Echo: Land sale hitch in football club stadium dream

[Che's Left Foot]

Probably posted somewhere else, but meh:

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/loc...hitch_in_football_club_stadium_dream/?ref=rss

SOUTHEND United has not yet finalised its deal to buy the Prospects College site in Fairfax Drive – a major part of the Roots Hall redevelopment scheme.

The club’s plan to move to a new stadium at Fossetts Farm are dependent on the redevelopment of the existing site in Victoria Avenue, for housing and a Sainsbury’s superstore.

Without the Prospects site, which would be part of the access road to the new superstore, the Roots Hall plans would have to be redesigned which could mean further delays to the scheme and the project to create the new 22,000-seat ground.

Prospects principal Neil Bates said the site would be sold when it is able to take up its part of the Futures College development on the old Thorpe Bay School site, in Southchurch Boulevard, as well as its new site in Basildon.

Mr Bates said: “We had agreed terms with Roots Hall Ltd at the end of last year. However, they have not yet been in a position to complete with us.

“While they remain the preferred company to buy the site for the new development, I cannot say that Prospects will definitely be sold to the football club.

“We would expect to be moving to Futures in March next year, when we will look to be selling the Fairfax Drive site.

“I think at the moment, it is fair to say there are a number of potential purchasers for Fairfax Drive, although we have had discussions with the football club.”

Southend United chief executive Geoffrey King said he could not talk about commercial negotiations over the completion of land acquisition around Roots Hall.

As well as Prospects, flats in St Mary’s Court and shops in Victoria Avenue also have to be acquired by the club for the new development.

Mr King said: “We have one or two people who are reluctant to sell, but if the worst situation arose, then Southend Council has agreed to use compulsory purchase powers to allow the development to go ahead.”

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Isn't this another Echo non-story? The sting is in the tail.........read the last paragraph again.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Isn't this another Echo non-story? The sting is in the tail.........read the last paragraph again.

Agreed yogi ... more echo **** stirring

 

[cockles is back]

being as thick as I am, your tellling me there is no problem at all then? i dont understand?

 

[BrettieAngell]

being as thick as I am, your tellling me there is no problem at all then? i dont understand?

It says at the end of the article that the Council will use compulsory purchase if necessary, so yeah there's no problem basically.

 

[dloman]

It says at the end of the article that the Council will use compulsory purchase if necessary, so yeah there's no problem basically.

Think it more applies to the flats as opposed to prospects.

 

[Homer]

Think it more applies to the flats as opposed to prospects.

it applies to the whole development its just the echo **** stirring as normal

 

[cockles is back]

thats great no problem is what I wanna hear!!

 

[Desert Shrimper]

Bring back Bernie Friend

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

That is not the way I read it. Yes the compulsory purchase orders are for the whole project and will be used if necessary (most probably on the flats), however it appears that Prospects have no intention to stay and are happy to sell the land, but could sell it to someone else unless the club get there arse into gear and finalise things with them.

A bit of a non-story, but another worry, and yet another delay. Didn't Ron say "be on site in the summer" - clock is ticking, only about 10 weeks to go until Autumn.

 

[fredheim_holm]

...but could sell it to someone else unless the club get there arse into gear and finalise things with them.

To be fair I think the clubs 'arse' is well in gear.

 

[Reg Martin]

That is not the way I read it. Yes the compulsory purchase orders are for the whole project and will be used if necessary (most probably on the flats), however it appears that Prospects have no intention to stay and are happy to sell the land, but could sell it to someone else unless the club get there arse into gear and finalise things with them.

A bit of a non-story, but another worry, and yet another delay. Didn't Ron say "be on site in the summer" - clock is ticking, only about 10 weeks to go until Autumn.

That's the way I read it - basically its the College trying to hurry the club along via the pages of The Echo