councils latest press statement

[hartgeman]

FOOTBALL’S COMING HOME

 

 

Margate Football Club’s announcement that they will reinstate Hartsdown Park to Conference South standard by the start of the 2005 / 06 season is being given a guarded welcome by Thanet Council.

 

The Council was informed by letter of the plan, between the Club and their partners yesterday (Tuesday 15 February). The letter also contained a last minute proposal to fund the stadium investment, which would allow the Club to return to Hartsdown Park, but details of how the funding will be obtained remain unclear at this point.

 

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Sandy Ezekiel, said: “The Council has always said that it wanted to see football returning home to Margate where it belongs. The Club could have easily been playing at Hartsdown Park over the last couple of seasons and it’s a great shame that the ground was ripped up in the first place, making the Club’s future uncertain.

 

“However, let’s be clear. We do not want to see any strings being attached to this. The Club have told their fans that they will be returning to Margate from next season and we do not want to see them being disappointed. The Council has not been made aware of the details of the proposals to reinstate the pitch and stadium. Our stance remains the same – we want to see football being played back in Margate, but we need to know that any scheme is financially viable and deliverable first.”

 

The Council is hoping to meet with the Club and their partners early next week to discuss the proposals for commercial development at the site.

 

ENDS

 

 

16/02/2005

[michael]

You can understand SE being publically neutral on the matter,but a simple'we sincerely wish them well, a climb up the leagues, and will assist where we can' may have engendered a bit of goodwill and even won a few votes back.

 

That would not have cost anything,upset anyone and maybe mended a few bridges

 

Maybe not such a good politician afterall.

[TonyM]

I do like your last words MM,maybe not a good politician.

[Hornet]

Aaaaaaagggghhhh!!!!

[Guest]

Notice SE banging on about funding again and more details more details and more details. He'll want detailed plans for this next. Proof of monies on the table etc etc.

[MargateFan]

I think he is posturing again, nothing has changed, and he will try to ruin this as he has done everything else we have tried to do.

[Cookie]

Cant help referring back to the Turner Centre. Ezekiel,with every breath of "want to make sure its viable" just invites this monstrosity to come into play and to be mentioned. Has anyone told him "ITS NOT A VIABLE PROJECT" fact! fact! fact! For goodness sake why is it being built? Why is there any difference to our scheme to that of the T.C? Come on Ezekiel, wake up. One rule for you and another for us! Its just not fair play!! If he needs assurances of our scheme then he should be questioning that of the turner centre also. Now that would be what you call "consistency".A first as far as the council are concerned. The Turner Centre is the second "clock tower traffic lights". Get rid!!!! NOW! Before someone ties themselves to the building and gets themselves drowned.!

[Cookie]

Please excuse me here if I have missed something. Just got home from work and have been going through all the posts to find out where it says that the council have once again knocked us back over the commercial side of things. Cant see anything in his statement or anywhere else for that matter that this is the case as it stands today. Or did S.E. say it had been turned down on radio? Please can someone tell me if I have missed this somewhere? Lots of posts are inferring that we have been knocked back again ???

[Guest]

Said it was'nt good enough on the raidio slimy toad.

[hartgeman]

bbc report:

Football club 'still not secure'

 

The Hartsdown Park site has stood empty for three years

Thanet council has welcomed Margate Football Club's return to Hartsdown Park next season but warned its long- term plans remain in doubt.

A finance agreement has been reached with developers to reinstate the ground to Football Conference South status.

 

But Sandy Ezekiel, leader of the council, said the club will not get planning permission for the entire development without a business plan.

 

The club want to build commercial facilities as well as a new ground.

 

 

Planning issue

 

Mr Ezekiel said the council was yet to meet the football club to discuss the new plans.

 

"I don't really know what the club are planning, all we want is to see football back at Hartsdown - let's just get the stadium built," he said.

 

"We don't have a planning issue with the stadium."

 

 

Margate have been playing home games at Dover Athletic's ground

 

Mr Ezekiel said the club's business plan had been assessed by an independent party and as a result the council were advised not to go forward with the plan.

 

Out of business

 

"As for the long term future we are no further down that road," he said.

 

Club president Gordon Wallace said he was unaware of the independent assessment results.

 

But he said: "These investors are so sure that what they have is a workable, reliable and robust plans that they are gambling with the scheme."

 

Persistent problems with the planning application have meant the football club looked like it might go out of business.

 

Last month it was given a final chance by Thanet Council to submit new proposals.

 

Funders for the club will provide money to pay for a new pitch, temporary stands and buildings to keep the club going until planning permission is granted.

 

Hartsdown Park had been Margate's home since 1929.

 

It was closed and demolished in 2002, with plans for rebuilding on the same site, but work stopped after a disagreement about ownership of the land if the club went bust

[hartgeman]

so according to the council the business plan was not good enough according to the survayers. the council and the developers are to meet on tuesday.

[Cookie]

Thank you for that Harte! But I am baffled as to why the club havent got a copy of this report. Lets face it it was Mr. Lever who was paying for it. Surely BOTH parties should get a copy before ANY decision is announced. It would be nice if us out here could see for ourselves the remarks within that report. At least we would know first hand the TRUE comments therein. As for annon. I am not a slimy toad l.o.l.

[hartgeman]

i guess we will have to wait untill tuesday and see what is said from all parties.(i hate waiting)

[hartgeman]

for a little info from Gordon Wallace go here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/have_your_say/sport/margate_talk.shtml

and click on the click here to lisen

[TonyM]

Why dont the leader of the council,whatever his name is,FOR ONCE IN HIS LIFE,just give us the truth,stop pissing everybody off.I think the time has now come Mr SE,that you have come against a group of people that will not bend when you say jump.Get off your high horse,you are in power because the people from this town voted you in,they can also vote you OUT,but by then do you really care,you should do,just reed this,Mr S.Eziekiel,leader of the worst council ever to be in power at Margate,closed every hotel,brought poverty to Margate and also brought and end to over 100 years of the only thing that Margate has ever held on to.Its Football Club.Your name will go down in history,along with the likes of Hitler.

[hartgeman]

kentonline report:

 

Council guarded over soccer club's future

 

by Peter Barnett

MARGATE Football Club's announcement that they will reinstate Hartsdown Park to Conference South standard by the start of the 2005/06 season is being given a guarded welcome by Thanet council.

 

The council was informed by letter of the plan between the club and their partners last Tuesday.

 

The council also said the letter contained a last minute proposal to fund the stadium investment, which would allow the club to return to Hartsdown Park, but details of how the funding will be obtained remain unclear.

 

Council leader Cllr Sandy Ezekiel, said: "The council has always said that it wanted to see football returning home to Margate where it belongs.

 

“The club could have easily been playing at Hartsdown Park over the last couple of seasons and it's a great shame that the ground was ripped up in the first place, making the club's future uncertain.

 

"However, let's be clear. We do not want to see any strings being attached to this. The club has told its fans that they will be returning to Margate from next season and we do not want to see them being disappointed.

 

“The council has not been made aware of the details of the proposals to reinstate the pitch and stadium. Our stance remains the same. We want to see football being played back in Margate, but we need to know that any scheme is financially viable and deliverable first."

 

Cllr Ezekiel told a public meeting last month that the club needed both building control consent and landlord consent when the bulldozers were sent in the stadium and dug up the pitch, demolished terracing and knocked down stands.

 

He is insistent that the club did not have landlord consent and that it is required to reinstate the pitch to a playable level.

 

The club’s development project team envisage a £10 million development including leisure use as an income stream to fund part of the scheme.

 

Cllr Ezekiel has stated that it is likely there will be local opposition to the overall development plans and that it is probable the scheme will be called in for discussion by the Government Office for the South East.

[TonyM]

Quote:

cookie said:
Thank you for that Harte! But I am baffled as to why the club havent got a copy of this report. Lets face it it was Mr. Lever who was paying for it. Surely BOTH parties should get a copy before ANY decision is announced. It would be nice if us out here could see for ourselves the remarks within that report. At least we would know first hand the TRUE comments therein. As for annon. I am not a slimy toad l.o.l.

More like a rampant rabbit a Tone LOL.

[Cookie]

OOH! Tone really getting it off your chest tonight eh? Echo your sentiments exactly. Maybe you should copy your post and send it to him. You have his e.mail address. Wont hurt! After all like you say whats he done for us and the community? F.All. He still wont help so he should know. Goodness knows I have told him on enough occasions myself.

[TonyM]

Thats right but dont it hurt keep banging your head against the wall.

[Guest]

Both tonies and other interested bemused and dumbfounded parties are we not getting to a stage when we may have to put supporter power to bear once again. Why on this earth some supporters like yourselves the club directores mr.lever and the council planners plus SE cannot get around the cabinet table and thrash this out beats me. We may not like some of the things we here but just perhaps we could move forward together. If not then another demo me thinks. The club is really trying its best and mr. lever is a saint if he can put up with all this phillabustering but we need to move on. We have a great team coach manager trainer doctor board supporters. They have stood with us and put up with everything the council have thrown at us. BUT there will be a limit.What do you reckon. One demo worked what ever SE said. See what Tuesday brings but gee its torture for everybody. Thank goodness of late the team has been doing well.