And yet sadly it hasn't been a success for anyone involved. We've spent twenty years trying to do things on the cheap and yet it's cost us a fortune in lost revenue and consultants fees etc as well as destroying the community around the ground. I've been saying for two decades that Shanks must have been turning in his grave at the way we have treated some of those locals and their area. We could have redeveloped at least a decade ago if we'd worked with the people not against them (and at a fraction of the cost that we'll have to pay now). Very sad.
I agree mate, it was a very short sighted & rather crass strategy. The irony is that they could have bought up the same properties but kept them tenanted, thus getting a return, until such time that they were in position to develop & it wouldn't have resulted in the area becoming the **** pit that it has done.