£500k stadium consultation approved (From Bucks Free Press)
Send your news, photos and videos by texting bucksfreepress to 80360 or email
£500k stadium consultation approved
6:16pm Thursday 25th February 2010 in News By Oliver Evans
£500k stadium consultation approved
COUNCILLORS today approved a consultation on moving Adams Park stadium in what a their leader called a ‘momentous decision’.
Wycombe District Council cabinet members approved a major consultation that could see its planning policy changed to permit a new stadium.
A report says ‘all potential sites need to considered’ including those in the protected Green Belt.
Wycombe Air Park is thought to be a preferred choice for the stadium, which would re-house Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps football and rugby clubs.
They were also asked to approve a controversial ‘collaboration agreement’ with the clubs.
The council will put cash into building the stadium and have a stake in its ownership, a move that has angered some who feel WDC should not be working to benefit a private business.
The Bucks Free Press and two members of the public were asked to leave under local government laws when this item was discussed.
This was because the information was about ‘the financial business of any particular person’.
After 40 minutes the press and public were allowed back in where the consultation was approved within minutes. It is thought the collaboration agreement was approved.
Council leader Lesley Clarke said: “I think you already know you made a momentous decision today.”
The council has earmarked £500,000 for the consultation to progress the ‘core strategy alteration’.
Cllr Clarke today told the Free Press this was the same £500,000 previously reported as being used for feasibility studies into the plan.
Options will be published in October for consultation with another consultation on the ‘preferred option’ in February 2011.
It would be given a public hearing by an independent inspector in May 2012.
The authority agreed in June 2008 to work with the clubs to ‘resolve the issues’ it faces within the next five years.
Wasps boss Steve Hayes – who also owns Wanderers – has warned the rugby club could leave the town unless a new stadium is found.
Today’s report says the clubs ‘share a constrained site which limits the scope of both clubs’ ambitions and does not reflect their potential contribution to the district’s profile, economy or community’.
It warns the council could face a challenge from the Government if it approved a stadium plan that was not allowed under its policies.
We reported earlier today how an 83-year-old man has written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown opposing the scheme.
Click the link below to read the full report presented to the council today.
Comments(29)
BigTommy
says...
7:11pm Thu 25 Feb 10
~
What a waste
~
Steve Hayes must be laughing his head off - as must the councillors who have received presents from him in the past.
~
I wonder of they will get any more presents from him?
~
This ISN'T money spent for the good of the town. This ISN'T the time to be spending the money in this way.
~
The council will save money by making cutbacks and by reducing the number of people they employ. They will raise council tax "to ensure services can be maintained" and yet they will "earmark" £500,000 for this consultation.
~
How is this money to be spent?
Do they employ outside consultants?
What are the connections between Steve Hayes, Councillors and Consultants?
Are any "friends" going to benefit?
Who is going to make money - no matter what the outcome of the "consultation"?
~
THIS IS DISGUSTING.
readerabc
says...
7:33pm Thu 25 Feb 10
private businesses should fund themselves
who do we call in to query bad use of public money
do WDC have no brains?
are they totally out of touch with the public?
Laneender
says...
8:05pm Thu 25 Feb 10
MC=2
says...
9:39pm Thu 25 Feb 10
sportsturf
says...
9:40pm Thu 25 Feb 10
.....think of what more pressing uses that money could be used for......and this is only to increase the stadium to 20,000 capacity.....ive said in previous stories, that there is no earthly reason to move just to increase capacity, Wembley didnt, nor did Fulham.....they can easily increase the size of Adams park.....i was told it was also to incorporate other sports at the complex, why..??...we have sports catered for all over wycombe,
BOGITS
says...
9:42pm Thu 25 Feb 10
Good go and find some other Mugs to fund your hobby and bank balance. This is disgusting, my opinion is to say bugger off then to somewhere else. Remember you were the London Wasps and still referred to as that, also fancy holding a Council to ransom like this by saying the Club may have to leave the town. Are these Councillors representing us , me or who? Remember this come Election day and vote the all out, Conservatives Out! God help us if they get int major government we shall be funding allsorts of private establishments with tax payers money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
chris740
says...
10:26pm Thu 25 Feb 10
so if i said . i cant pay my council tax. and im leaving high wycombe.
would clarke run to my house and pay my tax.
like hell would she.
Steve Hayes if you want the new stadium , pay for it yourself
The Bucks Free Press and two members of the public were asked to leave under local government laws when this item was discussed.
yes so the payment was shared out
J B Blackett
says...
1:02am Fri 26 Feb 10
.
The project itself has a strange stomach-wrenching stench also (IMHO)
Laneender
says...
8:54am Fri 26 Feb 10
J B Blackett wrote:Exactly, I wonder whether Wanderers fans make of this? I can't imagine that they would want to leave Adam's Park for a Stadium that quite frankly would make one feel like they were chucking a sausage down a High Street. Wycombe doesn't need Hayes, Wycombe needs another Martin O'Neil.
It seems all so secretive, sly, sneaky and smelly - and that's just the people involved. . The project itself has a strange stomach-wrenching stench also (IMHO)
wayneo
says...
9:00am Fri 26 Feb 10
Laneender wrote:I agree with you, however the members of WAPAG probably haven't seen the feasibility technical reports as to how they are going to carve up the airfield. The Gliding will go, heli-traffic will get worse in my opinion, incuding more turbines so bully for them, they'll have to explain to their neighbours how they not only have an airpark next door but a ruddy great Stadium, hotel, housing and retail outlets sitting in between LaneEnd and Cressex.
Keep putting in as many requests for information, lobby your MP Councillors etc. Hayes might be able to bully his supporters but he won't bully us. I've nothing but contempt and loathing for this man. This with WAPAG and various other councillors has been engineered from the start, well enough is enough; if it's a battle they want then a battle is what they are going to get.
Also, thousands of pounds spent in feasibility studies and they don't mention residents, the bats, the wildlife or the covenants.
TheT0nemeister
says...
9:33am Fri 26 Feb 10
wayneo
says...
9:33am Fri 26 Feb 10
martyb
says...
12:10pm Fri 26 Feb 10
2) And what is this "contrained site"? and why can't it be resolved at Adams Park? It can't be a capacity issue because Wanderers are about to get relegated and even London Irish (resident at the Madjeski) don't get more than 10k per match, even when it's St Patricks Day, which is the current capacity at Adams Park!!
busman2009
says...
12:34pm Fri 26 Feb 10
JP80
says...
12:43pm Fri 26 Feb 10
yog
says...
12:52pm Fri 26 Feb 10
This Conservative Council is out of control and has to be stopped.
sai-diva
says...
1:12pm Fri 26 Feb 10
Where do I apply??
wayneo
says...
2:23pm Fri 26 Feb 10
wayneo
says...
2:27pm Fri 26 Feb 10
sai-diva wrote:Send Clarke a picture of yourself in a gold frame, that might suffice.
I want to move my business and if I don't get a bung from the council, I'm off. Where do I apply??
Monte Cristo
says...
5:20pm Fri 26 Feb 10
The Council have no need of a stadium, for they are not charged with running a football club or rugby club. How can they possibly justify it? A unilateral decision is outrageous, especially as it was taken behind closed doors. Why not offer the people a referendum and spend the money on a viability study ONLY if people actually want it? It would NOT be a disaster if Wasps left Wwycombe, for what do they actually bring to the town? Would people stop watching them if they were for example in West London? The football club has had ambitions for years and spectacularly failed to fulfil them. Their current and likely crowds do not even remotely justify a big stadium, and they already have a perfectly adequate stadium. It is scandalous to spend half a million pounds when the roads are falling apart and other services are cut.
All this to fulfil the ambitions of one man.
The current councillors can expect to get voted out by the people of Wycombe for indulging in such a shameful waste of money. I hope the auditors take a good look at this.
demoness
says...
5:57pm Fri 26 Feb 10
hondo
says...
7:41pm Fri 26 Feb 10
Hope they've paid their fire insurance.
Never mind they'll take it out of next year's rates.
Wanda Brown
says...
11:19pm Fri 26 Feb 10
wayneo wrote:Oh it doens't have to be gold, she can be bought with silver and a light lunch!
sai-diva wrote: I want to move my business and if I don't get a bung from the council, I'm off. Where do I apply??Send Clarke a picture of yourself in a gold frame, that might suffice.
hondo
says...
2:49am Sat 27 Feb 10
No, they won't come!
What is a collaboration agreement? Isn't that along the lines of what Hitler had with Mussolini?
What the electorate need to know is who are the members of the planning committe, who voted in favour of the decision and who against, so that when they are voted out of office at the next election, the money may somehow be recouped.
How many were hand-bagged into the decision, since there can have been no logical argument?
A juggernaut.
John Ley
says...
11:21pm Mon 15 Mar 10
John Ley
says...
11:28pm Mon 15 Mar 10
John Ley wrote:I meant to say Transportation Winter Maintenance Budget 1,005,708 2009/10 - Bucks County Council above.
Winter Maintenance Budget 1,005,708 2009/10 - Bucks County Council. Adams Park stadium consultation budget £500,000 - Wycombe District Council. Doesn't this just show that local government just don't have a clue when it comes to spending taxpayers money!
John Ley
says...
11:44pm Mon 15 Mar 10
BigTommy wrote:The Bucks County Council Transportation “Winter Maintenance” budget was only 1,005,708 in 2009/10 – if local government can’t afford to grit the roads properly when it snows then they certainly should not be paying 500,000 for planning the relocation of Adams Park Football ground.
Half a million pounds! ~ What a waste ~ Steve Hayes must be laughing his head off - as must the councillors who have received presents from him in the past. ~ I wonder of they will get any more presents from him? ~ This ISN'T money spent for the good of the town. This ISN'T the time to be spending the money in this way. ~ The council will save money by making cutbacks and by reducing the number of people they employ. They will raise council tax "to ensure services can be maintained" and yet they will "earmark" £500,000 for this consultation. ~ How is this money to be spent? Do they employ outside consultants? What are the connections between Steve Hayes, Councillors and Consultants? Are any "friends" going to benefit? Who is going to make money - no matter what the outcome of the "consultation"? ~ THIS IS DISGUSTING.
Wanda Brown
says...
12:07am Thu 18 Mar 10
ivor says...
6:26pm Thu 25 Feb 10
~
It's a disgrace and a snub in the face for the taxpayers of the Wycombe district.
~
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “YOUR SAY” link at the top of the page then click on “BLOGS”.