It is rumoured that Car Giant have bought the John Lewis site in West Acton which we were supposedly buying on their behalf to secure their current site in Old Oak. They need to move for their own re-development plans, if they have bought this site themselves it may suggest a hardening of their position.
Surely it's good news if Car Giant have bought the West Acton site in order to move into it, Roller (assuming it's not just expansion)? ...unless they plan to sit on the site they vacate at Old Oak - but then they'd be more open to a compulsory purchase order
I was looking for some info on this last night as there was a rumour on WATRB saying the same. I seem to recall we had an option on that John Lewis site so maybe we are linked with this transaction?
Sorry, not a local geographer - is this site big enough for them? If so, I'd say that this is good news. It means that Car Giant have a viable alternative. It does empower them somewhat in terms of holding their own cards but this would also suggest that they are realistic about moving and there's a price on their current site. Should they still be going ahead with their own redevelopment of Old Oak then there's a chance of partnership but our agreements with Rail Link etc give us an edge if not. Hopefully, their partners for their own plans are finding it difficult to find all the capital needed which really would help and then the major obstacle is finding a fair price for their existing land.
I interpret this more as "good news" than "bad". But I patiently await more information based on "facts" from "people in the know".
I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the A40 from White City to Hanger Lane the night they move into their new place!!!!
Here's the John Lewis site: http://www.aspectpc.co.uk/assets/Kendal-Avenue-Sale-Particulars/John-Lewis-Park-Royal.pdf It's a 12 acre site.
They will put in their own planning application for their portion of the site and probably more if they can get their hands on it.. They will make much more money by developing the site themselves (in partnership with a large building company) rather than selling on and letting the QPR consortium do it. The only chances we have to get hold of the land to build a stadium on is if we negotiate with Car Giant and pay them substantially over the odds. (Sounds a familiar payment plan!) OR If the council really like the QPR plans then they could refuse Car Giant's plans and approve QPR's. Car Giant would be left with two options. The first would be to sell out to QPR (see above) or secondly, to hold on to the land for as long as possible. This second would give time for yet more consortia to submit plans and for Car Giant to tweak and resubmit their own plans. This could go on for years.
Roller...........you say it could be a hardening of their position, so I presume I must be missing something? If they have bought another site, surely there's more chance of them vacating Old Oak?
So they can develop it themselves Col, there's much more cash in developing the site than simply selling it to us to develop. I've given up speculating on this. There are too many interested parties and too much money at stake for this to be simple, let alone fast.
Car Giant have their own plans for developing that site for housing, but need somewhere to move their business to first. If what I've heard is true and if they were going to accept our offer for their land in Old Oak, surely they would let us buy the John Lewis site for them rather than buy it themselves? The GLA plan for developing Old Oak only contains a sports stadium as an option, it is not a cornerstone of their vision; if their plan is acceptable to the GLA, I don't see any chance of a CPO in our favour. Then again, the rumour could be rubbish, my interpretation could be nonsense, or they could just be seeing who blinks first.
The stadium plan is the preferred option probably due to the extra business and jobs it would create in the area, H&F council want us to stay on the borough and surely know this is the only way that'll happen so are more likely to block any Cargiant plans to put housing there. Maybe if they are so keen on getting into property development we should include the Loftus Road site as part of the deal. One thing that puzzles me is that I'm pretty sure the John Lewis site is much smaller then their current one, unless they plan to build up in stories I don't know how they will fit in there.
Ah, yes.........I get it now. Sorry...............it's my birthday and I'm a merlot and a few glenfiddichs down the line. (I may be a little confused, but I have a lovely warm glow!!).
