Question Stadium update please!

[Shrimpers are Magic]

800 new homes around the stadium site. That's a lot and a hope the council have planned for the necessary infrastructure which will be required i.e. Schools, medical facilities, food outlets etc.

 

[camden shrimper]

800 new homes around the stadium site. That's a lot and a hope the council have planned for the necessary infrastructure which will be required i.e. Schools, medical facilities, food outlets etc.

If it's over (I think) 300 houses it has to have a doctors surgery and maybe a school as well, they get around this though by the same directors having different companies set up for the maximum number each time, in essence multiple companies on the same estate but owned by the same people

 

[Rob1920]

Aside from the concern about how this development will provide income for the club I suppose it should be considered positive news. I just wish it wasn’t going to look like blocks of flats that will probably look like a dodgy council estate within 20 years. I suppose now the retail & cinema side has been dropped maybe we can hope the housing element can be spread over the land more and not built into the stadium itself?

 

[Steve Giles]

I think the airport is going to be set back several years due to COVID-19

Hopefully

 

[Medway Blue]

Hopefully

Erm.....no. No, not “hopefully”.

 

[Tommy2holes]

I think we need some clarification on a whole load of details from our illustrious leader.

I've no doubt he will be championing his good work in the coming days.

 

[HertfordshireBlue]

Would love to see an end behind the goal dedicated to safe standing

 

[Steve Giles]

Erm.....no. No, not “hopefully”.

Sorry if you’ve a job there , air travel pollutes , about time we all woke up to the damage we’re doing to the planet and fellow humans . Didn’t think I would ever think that way

 

[Razam]

Great news!, ?

As I can't see Hilton eager to have their brand placed in the middle of a housing estate & the Main stand being key to providing non - football finance, what other options could there be to replace a hotel?

The only things I could think of is a leisure centre & restaurants.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I think the airport is going to be set back several years due to COVID-19

Possibly but the need for more flights from the London area is now, so maybe it wont be too badly set back. They had already scheduled more form next year.

 

[WestStandBlue]

Not getting excited, principles in place now to kick on the project but I have no faith in Ron, SUFC or SBC. Until planning is obtained and we start building I will hold back my excitement.

 

[Floval Flyer]

With all of these houses being proposed, I hope the affordable and housing association homes will be 100% allocated to people within the borough and not sold off by SBC to the likes of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Dagenham. The influx of the dregs from London is already causing a crime spree in Rochford already.

 

[rigsby]

This is clearly positive news. The only real change is commercial to residential, which in planning terms is much easier than the other way round.....For all sorts of reasons.

I did predict this happening a while ago because of the geographical nature of our town. Not able to draw shoppers from even Rayleigh and unable to remotely achieve the 12,000 new houses that the government require.

Every single one of us has changed their shopping habits in the last decade so who would risk investing in retail right now?. Housing is, dare I say is Corona proof.

As for 3 sides first. That was always the plan. A missing main stand is far better than one end because its where the money is, so more likely to be built. Even by that new dream owner who wants to waste £100m....You know the one so many of are convinced has been waiting all these years whilst Ron blocks the move

It may well have an effect on the hotel option and they were due to start the 4th side more or less straight away. Hilton will have to be clear up that one I guess. That aside its far better to spend a season or two in your own 3 sides than getting a train to Dagenham or how about driving up the A12 to Col U anyone?

The club were never going to gain anything from the commercial development long term. Like Sainsburys before them, BL would have funded the stadium but they wanted to much of the deal. Now we have the local council and government, which is far better than private. As we have found out...To our cost.

The long term revenue was the Hotel, but more importantly Ron has stated.....He will donate a decent section of the flats overlooking the pitch to SUFC.....Not a cinema or a shop but residential, that can be rented.

Anyway in these bizarre days of Covid 19 and fast changing world events....We are probably going to be in L1 next season (when ever that may be) and we may have a starting date for a new ground.

What ever happens to us all over the next few months and beyond I really don't see how the council or the residents of Southend can afford to turn this down. If they planning department moved with the speed of their own project, like the did with their own Sea Way site. Then it could be in place by September.

Yes there will be the usual NIMBY objections but rather than wait until the very last house has been agreed on FF......Why don't they draw a line on the site where the commercial was due to be built and make the residential a separate plan.

That way the stadium, academy, domes, hotel and any residential connected to the stadium can be started almost immediately. The quicker we move the the sooner the RH development can start.

Of course that now does now leave my other plan open to debate....Ron gives the whole of FF to the council and we build the stadium on the Queensway site. Far Better for the town long term.

The real good news is in 5 years we could be in a wonderful shiny new 4 sided stadium. With any luck we could be that struggling Championships side, like say Barnsley for example. Preston at home on a Tuesday night in November will make you forget all your 30 years of pain.....Won't it?

 

[Mad Cyril]

A couple of flat roofed pubs for match days would be welcome.

It would be a nice touch if we could name them The Golden Goblet, The Rusty Bucket and The Invisible man to celebrate the areas rich heritage.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I think we need some clarification on a whole load of details from our illustrious leader.

I've no doubt he will be championing his good work in the coming days.

Looks like good work to me then again I have never built a football stadium.

 

[Shrimperjohn]

At a time when there is a load of bad news around I have to say this news totally brightened up my day yesterday . Yes a long way to go of course but that rainbow seems a lot closer now than it did at the start of the week. Keep safe and well my fellow shrimpers.....

 

[londonblue]

So how will the club benefit financially, if the shops, cinema etc are no longer there. Also no mention of the hotel that was being built...

The club weren't going to benefit from any of that anyway. The only thing that they would benefit from is the hotel and hopefully (hopefully) that is still going ahead.

 

[londonblue]

So if there are 1300 properties all told.

Ron and his son let them to the council at £300 each. The council then let them at £600 each.

Both Ron, his son and the council would make £390k per month or just over 4 million per year. Win win for both parties.

Corrected for you.

 

[Oakley1]

I would be happy if the new stadium was built to the same design as the Keepmoat, we will get some new roads being built to support the stadium and the new houses although this may once again cause a few problems with swampy and the newts along the way or some Anglo Saxon goat farmer they have found 10 feet down

however my only concern would be getting to and from the stadium,heading to the games on the C2C line is ok a short 15 minute walk, not sure that will be the same at the new ground
5000-7000 people heading out on the same roads heading to the A127 or the A13 could be interesting

Like the team with no name up the A12 we also have the option of applying for a music license and we can stage concerts at the new ground, which will bring in good money in the close season

there will be concerns that the stadium is built in the middle of a housing estate but there is potential there for new supporters and new revenue, parking could be an issue with the locals around the ground, all these points will be ironed out for sure as the plans are drawn up and developed

but for the moment we all need to keep safe and well and look at this for a brighter future for our club we love and support

wishing you all well until we are all back in our ground following our team

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Thanks @rigsby - I agree with your summary of the situation - it’s as simple as the stadium plans are unchanged, the enabling development that funds the first 3 sides (14,000 capacity) has just switched from retail/leisure to housing.

Ron announced in July 2018 ( https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16356307.hilton-hotel-signs-up-to-southend-stadium-deal/ ) that the deal with Hilton for a hotel in the 4th side (north stand, capacity 7,000) was signed.

It will be interesting to learn if that deal has any caveats in it such as a time limit, if not I suspect that it will continue in tandem with the other development.

It would be good if Ron would clarify this point in order to save speculation about it.