Hi all,
Late afternoon on Thursday 15 August, the City’s planners will make a formal decision regarding Argyle’s new grandstand and surrounding development.
Over the last few months, I have read much about the pros and cons about the submission and have paid an awful amount of attention to the detail of the planning application and the related issues.
Although these are personal thoughts and I write this very much as a fan and as an independent member of the Green Army, as the Vice Chair of Argyle’s Supporters’ Board I have also had the opportunity to question the Club’s statutory Board in some detail about both the planned redevelopment AND the Club’s finances; particularly so following the recent submission of last year’s accounts.
What is clear to me is that without being alarmist, the Club’s future progress and stability is strongly aligned to the grandstand being successfully redeveloped. The accounts show that our Club continues to lose money on a significant scale (this was confirmed at the last PASB meeting) and personally, I cannot see what a ‘plan B’ would be should the redevelopment not go ahead.
Many fans - possibly hundreds of fans - have spoken to me about this, both privately, at the wonderful PASALB meetings and in my PASB capacity and although many have expressed a wish that our new ‘day one’ capacity was 20,000+, every single one of the people that have spoken with me have ultimately expressed strong support for the new development, most saying something like “it’s a no brainer” and “of course it will go ahead”.
Although support for what is being proposed by the wider redevelopment is somewhat more divided, that this enabling development will provide the funds to allow the new grandstand and lucrative banqueting / conferencing facilities to be provided at no cost to us (with no £10 million+ mortgage legacy for the Club to carry into the future) is something that I see as an extraordinary opportunity for us. Mortgage payments on a £10 million loan alone would presumably eat up any new revenue generated for years to come.
However my sense is that amongst Argyle fans, such is the belief that the redevelopment application will be granted, that we’re mostly just sitting back thinking that it’s a given and are simply waiting for the work to start.
I don’t think that this is the case.
Although true opposition to the plans has been limited, it has been vocal and it has been active; albeit it has not been always absolutely factual and objective.
Again my sense is that although in the minority, these active opposition groups have managed to generate far more noise than the rest of us Plymothians and Argyle supporters who want this to go ahead. I suspect that the pro-formas and templates distributed by the groups opposed to the development have led to a disproportionate level of negative correspondence being received by the Council in relation to the redevelopment of Home Park.
As such, I think that if we want this to go ahead - & I very much do for the reasons that I have outlined above – we need to do more than we have done so far.
Although the formal consultation period has ended, the Council will continue to take further correspondence regarding the proposals into account right up until the date of the planning application hearing (I will add details of who we can continue to write to in the near future).
Perhaps we should follow the approach of the opposition groups and develop a similar but supportive template letter for supporters to print off, sign and submit? I'm happy to author one if we think it would be useful.
We need to make our voices heard.
Additionally, the hearing on the 15th August is a public affair and I am certain that a visible presence of the Green Army in the public gallery would help to demonstrate that we want the plans to be accepted so that work can start. I believe that this is of the utmost importance.
I understand that this vital meeting is scheduled to start around 4pm on the 15th but will confirm this nearer to the date.
I will be there in green & I would very much appreciate your company.
Anyone?
Regards
Jon
Late afternoon on Thursday 15 August, the City’s planners will make a formal decision regarding Argyle’s new grandstand and surrounding development.
Over the last few months, I have read much about the pros and cons about the submission and have paid an awful amount of attention to the detail of the planning application and the related issues.
Although these are personal thoughts and I write this very much as a fan and as an independent member of the Green Army, as the Vice Chair of Argyle’s Supporters’ Board I have also had the opportunity to question the Club’s statutory Board in some detail about both the planned redevelopment AND the Club’s finances; particularly so following the recent submission of last year’s accounts.
What is clear to me is that without being alarmist, the Club’s future progress and stability is strongly aligned to the grandstand being successfully redeveloped. The accounts show that our Club continues to lose money on a significant scale (this was confirmed at the last PASB meeting) and personally, I cannot see what a ‘plan B’ would be should the redevelopment not go ahead.
Many fans - possibly hundreds of fans - have spoken to me about this, both privately, at the wonderful PASALB meetings and in my PASB capacity and although many have expressed a wish that our new ‘day one’ capacity was 20,000+, every single one of the people that have spoken with me have ultimately expressed strong support for the new development, most saying something like “it’s a no brainer” and “of course it will go ahead”.
Although support for what is being proposed by the wider redevelopment is somewhat more divided, that this enabling development will provide the funds to allow the new grandstand and lucrative banqueting / conferencing facilities to be provided at no cost to us (with no £10 million+ mortgage legacy for the Club to carry into the future) is something that I see as an extraordinary opportunity for us. Mortgage payments on a £10 million loan alone would presumably eat up any new revenue generated for years to come.
However my sense is that amongst Argyle fans, such is the belief that the redevelopment application will be granted, that we’re mostly just sitting back thinking that it’s a given and are simply waiting for the work to start.
I don’t think that this is the case.
Although true opposition to the plans has been limited, it has been vocal and it has been active; albeit it has not been always absolutely factual and objective.
Again my sense is that although in the minority, these active opposition groups have managed to generate far more noise than the rest of us Plymothians and Argyle supporters who want this to go ahead. I suspect that the pro-formas and templates distributed by the groups opposed to the development have led to a disproportionate level of negative correspondence being received by the Council in relation to the redevelopment of Home Park.
As such, I think that if we want this to go ahead - & I very much do for the reasons that I have outlined above – we need to do more than we have done so far.
Although the formal consultation period has ended, the Council will continue to take further correspondence regarding the proposals into account right up until the date of the planning application hearing (I will add details of who we can continue to write to in the near future).
Perhaps we should follow the approach of the opposition groups and develop a similar but supportive template letter for supporters to print off, sign and submit? I'm happy to author one if we think it would be useful.
We need to make our voices heard.
Additionally, the hearing on the 15th August is a public affair and I am certain that a visible presence of the Green Army in the public gallery would help to demonstrate that we want the plans to be accepted so that work can start. I believe that this is of the utmost importance.
I understand that this vital meeting is scheduled to start around 4pm on the 15th but will confirm this nearer to the date.
I will be there in green & I would very much appreciate your company.
Anyone?
Regards
Jon