Ground development

[essexfan548]

How many flats have actually been sold? I can see little evidence of sales on the websites you can search ...

[squarelegumpire]

Mog. Best post of the year thus far. I felt that the club were pushed into 'doing some redevelopment' by the ECB, whose stadium mania means they've had to introduce a city franchise and destroy smaller clubs.

Thanks Andy, very generous. I wonder if DE and his cohort were seduced at the prospect of making a "killing" on the buy-to-let market, just prior to the economic crash. Stadia-mania was largely the role of test-match wannabes,....Others have delivered architecturally pleasing developments; including Derbys, Somerset, and Worcs too, (if you exclude the budget hotel appendage)for example.

My thanks to you too, Mog. It's always good to conduct a civilised discussion, especially when points of view are different. Having said that I suspect you are right; inadequately informed relatively small-time operators WERE "seduced at the prospect of making a "killing" on the buy-to-let or just the "development" market"! Daren, at the risk of rubbing salt into old wounds for both of us, wouldn't you agree that it could easily happen?

As I said, the club desperately needed, and still needs, modern facillities for our staff. I'm not sure what is going to be done with the income from Block A; my recollection is that it will go to reimburse the developers costs.

My recollection was that after Brown retired from the committee he was to be retained as a consultant specifically to deal with his project, the development. However, to my knowledge he hasn't been involved. He's walked away and left others, apparently without his vision, to cope.
If he's ill or something, then I apologise in advance for the criticism.

[Daren Mootoo]

The property market has a consistent history of luring individuals keen on making fast money, but sadly too often they are eaten for breakfast by hard nosed builders and developers, consistent with any bubble in economic history. Thus this project might have been doomed from the start, once dreams of profiting from apartment blocks was made part of the equation. The hospital site idea seems to make sense, but it is water under the bridge now. My feeling is that the plans should have been driven by a priority for the players and fans facilities, funded by a proper addition of retail facilities, where regular income would be generated by shop/restaurant rentals all through the year. But we are stuck with the current situation. Personally, I would hope something realistic can be salvaged from all this, something that would not see play disrupted, something that would give us a better pavilion, better seating and maybe more toilets (!). I would ask do we really need to continue building apartment blocks and trying to be property speculators? Let's stick to being a cricket club please.

Thanks, Ash

[jimmy]

Mog. Best post of the year thus far. I felt that the club were pushed into 'doing some redevelopment' by the ECB, whose stadium mania means they've had to introduce a city franchise and destroy smaller clubs.

Thanks Andy, very generous. I wonder if DE and his cohort were seduced at the prospect of making a "killing" on the buy-to-let market, just prior to the economic crash. Stadia-mania was largely the role of test-match wannabes,....Others have delivered architecturally pleasing developments; including Derbys, Somerset, and Worcs too, (if you exclude the budget hotel appendage)for example.

My recollection was that after Brown retired from the committee he was to be retained as a consultant specifically to deal with his project, the development. However, to my knowledge he hasn't been involved. He's walked away and left others, apparently without his vision, to cope.
If he's ill or something, then I apologise in advance for the criticism.

is that also what happened  with Brown at Great Leighs racecourse ? Once is unfortunate, twice..........

[Valentines Park]

The fact that ads were placed close to the pavilion urinals suggests that someone had an inkling as to what would happen with the racecourse. 

[Mog]

The property market has a consistent history of luring individuals keen on making fast money, but sadly too often they are eaten for breakfast by hard nosed builders and developers, consistent with any bubble in economic history. Thus this project might have been doomed from the start, once dreams of profiting from apartment blocks was made part of the equation. The hospital site idea seems to make sense, but it is water under the bridge now. My feeling is that the plans should have been driven by a priority for the players and fans facilities, funded by a proper addition of retail facilities, where regular income would be generated by shop/restaurant rentals all through the year. But we are stuck with the current situation. Personally, I would hope something realistic can be salvaged from all this, something that would not see play disrupted, something that would give us a better pavilion, better seating and maybe more toilets (!). I would ask do we really need to continue building apartment blocks and trying to be property speculators? Let's stick to being a cricket club please.

Thanks, Ash

Why are we 'stuck' with this?
From my perspective, it's due to the same clueless collective who refuse to let go, to change direction or even admit they made a (series) of poor decisions. The 'redevelopment' plan could change tomorrow. It's the embedded, jobs-for-the-boys who are blocking it! Perhaps Daren, you should  concentrate on making this shambolic situation that the Club have delivered on themselves as a key priority of your election campaign. Then, if you can defeat vested interests, work to take it forward. I'd vote for you on that platform. However, I'm no longer a member, because of the situation I've just illustrated, along with a string of other equally cement headed decision making and policy over the past ten years...or more.

[Daren Mootoo]

"Stuck" is just my assumption of the situation. I have not seen or heard anything from the club that would suggest they are not pushing on with the original plan and the most recent information just suggests a change of personnel involved. I don't think we are being fed all the facts, which is backed up by the inconsistency of the various press releases from the club over the last few years. Interestingly, when you stand for committee, you are asked to submit a 140 word profile. My original version was sent back for readmission, as you are not permitted to include a "manifesto", but more a profile of who you are; hence my rather incisive profile, which basically says I love cricket and work in the City(!). Mind you you do get a fetching picture of me with Ricky Ponting's hand on my shoulder! Future policy of the club would continue as long as the General Committee stays unchanged; to effect change, you have to start with change on the committee; of the eight candidates standing for the five spots available, six are incumbent seeking reelection. Only two new faces - Brian Springall and myself - are standing. To overhaul the committee, at every election, we need to have more new faces who care about the club stepping forward. 

 I have outlined my personal wish list for the future of the County Ground, which I think could be self-sustaining.  If any of you are on Facebook, there is a very good page called "Everything Essex Cricket", a similar fans' forum to this, which is worth joining; there are some lively discussions on there currently about current issues which dovetail nicely with what is being posted here.

[vim]

When the ground development was first announced. It should have been challenged there and then. But no most of the members put their heads in the sand thought it would go away. Yes some members said that the development would never even get started.

Well now is the time to get your heads out of the sand.

[pablo]

I have just completed my voting slip and I could only find myself voting for Daren and Brian Springall any other vote would merely sustain the status quo.

[squarelegumpire]

When the "Development Scheme" was first launched I thought it brave and exciting. I had some concerns, but basically, if it could have been put through in a reasonable time scale it would, quite probably, have been ok. Better than OK in fact; very good.

However, as we know, it hasn't been.

We've had delays and "rethinks"; some of the delays were foreseeable, some were down to the collapse in the property market, although that's getting to be EVER such a long time ago. And the financial guarantees we were promised we had seem to have been pie-crust promises ... made to be broken! Has anyone in Chelmsford looked at the one block actually built at night; does it appear it's occupied?

How much would it cost now to walk away from the scheme? If we did, how could we bring the pavilion and the associated facilities up to scratch?

[Mog]

"Stuck" is just my assumption of the situation. I have not seen or heard anything from the club that would suggest they are not pushing on with the original plan and the most recent information just suggests a change of personnel involved. I don't think we are being fed all the facts, which is backed up by the inconsistency of the various press releases from the club over the last few years.

I'd suggest that's the understatement of 2016, to date.
What we have been fed is none of the facts, only the parts of the scheme that put ECCC in the best possible light, just a diet of half-truths, some deliberately withheld at the outset, then others hastily published to head off consternation and serious questions over the original scale model depicting a single tier stand at the River End, for example.
This shock to the insular ECCC hierarchy at the time and indeed now, ensured they wouldn't countenance issuing anything other than opaque angles, or shots of the supposed retail element and blocks of utilitarian flats ever since. Rather than what the average ECCC supporter really wanted to see; the redevelopment of spectator aspect itself.
Is it a deliberate misinformation, or just business as usual incompetence, or perhaps a mixture of the two?

Isn't it about time the Club were honest? You know, they may just regain a modicum of sympathy and engagement with their members and fans, rather than blaming anything and everything else from world financial crisis to neighbours 'sticking their noses in' to meddling environmental concerns. When they just maybe taking a look in the mirror.

[mawallace]

Well some news - which again is via the Essex Chronicle and not to members!

http://www.essexchronicle.co.uk/Essex-Cricket-Ground-redevelopment-commence/story-28891064-detail/story.html

Some points:-

"Mr Bowden, who has been at the club for three years, said: "We're hoping that work on the redevelopment will start in the autumn and we expect it to have a massive impact on Chelmsford."

"At the ground, the John Pearce stand will be staying put, and the Hayes Close end won't be changing too much as building there would be detrimental to the existing residential area. But the area by the big scoreboard is where one of the residential towers will go; behind a new big bank of seating.

"Then the pavilion and premier suites will be demolished in favour of a new pavilion and three tier block of seating.

[essexfan548]

"At the ground, the John Pearce stand will be staying put, 

Where is this stand?   

A bit worrying that Mr Bowden does not know the ground very well ...

[squarelegumpire]

"At the ground, the John Pearce stand will be staying put, 

Where is this stand?   

A bit worrying that Mr Bowden does not know the ground very well ...

To be fair, could be the Essex Chronicle got it wrong.

[Valentines Park]

A bit worrying that Mr Bowden does not know the ground very well ...

Must be all those holidays he takes during the cricket season.