Future of Essex Cricket and the broader cricket landscape...

[Can the Can]

"Future of Essex Cricket and the broader cricket landscape."  to be presented by Senior Executives and members of the Club's Board.

7pm Wednesday 28th Feb to be conducted by zoom conference. Further details to be communicated to membes at a later point including how to access online

[Can the Can]

Sounds ominous for New Writtle Street.
I hope I'm wrong. A new out of town souless ground is not on my wish list.

[Oldhasbeen]

I've no idea what to expect from this. Could be a load of waffle, a box-ticking "stakeholder communications exercise", but I hope for some substance. I'm sure some rumours will be flying around in the next 2 weeks from people claiming to be in the know .....

[vim]

I am pretty indifferent to all this now, as I finding other interests are taking up my time and clashing with Cricket.

Something that has yet to be confirmed clashes with a One Day Cup game. As, if those games were played in my back garden, I would not open the curtains. I know where my priorities lie.

Please let us all know what was discussed and which members made an Ass of themselves again. Asking non voting members to sign a EGM petition indeed.

[bwildered]

 Forum notes. Master plan to complete by 2030 World Cup .

Opinions 1-2
1-  Computer generated plan of upgraded Chelmsford , rework has previous.  Building upwards fromPremier suite around to spinners bar . 10k capacity with Hotel and Plaza .
Funding from City Council, ECB grants , private investment  club schemes and bonds , and Hotel  which is not owned by club.
 Finished by 2030 , built in phases no move away .

2 - New ground still option - in Essex but NOT in Chelmsford .

Board to ask members to vote in Autumn .


Franchise
No expansion in hundred not till 2029 .
Eight at present owned 51 host / 49 ECB  which could sell share 2025.

[SirChef26]

Whether you like it or not, if a soulless Ageas Bowl-esq ground with all the bells and whistles that go with it is the only way of saving Essex County Cricket Club as a first class entity and guarantees our spot as one of the 10-12 elite clubs who will remain come 2030, then we have to go for it. Try and find a location close to a train station (Beaulieu Park maybe) and take the plunge. But how on earth we'll find the funding I don't know.

[Andy]

Witham it is then. The two shopping centres are emptying, could push for government funding if we combine retail and leisure with female/BAME teams based there as well.  A win-win-win.

[SirChef26]

Witham it is then. The two shopping centres are emptying, could push for government funding if we combine retail and leisure with female/BAME teams based there as well.  A win-win-win.

That's a good point you make that I forgot to mention. We need to push the equality/women's team as much as we can in any pitch for funding. Equal facilities, equal opportunity etc etc. This wouldn't be just for a full time Essex's men's set-up but also a full time Essex women's set-up. Turning down funding requests for women's sport isn't a good look for any council/government in this modern age.

There isn't enough room or even pitch space at Chelmsford to accommodate both, so we'd probably be more likely to get funding for a completely new build over a Chelmsford redevelopment.

[rhysm]

Do we know what area the alternative venue would be in? Or was this not mentioned yesterday?

[bwildered]

 Reading between the lines here, pure conjecture, the club favours option 1 , historically staying at its present location, so by giving the City Council the  refurbish plans and wanting planning permission and request some funding, it is ultimately asking to pass the request or the only option would be option 2.
 Option 2 location is in Essex but not in Chelmsford, obviously likely to be on the main rail line with land available.

 Can the City of Chelmsford survive without the business created by the club ?

[essexfan548]

They also mentioned student accommodation block next to the hotel - either side of the Indoor school.

Hotel would not be owned by Essex but the clube would get income.

[Oldhasbeen]

Reading between the lines here, pure conjecture, the club favours option 1 , historically staying at its present location, so by giving the City Council the  refurbish plans and wanting planning permission and request some funding, it is ultimately asking to pass the request or the only option would be option 2.
 Option 2 location is in Essex but not in Chelmsford, obviously likely to be on the main rail line with land available.

 Can the City of Chelmsford survive without the business created by the club ?

That's what I thought as well, bwildered.
Chelmsford could certainly survive without us -  I dare say there would be many prospective takers for the ground site- but I suspect the City Council, and a lot of local businesses, would prefer us  us to stay where we are, and expand if possible.

[SirChef26]

The club will of course favour the cheaper solution of option 1. With respect to the city though, we are Essex County Cricket Club, not Chelmsford County Cricket Club. We cater to the just under two million people across the county and the six million plus across the East region, not just the 110 thousand good folk of Chelmsford.

Do we know what area the alternative venue would be in? Or was this not mentioned yesterday?

I haven't heard of an exact area and it's crucially important that the club reveal a concrete location/locations for any new facility lined up before the vote, rather than just saying "vote to redevelop Chelmsford or leave even though we don't know where to". Because any chosen location could prove a significant vote-swayer, especially if they were to nail down somewhere with good public transport links and easy access to car parking, not to mention general members facilities.

[nat]

Whether you like it or not, if a soulless Ageas Bowl-esq ground with all the bells and whistles that go with it is the only way of saving Essex County Cricket Club as a first class entity and guarantees our spot as one of the 10-12 elite clubs who will remain come 2030, then we have to go for it. Try and find a location close to a train station (Beaulieu Park maybe) and take the plunge. But how on earth we'll find the funding I don't know.

You'd fund it by selling the existing ground for housing, it would fetch a fortune. Finding a new site is the problem in our overcrowded county/country. How about Brentwood, either the existing club or a greenfield site in the area?

[vim]

Rather than the Computer generated image. Why did not John Stephenson put the pieces of paper with the suggestions for a redevelopment he was handed last season up to the camera. The ones that were written in green ink.