is we would end up with a 3 sided stadium for eternity (Like Oxford but worse as its the main stand missing) as the finance would quickly dry up.

It just seems there are too many ducks that need to be aligned for this to happen now, unless Ron finally gives up a slice of his retirement fund. He has had more than long enough to sort this mess out and we are now no nearer than we were a decade ago. This despite numerous other clubs completing their super stadiums and playing in them for many seasons now.

Chasing the non-existent pot of gold at the end of the rainbow springs to mind...
 
Correct.

There is no planning permission for any part of the development at the moment. The land that is meant to be used for this dome is in trust and leased to Cecil Jones school I believe. I am sure Cecil Jones will be up for a deal if they get use of the dome for nothing for school activities.

I had a meeting with the club about a year ago now to discuss our youth teams at Manor using the dome. Lots of boxes to tick to get grants etc. But in reality this is a long long way off happening, unless a major investor comes out of the woodwork. Even the chap I met with didn't seem that confident it would ever happen!

I am not even sure the Council would pass the revised plans anyhow, as it is a huge change from the last ones submitted and the town centre is getting worse and worse. The traders in the town have made their feelings quite clear and the Council seem keen on this Seaway development as well, which surely would have an impact on the FF plans.

The whole thing is not viable IMO and needs scaling down massively, with less focus on the retail side. At the moment with these new plans (which are still un-submitted) it is a giant retail park with a stadium. It needs to be stadium first and foremost with a small retail annex, if they are to be granted permission IMO. But would scaling down on the retail side then mean Ron doesn't have the outside finance to fund it?...I would suggest so. Perhaps selling the RH site to a home developer (Weston Homes have been rumoured) would provide enough finance to get the ball rolling. But my fear is we would end up with a 3 sided stadium for eternity (Like Oxford but worse as its the main stand missing) as the finance would quickly dry up.

It just seems there are too many ducks that need to be aligned for this to happen now, unless Ron finally gives up a slice of his retirement fund. He has had more than long enough to sort this mess out and we are now no nearer than we were a decade ago. This despite numerous other clubs completing their super stadiums and playing in them for many seasons now.

Chasing the non-existent pot of gold at the end of the rainbow springs to mind...


We need a stadium similar to Colchester maybe slightly bigger 14,000 capacity....RH site would fund the entire stadium project and leave Ron with a nice pay out .

The FF thing is too lavish and too big and too expensive to be ever finished or even started.

smoke and mirrors.
 
It would be great to be able to redevelop Roots Hall instead, one stand at a time. I'm guessing that is not possible.

The site at Roots Hall is so big there's so much potential, and we don't seem to be getting anywhere fast at the moment
 
You are correct, the money for the new stadium is being mainly provided by the sale of Roots Hall.

FF in it's not proposed form would cost anywhere between £60-70m. That money is most definitely not coming predominantly from the sale of Roots Hall - RH may cover the professional and legal fees to get us on site,
but the build will be funded by developer money released as part of the agreement for the retail...exactly why it is called 'enabling development'.
The biggest concern for me (and one I have expressed previously) is that the more these plans evolve and focus the bias on said enabling development, the harder it becomes for us to circumnavigate the planning process.
 
Dont shoot the messenger. Been told Weston Homes are building on Roots Hall next year and we are ground sharing (i dont even want to begin thinking about who with) but never mind what i've been told, it probably wont happen for another 15 yrs. To think i shook Ron's hand outside the Rayleigh offices that night to congratulate him after umpteen years of Southend council refusing every plan given to them..

Well i dont want to say i told you all so ! Now as luck would have it, i haven't seen my mate since i wrote this last year, but i'm spending the day with him tomorrow. Never in any doubt haha ! Think it makes up for me claiming Ray Parlour was joining (i was the poster Shrimp &2 Veg back then).. bloody Romford Ray done me like a kipper back then. Anyway, all hail Ron ?
 
Well i dont want to say i told you all so ! Now as luck would have it, i haven't seen my mate since i wrote this last year, but i'm spending the day with him tomorrow. Never in any doubt haha ! Think it makes up for me claiming Ray Parlour was joining (i was the poster Shrimp &2 Veg back then).. bloody Romford Ray done me like a kipper back then. Anyway, all hail Ron ?


You said they we would be ground sharing. That has been a rumour going around for years Ive not heard any substance in that whatsover and Ron even told me directly that wouldnt be happening, not that I have 100% faith in that being true :)

Has there been any confirmation its Weston Homes? They bought the Prospects part so would make sense.
 
Well i dont want to say i told you all so ! Now as luck would have it, i haven't seen my mate since i wrote this last year, but i'm spending the day with him tomorrow. Never in any doubt haha ! Think it makes up for me claiming Ray Parlour was joining (i was the poster Shrimp &2 Veg back then).. bloody Romford Ray done me like a kipper back then. Anyway, all hail Ron ?

I remember you! Weston Homes are indeed involved but I seriously don't think we'll be ground sharing!
 
I have again been told directly from the horses mouth that we will never ground share.

So again that is just another case of that particular rumour being circulated without substance.

Sadly the 3 sides was not denied. It wasnt confirmed either, but the avoidance of the question sadly would suggest we are still going down the 3 sided phase one.
 
No word on the ground share but Weston homes are just waiting for us, theyre ready to start, so i had the timescale right and the building company on RH. They may work in tandem with a stadium specialist. Everyone's waiting for Ron it seems, tons of materiel to build RH homes are on site.
 
The ground share wont happen, Ive been told that directly today.

Weston Homes was known already
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/146...ean_for_Southend_United_s_new_stadium_plans_/

The timescale might happen but doubtful, there is 4 months before the plans can even get agreed which puts us in August. However as we wont be ground sharing we will be at Roots Hall until we move to the new stadium, so not a lot is going to be built on Roots Hall this year unless they start on Prospects firs, which is a possibility.
 
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