So all this ....."once planning permission is achieved, this will
trigger the funding" ....was complete and utter rubbish. Yet more mis-information from the people "in the know".
We were all lead to believe that the funding was already in place - that is patently not the case.
We were all told categorically that the developer, Yorkcourt, would be funding the stadium - again, this was not true.
It appears that significant alternative sources of funding will have to be found - just how easy does anyone think that will be right now?
Lets just pretend that Yorkcourt do get the planning permission they want (and remember, as a commercial developer they do not
want planning permission for a stadium, that is just a required sweetener for the council in order to get the industrial aspect of the scheme passed). Then they decide that, in this difficult economic climate, they can't afford to stump up the money for the stadium straight away. And the amount required to "top-up" their input (which has still not been quantified) cannot be sourced. What then? No-one can force them to build anything, yet they will have secured a very valuable site for development at a later date when it suits them.
It seems that the SWAG people are being outmanouvered (again) by the council. That's not a criticism, because WMDC are absolutely top drawer at all this schemeing and double-dealing stuff. But just like the Thornes Park fiasco, I have no doubt that this project will never be delivered.
I await more "
keep the faith", "
it WILL happen" , "
well if you think you could do better" posts, which in my opinion achieve nothing apart from reassuring those who want to be reassured, and antagonising those who want proper answers.
The 150000 signatures were in support of a new stadium, not in support of a massive industrial complex. I signed it, obviously, but at the time nothing was said to me about a wider development.
they were
