Planning Updates- All The Latest Details. 28/03/2022

[Chapperz]

21,000 seat Blues stadium and 107 bedroom hotel plan set to get go ahead next week

THE countdown is on for councillors to scrutinise plans for a new 21,000 seater Southend United stadium, which is recommended for approval.

www.echo-news.co.uk

"The Secretary of State must approve the stadium plans for the scheme to go ahead. If this fails to happen before January 31, the scheme will be refused."

So assuming the council goes ahead with the recommendation to approve the plans, we then have to wait for the Secretary of State. I'm guessing January 31st is a deadline and not when they will decide.

Then after that, can phase one start?

 

[shrimper61]

So the Hotel in the main stand is back on otherwise why would the echo be reporting it..
Good news if correct more revenue for the club....

 

[JAL]

“On the face of it the plans look very good, hugely ambitious. I know that Ron Martin has had to perform financial somersaults to get funding in place." ?

 

[Special Blue]

So was I when this all started ?

So was Santa TBF.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

So the Hotel in the main stand is back on otherwise why would the echo be reporting it..
Good news if correct more revenue for the club....

I think the hotel is still in the application because at the time the application was submitted, it was still going to happen.

I think Ron indicated that it was now off the agenda and at some stage that part of the application will be revised and resubmitted. At the moment, he just wants to get an approval so that he can get on with the 3 sided ground which will enable us to vacate Roots Hall and build houses there. Approval of this application will establish the principal and Ron can then put in a fresh application for the North Stand at a later date once he has a partner developer on board.

To me this is a critical question for the next Zoom meeting with Ron. As far as I can tell, all the hospitality/banqueting facilities that Tom talked about providing a revenue stream are located in the North Stand, and that's the one bit that is NOT being built (yet!) Where is this extra revenue going to come from without it? Effectively we'll have even less hospitality than we do at Roots Hall for the time being which is a bit of a concern.

Not sure why Ron hasn't been more closely quizzed about this.

 

[Medway Blue]

“On the face of it the plans look very good, hugely ambitious. I know that Ron Martin has had to perform financial somersaults to get funding in place." ?

Yep, that was me. That was the very first thing that I said to the reporter on the phone.....I then spent a further 25 minutes explaining to her why a lot of us are concerned/suspicious about it, why the joy has been sucked out of it, how we want figures and projections, how Ron Martin's desperation to force it through has almost destroyed the club and a host of other things. So why she's chosen to essentially only quote this bit, and out of context, I don't know.

And I wasn't suggesting to her that the financial somersaults were a good thing either. More that the only reason he's clinging on until the bitter end is because he couldn't get loans from banks anymore and now likely owns tens of millions to the Dellals and other development partners that he'll need to pay back.

I feel misquoted and misrepresented ☹

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I think the hotel is still in the application because at the time the application was submitted, it was still going to happen.

I think Ron indicated that it was now off the agenda and at some stage that part of the application will be revised and resubmitted. At the moment, he just wants to get an approval so that he can get on with the 3 sided ground which will enable us to vacate Roots Hall and build houses there. Approval of this application will establish the principal and Ron can then put in a fresh application for the North Stand at a later date once he has a partner developer on board.

To me this is a critical question for the next Zoom meeting with Ron. As far as I can tell, all the hospitality/banqueting facilities that Tom talked about providing a revenue stream are located in the North Stand, and that's the one bit that is NOT being built (yet!) Where is this extra revenue going to come from without it? Effectively we'll have even less hospitality than we do at Roots Hall for the time being which is a bit of a concern.

Not sure why Ron hasn't been more closely quizzed about this.

Can someone tell me where we’re generating off field revenue at Roots Hall? You say “less hospitality” ..

 

[Callum]

Can someone tell me where we’re generating off field revenue at Roots Hall? You say “less hospitality” ..

It’s the burger ? we sell lol did you not know that

 

[flangejackrabbit]

I think the hotel is still in the application because at the time the application was submitted, it was still going to happen.

I think Ron indicated that it was now off the agenda and at some stage that part of the application will be revised and resubmitted. At the moment, he just wants to get an approval so that he can get on with the 3 sided ground which will enable us to vacate Roots Hall and build houses there. Approval of this application will establish the principal and Ron can then put in a fresh application for the North Stand at a later date once he has a partner developer on board.

I think what he can do here is put in an amendment to the application for this specific item once it is approved - for a scheme of this size hotel->housing for a small part of it is not large enough that it would need a totally fresh application. There shouldn't be an issue getting a housing partner on board for something like this either, I imagine this housing will be at a premium compared to some of the rest of the development.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

Can someone tell me where we’re generating off field revenue at Roots Hall? You say “less hospitality” ..

Hospitality boxes? I'm not sure there are any in the 3 sides that we're building first - the plans indicate over 2 years before the north stand gets built which means no matchday hospitality boxes for over 2 seasons.

I don't know if ours are used much during the week at the moment, but know for a fact that Col Ewe rent theirs out for business meetings and training as my wife has attended training sessions there.

 

[Floval Flyer]

Great news for the club if the stadium gets the green light, but the number of residential units is scary!

 

[tommy tucker]

The community stadium also hosts summer concerts .They have also held a england womens game which attracted a larger amount than there own home games .

 

[Jai]

The community stadium also hosts summer concerts .They have also held a england womens game which attracted a larger amount than there own home games .

Concerts will not be happening for obvious reasons, but it should still leave us in a better position to attract certain other events.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Hospitality boxes? I'm not sure there are any in the 3 sides that we're building first - the plans indicate over 2 years before the north stand gets built which means no matchday hospitality boxes for over 2 seasons.

I don't know if ours are used much during the week at the moment, but know for a fact that Col Ewe rent theirs out for business meetings and training as my wife has attended training sessions there.

I love Roots Hall for the history and memories but imagine taking a prospective client there. Surely even with 3 stands we can generate more outside of match days than we do now, close to the town and the airport, spanking new facilities.. but yeah that 4th stand and all it brings needs building and the sooner the better. Moving is a no brainer, the Hall is falling to bits.

 

[Shrimpergonzo]

I love Roots Hall for the history and memories but imagine taking a prospective client there. Surely even with 3 stands we can generate more outside of match days than we do now, close to the town and the airport, spanking new facilities.. but yeah that 4th stand and all it brings needs building and the sooner the better. Moving is a no brainer, the Hall is falling to bits.

Totally agree, but just to illustrate the point this is the plan of "main concourse level" - not an exec box or banqueting suite in sight in this phase. This is the stadium we will be playing in for at least 2 years and there's nothing to generate any revenue except for the normal stadium seats and catering. Granted this will be much better quality than Roots Hall, but the lack of additional revenue for quite some time is concerning.

 

[WestStandBlue]

Great news for the club if the stadium gets the green light, but the number of residential units is scary!

Yes wonder how supportive people would be if stadium wasn’t attached to the plans

 

[Strykr]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why we arent building the main stand first.

What am i missing

 

[Petejames]

Totally agree, but just to illustrate the point this is the plan of "main concourse level" - not an exec box or banqueting suite in sight in this phase. This is the stadium we will be playing in for at least 2 years and there's nothing to generate any revenue except for the normal stadium seats and catering. Granted this will be much better quality than Roots Hall, but the lack of additional revenue for quite some time is concerning.

View attachment 17205

Didn’t Ron say it costs him 300/400k a year to maintain roots hall, he said when we move that money will go into the playing squad?

 

[JAL]

Can someone explain to me in simple terms why we arent building the main stand first.

What am i missing

I've always wondered this, surely it makes sense to build this side first being the main part with the facilities, etc.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

The community stadium also hosts summer concerts .They have also held a england womens game which attracted a larger amount than there own home games .

We have had several England youth games there too which attracted capacity crowds, unlike our home game tonight which attracted 2069 fans including 250 odd from Bristol!