PAFC have recently admitted that the Grandstand etc development completion is at least 18 months away. We were first informed that it would start after the Portsmouth match which was Oct12th....but nothing happened....and things have gone very quiet about it until Mr Starnes in his paper column revealed that we where looking at a date of at least 18 months away for completion. It also seems that not all the retail outlets have yet to be taken up.....and more seriously it seems the funding for this development is not in place as yet. Not only that but other Akkeron building projects that are part and parcel of Brents bigger plans for the SW Devon area are in similar stagnation. Chris Errington Chief Football Writer for the Herald on hearing about the HHP delay asks Andy Symons (AFT Chairman) his views on it all, who admits that from the beginning of the whole development there have been problems and delays and wasn't surprised at all regarding Mr Starnes announcement of an 18 months target for completion. How can PAFC give an 18 month finishing date....when there are no signs of it starting....the closing of the old grandstand and the moving of the season ticket holders to other seating in the meanwhile,doesn't happen over night. The moving out of the offices,training facilities,changing rooms etc....plus all the other uses that the grandstand area has.....then there is all the temporay cabins etc to be set up to cover for the buildtime. Then we are told that even before any demolition can take place there is the removing of Asbestos from the old grandstand. Personally the 18 month deadline is pie in the sky.....and the worrying thing also is that Akkeron have no track record of builds of £50m. There are questions concerning them having the expertise to build on this scale......the bungling and design problems and disappointing grandstand size and the shoe horning in of the other parts of the development...approach roads etc are a concern. The question that comes to mind is will it get built at all....will James Brent just move on if it fails to start....those that are against it would throw a party on The Hoe if that happened. Would Brent know of someone who would buy PAFC from him if he called it a day.....and would Brent's other projects in the SW of Devon still be on....would he withdraw into what he is good at.....running Akkeron.
I read this article: it appeared to me that it's hardly from a neutral source. Big projects like this are notoriously difficult: hardly any are delivered on time and on budget. They always have a thousand moving parts: each one has to slot together in order to achieve the desired result. Sometimes what would seem to be very trivial (e.g. the colour of the paint) threaten to hold the whole thing up. That's a real example I have come across personally by the way. This is especially the case when you're dealing with councils or Government agencies who have a much more leisurely outlook than those in the private sector. Typically, the finance never, ever commits itself until all the other parts are in place. Often the financiers will require things to be done in a different order to the one that's most efficient so that their risk is minimised e.g. they'll want the tenants signed up before the layout of the shops can be agreed or perhaps will want the layout of the shops finalised before tenants have been consulted. As with the recent article about Brent's management style, I have to say "yeah, so what?". Good sensational local press but hardly a thing in it that surprises.
I agree that you would expect the AFT to say that but just because they are doing what is expected doesn't mean there isn't some substance in their words. There are a number of things that Brent has put his efforts into locally but have yet to see a brick laid let alone a paint brush stroked. That Torquay building for one which is even more overdue than the football one. He has done nothing regarding any of the projects as yet which does lead one to ask if he is actually capable of completing what he starts or sugests. Akkernon do not have a track record as far as I'm aware for taking on large projects like this one. I think there would be a great deal of rejoicing if he did nothing with HP at the minute. I think people would rather wait another 5 years if necessary to avoid the mini stand on offer now. The big question would be that if Brent did pull out due to the projects being more than he could handle, would there be another person somewhere who would be prepared to pick up the Argyle baton and run with it. People say that there is always somebody willing to have a go with a football club but I'm not sure I'm that convinced Argyle would find one that easily. There is nothing good about the club financially apart from building projects that I can see.
