Expansion

From what I understand Dai, the board and the council are on opposite sides of coin with the council wanting to sell the Liberty not expand it while, you guessed it, the board want expansion not purchase.

The problem revolves around there being no middle ground for either side to maneuver into. The council want to sell and not expand and they do or they don't with nothing in between. The opposite applies to the board they want to expand and not buy again with nothing in between.

To complicate things further, another interested party, we'll call them Thescos so know one will ever guess who I'm referring to, are actively blocking moves towards expansion by utilising businesses in the retail parc to block moves for expansion through veto, if any exist, complaint and disclosure on their behalf. Ever wandered how half the shops around the Liberty are staying in business in this difficult time, well now you know.

Its a politically hot cake right now, Gov speak for a 'battle royale'

 

I know a lot of fans on the trust having been a founder member and whenever huw has Q&A he skirts around the question on are we going to expand or not....He always says what we want to do but wont answer when, His answer is always Hopefully this will happen or hopefully that will happen, It's getting tiresome now. There is no problem buying the stadium but what is the point if we cant expand to the way we want, Every business in that area dont want the expansion for obvious reasons and they are big names that a team as small as us can walk all over, it will never happen......Saturdays when we play most of our games is the big stores busiest times and there is not a cats hell of a chance of defeating them when they say no.

 

Agree Dai, but I don't think HJ is being disingenuous.

Unless something changes, council does something or even changes its mind, then all he can say is hopefully this or that. At this point in proceedings, everything to do with the expansion moving ahead are completely out of our hands.

 

Hardly a war of words as proclaimed by the Post. But one thing is abundantly clear, planning permission HAS been given!

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...ns-fans-wait/story-27725350-detail/story.html

 

War of words over Liberty Stadium expansion as council says Swansea City is to blame for delays
By South Wales Evening Post | Posted: September 03, 2015

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Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins.


Comments (1)
DELAYS to plans to expand the Liberty Stadium are not the fault of Swansea Council, the authority has said.

The claim comes after Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins made a public plea to the council, asking them to get behind proposals to increase the capacity of the stadium, in order to maximise matchday revenue.

Writing in the matchday programme ahead of the club's game against Manchester United at the weekend, Mr Jenkins said: "I believe we need the full support of Swansea Council and all its members to help us through this difficult process.

"Obtaining planning permission and buying the small parcel

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of land near the stadium has already cost the football club more than £1.5 million without a brick being placed.
"We clearly need the 'landlord's consent' from Swansea Council to help us move forward further before the new year."

Swansea Council has now responded to the comments, saying it is ready to work closely and quickly with the club to support any plans they have for the Liberty Stadium in future

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.

But it maintains it had arranged to meet with members of Swansea City FC's board last week to discuss the landlord's consent, but that meeting was cancelled.

A Swansea Council spokesman said: "The council, like the fans, want the Swans to continue to excel and to go from strength to strength in the Premier League and beyond.

"Our support for the club has always been unstinting, right from the dark days when we twice bailed them out, to the bold decision to build the £27 million Liberty Stadium that's been the bedrock of the success which we are now all enjoying.

"The council hasn't received any income from the Swans for using the stadium in the last 10 years.

"We now need the Swans board to decide if they are going to purchase the stadium, which we have been exploring, or expand it, or both, and do it soon.

"The council stands ready to work through the detail of either option to move things forward quickly."

He added: "We're not the ones holding it up.

"We gave planning permission many months ago and have facilitated a land deal to secure

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expansion space for the new development.

"We also agreed to sit down to discuss landlord's consent last week but, unfortunately, the Swans board representatives cancelled.

"We'd urge the Swans board to decide what they want to do and get on with it.

"The fans have already waited two seasons for expansion and progress needs to be made or a golden opportunity will be missed."

But Swansea City bosses say they are surprised at the council comments.

A Swansea City spokesman said: "We are extremely surprised and disappointed with the defensive response in the council statement.

"Not at any point have we, as a club, stated that the council have held up the expansion. We have merely called for everyone to work together in order for the expansion to go through as soon as possible.

"However, as a club we will continue to work with the council to find a suitable solution

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to expand the stadium for the betterment of our supporters, the majority of whom live within Swansea and are desperate to enjoy and back the club's success in the Barclays Premier League.

"We will, however, refuse to get drawn any further into any public debate on the matter.



Read more: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...tory-27725350-detail/story.html#ixzz3kerSVYoz
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That's the article I linked to above Matthew

 

sorry

 

"Seems to me, at least from the gist of this article, that both Swansea AFC and Swansea council are on the same page. I would suggest that expansion plans be implemented, all meetings with both parties be transparent and open to public scrutiny, and woe betide either side from getting in the way of this expansion. The Swans have become far too important to this city, and Wales in general, for small minded people to scuttle growth of this most precious commodity". - Daifloyd/EP





This above is it in a nutshell, good post from Daifloyd, Come on Huw you are in the driving seat get on with it, you cannot expect the local tax payers to pay for everything, you tight fisted git, I'm on that waiting list, and it's been long enough, I'll be down there to stick a rocket up your arse and that of Martin Morgan if your not careful, so stop with the posturing..............

 

The council granted planning permission yonks ago but jinx's worry is he dont know what expansion will be granted and that is different to getting planning permission. The council are desperate to off load the liberty but should we buy it then we still wont be able to expand to the level we need because the stores and the locals are blocking any work from going ahead and even the police have major concerns, So Jinx cant commit until he knows what extension he can have and the council want to sell so they wont have any input other than grant permission themselves but jinx will be on his own to get the other major factors on board and that is where the problem lies.......You can apply for an extension for your house but you cant carry that out until all objections from neighbors are cleared.. It is a very complicated process especially the area involved and lack of parking which is now made worse by the army of council workers sticking fines on all cars they think is illegally parked ...It's ironic that the same council who make thousands in fines are the ones who want to sell the liberty to us........jinx is right to be concerned as once he commits to buying the liberty it will cost us millions and we may only get a few thousand at best extra seats because any extra will be blocked....

 

There has been no objections Dai that have been upheld, if there were they would have to be put on the planning application online, the only objection was the Crown Estates, and that has been settled! Otherwise no permission would have been given, once permission is given the next step is building work to commence. The planning application sets out what is allowed.

It appears that the hold up was the bit of land they have purchased for £1.5m

 

If the council grant you planning permission for an extension you can build an extension. Any objections need submitting before planning approval, hence those little 21 day plastic notices that have to be displayed prior. Even if Swansea council, the Police, local store owners, neighbours etc were against an expansion the Welsh Assembly could (and would) over-rule. In any case, expanding the Liberty is not like a house extension. It is big business for the economy and as the guy said before local petty disputes will not stop something so important for the City and Country.

 

I have talked with prominent trust members and im telling you what they said.......If it was that simple it could have been built by now....there are far too many obstacles in the way hence jinx dont have a clue what is going on......If we cant build the extension we need then there is no point in buying the stadium....again hence we have the materials to build but cant.......It will never happen if we dont buy the stadium and we wont buy the stadium until we can build an extension we need.....we are stuck in a catch 22 situation and thats why jinx says Hopefully all the time.....

 

Stadium ownership is the only problem.The club won't pay to expand a stadium they don't own and the Council don't want to expand a stadium they want rid of. What we're seeing from both parties is business brinksmanship as they try to maneuver the best deal for themselves ahead of the inevitable stadium sale.

 

That's how I see it as well.

 

It's an impasse.

 

We never had this problem at The Vetch.Oh The Good Olde Dayes.

 

No but if we had stayed there we wouldn't be where we are now, and that ground could never realistically have been expanded.

 

The good old days,indeed. The best days of my life,by far.

 

Of course,you are right,Jager,but this old romantic still misses The Vetch.

 

The Council has granted planning permission but, as the owner, the Council has not given Landlord's consent....