New Ground Gone In Favour Of New School?

[Rebel Kay]

There is still a lot that is unclear in the proposal and we must continue to work with the Council to ensure that we achieve the best possible outcome for the club.

 

This will obviously not happen overnight.  It can do no harm for the fans to remind the Council that we are all 100% want a viable ground in Slough for our club and this is the right time on the back of our success last season to do this.

 

We are about to embark on a new chapter in the club’s history and to get some positive news on the ground front would make things a whole lot easier going forward.  Therefore if you guys want to write to the Council, councillors, MP, DfE, press and anyone else who will listen, please feel free to do so. Any other ideas welcome too, but whatever we do must be respectful and peaceful as we need to get people on our side, not put their backs up. Also think it is important to promote our cause rather than attack someone elses.

[Steve Easterbrook]

I agree with Rebel 1965 that it is 'time to take to the streets and remind the powers that be that Slough is the largest town in the UK without its football club playing in its town'.

 

I have worked for 7 years on this. I attended a meeting 7 years ago where the council asked the club to put forward a proposal which achieved a number of objectives. This was achieved and agreed by council. It was self funding and indeed also delivered a capital receipt to the council (which of course is the taxpayers of Slough). In April 2012,  after numerous public consultations, the completion of all major planning assessments and considerable expense everything stalled. 

 

The announcement by the council last week was vague and whilst the club continues to discuss with the council I would agree with Rebel 1965. Fans need to mobilise and organise themselves to let Slough Council know that to treat an organisation in this way and the wishes of a town is not acceptable.

 

The scheme we put forward addressed many of the issues put forward by local and central government. Infact it tackled many of the issues that Slough and many towns face. Councillors said they were all behind it...........so why?,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

So yes Rebel 1965 and all supporters now is the time....... the club will of course continue to talk to the council...but after 7 years please mobilise and organise. 

[A Rebel and a Saint]

One thing that interests me is suddenly the council are now willing to fund a community sports centre at the site (they told me this is a twitter coversation on the day this news broke) instead of relying on the housing to pay for it.

 

If this is the case, why can't they use money to buy out Wexham Park? I know some people may not like that idea but it would be the only way we could feasibly move back there, if it was taken out of the hand of the Thorne family and leased to us where we can actually keep all matchday takings.

I don't know anything about the land value but I would imagine that the cost of land at Arbour Vale plus building a stadium if it goes ahead would be quite big, when there is a site with one in reasonable condition just around the corner.

[epicrebel]

I've copied Steve's post and put it on MYFC forum for there help with the Councils address attached.

 

 

Here's my RED CARD.

Edited June 27, 2014 by epicrebel

[lino]

What has happened to the Builders that were meant to be in the partnership ?

[Martin]

Why would the builders be interested? There is no housing provision now

[Ted]

I've copied Steve's post and put it on MYFC forum for there help with the Councils address attached.

 

 

Here's my RED CARD.

Wouldn't a yellow card be more appropriate?

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

"A Rebel and a Saint" poses an interesting question. However, I seem to recall that the sale price of the freehold to the Wexham Park site was determined by the District Valuer (or equivalent) on the basis of it being a slice of recreational land. If indeed the current owners were willing to sell it back, and I'm not sure if anyone knows whether they would or not, I very much doubt if their asking price would bear much relation to the sum for which they acquired it.

[Martin]

Quite, they would be looking for many millions. Hopefully a Slough fan wins the Euromillions tonight and is prepared to splurge a chunk on a new ground!

 

Clearly we await clarification from the council but we have to bear in mind if we do ever get back in the town we need to work with the council so anything we do needs to be constructive. I have my own thoughts on how effective anything we may do may be but probably best not shared on here.

 

But firstly we need to know if we are to be part of the Arbour Park development. It is a simple yes or no so really the council should be able to let us know promptly and that is perhaps what we should be aiming for.

 

Beyond that what are the options? Wexham Park is unaffordable to buy outright (if they would even sell). Where else? My dad and I have often wondered why we can't have something like the rugby club has (or perhaps an improved combined facility) in Upton Court Park in Upton Court Park? Anyone know?

 

Slough is a crowded town with space at a premium and nimbys at every turn so can't think of too many other options.

 

Beyond that it seems to be perpetual ground share!

[Reading Rebel]

I have mentioned Upton Court Park a few times and have never had a proper, if any, explanation as to why not?

 

Slough Rugby Club, Cricket Club, Hockey Club and 7 football pitches are situated there and looking at Google Earth there seems to be acres of spare land. 

 

Why not have Slough Town Football Club alongside the other football pitches that are being used for Saturday and Sunday games?

 

As far as I can see there is plenty of space and the whole of Slough's sports facilities would be housed in one area.

 

Sounds common sense and logical to me.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[A Rebel and a Saint]

The Express is going with a story specifically mentioning us in the headline as getting that spare piece of land on the site for community sports facilities. Still very little specific mention of a stadium and how it will work though.

[Reading Rebel]

The Express is going with a story specifically mentioning us in the headline as getting that spare piece of land on the site for community sports facilities. Still very little specific mention of a stadium and how it will work though.

 

 

I would guess that the Express are only printing what they've read on our forum.

Edited June 27, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

Slough Council have apparently spent the last two years at logger heads/in discussion with the DofE over the Arbour Vale site and have now come to a compromise on 2/3rds of AV being for Lynch Hill Academy and approx 1/3rd being for Community Sports facilities.

 

If the space reserved for the Community Sports Facilities is large enough to accommodate a football ground and Slough Council claim they are 100% behind us, why didn't they insist, as part of the negotiations, that Slough Town FC have a ground on the spare piece of land?  

Edited June 27, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[epicrebel]

I think Kay mentioned it, Why is a Britwell school (Lynch Hill and 4.5 miles) coming to an already over populated area with schools and put another?????

Edited June 27, 2014 by epicrebel

[Martin]

Don't care what they build on the rest of the site provided the ground is on part of it!

[Reading Rebel]

I think Kay mentioned it, Why is a Britwell school (Lynch Hill and 4.5 miles) coming to an already over populated area with schools and put another?????

 

 

The irony is that children from the Britwell will have to travel 4.5 miles to school when there was Kennedy Park on their doorstep which is now being turned into a Housing estate. 

[Reading Rebel]

Shouldn't be too difficult to find out if the spare piece of land at AV is big enough for a football ground.

 

BTW is the leader of Slough Council a Supporter of Slough Town FC?

Edited June 28, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[Kaiser Gibbs Batman (KGB)]

Would that be the Kennedy Park that (some of) the local population fought so hard to preserve when Martyn Deaner proposed to develop a football ground on part of it?

 

Sometimes it's all about the timing. Some 15 years ago, Horsham FC was offered a 10 acre site to the west of the town centre for free provided the district council (which had already permitted an expensive housing development across the road) would allow the trust that owned it to put houses on another 10 acres there. Absolutely no way, was the council's response, that land is sacrosanct! No prizes for guessing what's being built on all of it now.

[Graham Cox]

I think a very important aspect is to be sure that Steve Easterbrook keeps the faith..........he must have had temptation to think "**** it " more than once.

[BFR]

Clearly the council can't say exactly what the 'community facilities' are until they have agreement from the DofE to take that patch out of school footprint - the section 77 or whatever it is. Don't expect any further info until that is signed, sealed and delivered.