Re Getting Those E-mails In...

[thechampionship_isupsidedown]

I've sent my e-mail in as per Ron's instructions, and I'm encouraged by the number of other SZ people who have done the same. Is it worth us posting our letters in this part of the forum in case there's anyone out there who may be looking for some inspiration or some idea as to the sort of thing that might work? Here's mine, for what it's worth....

Good Morning,



I am writing to add my voice to those who support the relocation of Southend United to the Fossetts Farm Site.



I have been supporting Southend United for 25 years now, and have never felt so proud as I have in recent years as the club have climbed up the football league under the guidance of Steve Tilson and Ron Martin. I have lived in the town throughout all of this time, and I feel an immense sense of pride when I realise the groundswell of support that the success on the pitch has created in our town. Not only that but I have a young son who loves his Saturdays at Roots Hall watching Southend United, and has also benefited from the excellent "Football Schools" that the club puts on during the School Holidays.



There is, however, a bit of a problem with all of this, our beloved Roots Hall is creaking under the pressure of the crowds that the team are now attracting.



This is one of the main reasons I am totally behind the proposed relocation. We are finally getting a playing team that we can be proud of, and the new stadium would surely extend this to a home and a club that we can be proud of too. I'm not just talking about the die-hard supporters, but the town in general, and the recent increase in interest in the Club proves that the people of the town will come to the party! One of my abiding memories of recent years is the tens of thousands of people who lined the seafront for the victory parade when we won promotion.



As a local businessman I am also saddened at times when things that could (without a doubt) improve the town and the life of those living here, are rejected by planners.



Which brings me on to a question I've often pondered about the Fossetts Farm site and the surrounding area: How can Southend United not be given permission to build there? A few years back Southend Council built the Garons Tennis centre; not a small building. Then Waitrose appeared, and now B&Q, Comet et al. All in the same area of land where Southend United want to build their stadium. How do these large corporations manage to quietly, without fuss, get their stores approved and built, yet Southend United appear to always have to face an uphill struggle to achieve their dream; something that would be a huge benefit to the entire town?



I have visited many of the new stadiums that teams around the country have built and in most cases you can feel the buzz about the place. Southampton and Swansea are two examples of grounds I have visited recently where the supports are justifiably proud of the facilities that have been built.



I fully support the Stadium proposals and can tell you that in talking to people in the town from all walks of life that I honestly haven’t come across anybody who has a problem with it. Surely this was reflected in the unanimous vote that the council(s) gave the plans in the first place.



PLEASE DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT WILL GENUINELY IMPROVE THE LIFE OF THIS TOWN.



Yours,

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Here's my effort...

Matt
___________________________

Dear Ms. Banwell,

No doubt your inbox has been flooded with emails concerning the ongoing Public Inquiry into a proposed new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm, and I must therefore apologise for adding to that deluge. However, I merely wished to add my voice to those who have already spoken out in favour of the new stadium at Fossett's Farm for Southend United.

Anyone with a passing familiarity of British socio-economic trends in the last 20-or-so years will not have failed to spot the gradual decline of English coastal resorts. As was found in the recent (26 February 2007) second report commissioned by the Select Committee on Communities and Local Government:

[It is a] fact that coastal towns account for a disproportionately high percentage of England's deprived areas. As the Government told us, "twenty-one of the 88 most deprived authorities are in coastal areas". The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) reports that nine out of ten of the South East's most deprived wards are in coastal towns or cities. Our evidence has also highlighted other commonalities including:

* physical and social isolation;
* high proportions of older people together with higher levels of outward migration among young people;
* low-wage, low-skill economies and seasonality of employment;
* frequent dependency on a single industry, and
* a high incidence of poor housing conditions and a high proportion of private rented homes.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmcomloc/351/35102.htm

Whilst the Southend-on-sea Unitary Authority may not yet currently fall within the cadre of our most deprived coastal towns, there is no question that without taking action to secure the long-term future of the Borough, Southend-on-sea could also be at risk of slipping gently into decay - particularly if it had failed to buck a trend in recent years of apathy towards planning applications.

It was therefore a cause for considerable celebration amongst many residents and former residents of Southend-on-sea, and especially amongst Southend United fans, when the Planning Committees of both Southend-on-sea Unitary Authority and Rochford District Council demonstrated their commitment to the future of the town by passing - with an overwhelming majority - the plans for a new football stadium, hotel, apartments and associated retail development at Fossett's Farm.

In our view, a new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm represents a clear opportunity to give a much needed boost to the people, and the economy, of Southend-on-sea and to secure the future growth and prosperity of the local area for at least the medium-term, if not the long-term. For this reason alone, I would urge you to uphold the planning approvals given by Rochford & Southend Councils and allow the development of the new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm to take place.

Of course, in approving the stadium, this would also have the effect of securing the long-term future of Southend United as a football club, something which gives many tangible and intangible benefits to the local area. The club's community liaison has in recent years been second-to-none, as witnessed by the numerous sporting schemes which the club sponsors locally, the burgeoning youth centre of excellence at the club (which is well on its way to full academy status), and the numerous initiatives the club is involved with in local schools.

Finally, the design for the new stadium would make it an iconic building - something of which the town should be rightly proud. Whilst the feelgood factor that that would engender in the town might be unquantifiable, there is every reason to believe that a new state-of-the-art stadium (which the club desperately needs - there is little doubt that Roots Hall is rapidly becoming obsolete, particularly for disabled fans) will attract additional fans and families to visit the town for years to come. By adding a first class hotel (which the town badly needs), there is every prospect that the new stadium will provide a significant year-round revenue boost to the town of Southend - thereby safeguarding jobs and ensuring that Southend does not find itself falling prey to the decline to which many of our seaside towns are increasingly prone.

Please therefore uphold the planning consents given by Rochford & Southend councils and approve the planning application of Southend United FC for its new stadium at Fossett's Farm. The continued success of the town, and of the football club, may well depend on it.

I am grateful for your assistance in this regard.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Walker
Co-Owner, www.ShrimperZone.com
Southend United fan for 16 years

 

[Cricko]

Blimey ......"Takes hat of to Matt"......Good letter ...I understood some of it to matey ..:p

 

[Pubey]

Here's my effort...

Matt
___________________________

Dear Ms. Banwell,

No doubt your inbox has been flooded with emails concerning the ongoing Public Inquiry into a proposed new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm, and I must therefore apologise for adding to that deluge. However, I merely wished to add my voice to those who have already spoken out in favour of the new stadium at Fossett's Farm for Southend United.

Anyone with a passing familiarity of British socio-economic trends in the last 20-or-so years will not have failed to spot the gradual decline of English coastal resorts. As was found in the recent (26 February 2007) second report commissioned by the Select Committee on Communities and Local Government:

[It is a] fact that coastal towns account for a disproportionately high percentage of England's deprived areas. As the Government told us, "twenty-one of the 88 most deprived authorities are in coastal areas". The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) reports that nine out of ten of the South East's most deprived wards are in coastal towns or cities. Our evidence has also highlighted other commonalities including:

* physical and social isolation;
* high proportions of older people together with higher levels of outward migration among young people;
* low-wage, low-skill economies and seasonality of employment;
* frequent dependency on a single industry, and
* a high incidence of poor housing conditions and a high proportion of private rented homes.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmcomloc/351/35102.htm

Whilst the Southend-on-sea Unitary Authority may not yet currently fall within the cadre of our most deprived coastal towns, there is no question that without taking action to secure the long-term future of the Borough, Southend-on-sea could also be at risk of slipping gently into decay - particularly if it had failed to buck a trend in recent years of apathy towards planning applications.

It was therefore a cause for considerable celebration amongst many residents and former residents of Southend-on-sea, and especially amongst Southend United fans, when the Planning Committees of both Southend-on-sea Unitary Authority and Rochford District Council demonstrated their commitment to the future of the town by passing - with an overwhelming majority - the plans for a new football stadium, hotel, apartments and associated retail development at Fossett's Farm.

In our view, a new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm represents a clear opportunity to give a much needed boost to the people, and the economy, of Southend-on-sea and to secure the future growth and prosperity of the local area for at least the medium-term, if not the long-term. For this reason alone, I would urge you to uphold the planning approvals given by Rochford & Southend Councils and allow the development of the new stadium for Southend United at Fossett's Farm to take place.

Of course, in approving the stadium, this would also have the effect of securing the long-term future of Southend United as a football club, something which gives many tangible and intangible benefits to the local area. The club's community liaison has in recent years been second-to-none, as witnessed by the numerous sporting schemes which the club sponsors locally, the burgeoning youth centre of excellence at the club (which is well on its way to full academy status), and the numerous initiatives the club is involved with in local schools.

Finally, the design for the new stadium would make it an iconic building - something of which the town should be rightly proud. Whilst the feelgood factor that that would engender in the town might be unquantifiable, there is every reason to believe that a new state-of-the-art stadium (which the club desperately needs - there is little doubt that Roots Hall is rapidly becoming obsolete, particularly for disabled fans) will attract additional fans and families to visit the town for years to come. By adding a first class hotel (which the town badly needs), there is every prospect that the new stadium will provide a significant year-round revenue boost to the town of Southend - thereby safeguarding jobs and ensuring that Southend does not find itself falling prey to the decline to which many of our seaside towns are increasingly prone.

Please therefore uphold the planning consents given by Rochford & Southend councils and approve the planning application of Southend United FC for its new stadium at Fossett's Farm. The continued success of the town, and of the football club, may well depend on it.

I am grateful for your assistance in this regard.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Walker
Co-Owner, www.ShrimperZone.com
Southend United fan for 16 years

*changes name to JT*
*copies into outlook*
*sends*:finger:

 

[SUFC_Al]

That is some letter, very nice work there Matt.

*doffs hat*

 

[WickfordShrimper]

Some great written letters...

Wonder if she have time to read them all in full cos I reckon in the last few days she must of received 1000s of emails... her box must be bursting full :-)

 

[thechampionship_isupsidedown]

Wonder if she have time to read them all in full cos I reckon in the last few days she must of received 1000s of emails... her box must be bursting full :-)[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what we're after, eh?!

Let's keep them going!!!!

 

[ldnfatso]

marginally better than my letter there Matt!;) Great Effort!

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

Both are great letters - well done lads.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

her box must be bursting full :-)

Oooooo-er, sounds a bit ride!!!!

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Posted mine on the other thread, but here's my Dad's: -

Dear Sarah

I am writing to urge you to do all in your power to finalise the move of Southend United Football Club to its proposed new stadium. My family have been visiting Roots Hall since 1962 and, despite our pride in the club's achievements over those 45 years, I can categorically assure you that the days of Roots Hall as a viable venue are well and truly over. The present stadium is old and careworn with many supporters suffering obstructed views or overcrowding on a regular basis. In older seating, rain often seeps through holes in the roofing causing additional discomfort to spectators. It is a site that is simply past its sell-by date. Its appearance does absolutely nothing to enchant new local supporters to the club when attracting new, continuing support is vital if the club is to survive in what is now an extremely cut-throat business. The club's ability to attract this vital new support will be assured if the planning application is approved. If it is not, then Southend United Football Club could simply cease to exist. You and your planning colleagues have the power in your hands to help assure the club's financial future for the long-term. Approval of this new stadium will also prove to be good news for a larger proportion of the local community. Even those who have no interest in football will enjoy the spin-off benefits of a positive decision by the planners. The civic pride this move would engender would be a tremendous boost for a town that desperately needs to be put on the map. It would also allow the club's sterling work within the community of South-East Essex to grow apace.

Please vote in favour of allowing the development of this new stadium to go ahead. If you do, then Southend United Football club will achieve all of the aims detailed in the preceding paragraph, Southend as a community will have a stadium that will compare with any in the country and the community as a whole will enjoy a great boost in civic pride.

Yours sincerely

As an aside, my Mrs raised a very good point, shouldn't we have kept these emails as concise as possible? If she's confronted by paragraphs of reasons as to why we want the stadium she's going to skim-read them at best! Hers went something like, "Please can you register my support for the plans of SUFC's new stadium? Thanks and regards, blah, blah, blah."

 

[Pubey]

Posted mine on the other thread, but here's my Dad's: -



As an aside, my Mrs raised a very good point, shouldn't we have kept these emails as concise as possible? If she's confronted by paragraphs of reasons as to why we want the stadium she's going to skim-read them at best! Hers went something like, "Please can you register my support for the plans of SUFC's new stadium? Thanks and regards, blah, blah, blah."

i don't think it really matters... what counts is firstly your support (in any form) and secondly that you have taken time to write it. if it's really long then obviously she will only skim it for your main points but it shows you have taken the time and effort. if it starts well then she may read the whole thing (like matts). if it is just a paragraph then fair enough as every email will help but RM was keen for certain points to be made and so obviously you ahve to go into a bit of depth to explain each one

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Just wondering why the club have bumped Ron's request on the OS for people to emails in? Does this mean that people can still send messages of support in case they haven't already?

 

[Southminster_Shrimper]

Yeah why not.

I sent mine in earlier in the week. Looks quite pathetic compared to some of these great ones on here.

However, the message showed support for the new stadium which I guess is the whole idea.

It might be those that are longer might be included in the "case for the stadium" and those shorter versions might just get counted as being in favour.

Whatever the size of the email, if its backing the new stadium it cant do any harm for our case.

 

[Shrimper93]

I've sent mine just now, hopefully all these emails will tip the balance in our favour