Hope you are right JTS A lot of people say forget the stadium and I do understand why they say that as in my eyes the focus was on the stadium instead of on the pitch and its cost the club a lot of money. Also the fact that Sainsburys dont even want the place anymore! But for me its the principal of it now. We should ride this out and fight against the nimby's and dont let them win. Imagine their faces if we win. It will be worth it for me. Also fight Sainsburys for messing us about. We must have a good clause on them for them to agree to do an appeal which now looks odds on in winning. It looks like they wont have a leg to stand on so if they still refuse, we should get a good payout which can be used for something else like redevelope the mem or either put towards UWE if we can still sell the Mem to someone else as well. Also the thing is we need a new stadium. The Mem aint fit for purpose in my eyes. We need UWE.
We do need UWE and I admire your and Jon's optimism, but if Sainsbury's say that they won't build it won't happen. I am naturally optimistic but I just can't see it happening. I hope we squeeze some cash out of the bastards, but will the club ever see it or will it vanish into a black hole that all other funds seem to? God I hope I'm wrong but with Higgs' track record I'm not confident.
I share your worries i assure you. I just think (not sure why) that Sainsbury's are just getting exactly what they want, the way they want it before pushing ahead with the store. Yes, Shopping trends have changed, but it's the huge out of town stores that have lost their way. A inner city, highly populated area is still a gold mine for a large Supermarket, it may not make what they originally projected a few years ago, but it will still earn millions a year imo.
So are you are saying JTS is that you think Sainsburys has said they want out or the deal to kind of scare the Council in agreeing to the change of hours that they want or risk the massive investment and jobs etc etc? Baldee, im not saying its a done deal. Im saying that today was good news and we need the stadium to happen. Im not saying it will happen I think if Sainsburys are banged to rights, it will be cheaper for them to still refuse and award us a pay out than actually go ahead with a new Sainsburys. I hope Higgs has a plan B in place to buy the Mem ASAP as soon as Sainsburys is done.
Its very much the case that we have virtually no information about the wheeling and dealing which is happening behind the scenes over Sainsbury. Rovers and Bristol CC's intentions concerning the Mem site store. It will most probably be a case of the big boys politically posturing to achieve the best deal for their particular organisation. All of the involved parties will lose face if the deal does not happen. At the end of the day Sainsbury's will get pretty much what they want and Higgs will be doing his utmost to get the same. Bristol CC will be obliged to make concessions or be seen as the cause of the project's failure. It is obvious that everyone who cares about Bristol and the greater good of all of its residents wants to see this project happen as that would mean we get the UWE stadium with all the benefits which will be provided. Personally I'm not sure that the deal is dead in the water yet.
Well, Sainsbury's CEO said on Breakfast TV today that they are cutting their lose on all their new developments. Looks like this one is dead in the water...
November 12th Sainsbury’s declined to comment on the schemes it would withdraw from when contacted by Construction News
BBC Points West at 1:30pm (in 15 mins time) there will be an update on the Sainsburys situation at the Mem.
So then the reporter on Points West confirms, if Bristol City Council accept change to delivery times then Sainsburys are stuck as contracts exchanged. But if Council reject delivery times then Sainsburys will walk away from the Mem deal & Rovers back to square one. Last week the Council's own planning officers recommended the Council to accept the delivery hours to be changed. Will the Council follow their own planning officers recommendations??? The Council meeting started at 2pm TODAY so its going on as I type. Will the Councillors vote 'AGAINST' thinking of their own future as is local elections soon so may not want to anger the locals? Or will the Councillors vote 'FOR' thinking of Bristol's future, local investment, lots of jobs created, a progressing Bristol??
Unfortunately Steve Comer is no longer sitting on the Council, so his passionate input will not be available to help swing the decision. As a matter of interest. Is there a ban on anything bigger that a fairy trike going up and down Gloucester Road before six o'clock in the morning?
If the Council vote in our favour, the locals cannot appeal. If the Council vote against us then Rovers/Sainsburys have 14 days to appeal. Reason why the locals have no way of appealing is due to it being an amendment to a existing application.
Bristol City Council have made a decision regarding the change to delivery hours for Sainsburys. The decision is GREAT news for us Gasheads! 9 Councillors voted & it ended 7-2 in favour to allow the changes to the delivery hours! Your move Sainsburys. Over to you.
I just heard Tony Watola on Radio Bristol be interviewed by Twentyman. He was asked if he thinks Sainsburys will build on the Mem site and he said he dont care what Sainsburys do with the land. If they dont want a big "shed" as Sainsburys call it, then they may end up selling the land on to other parties. It is now up to them what they do with the land as it is theirs as soon as Sainsburys basically hand over the money. He was asked if the contract between club and Sainsburys is now water tight. He said is there such a thing called a water tight contract? But he went on to say he has been assured by the clubs advisors that they now have a water tight contract and expects Sainsburys to honour it. He was asked what happens next and he said they will contact Sainsburys within the next 48 hours with a time line and within that time line they will have what they expect Sainsburys to do things by. And then just wait for a response from Sainsburys. Later on when its available I will get a link done to listen
Here is what Watola said at the Council House... (what he said to Twentyman on Radio Bristol was longer and more info.) [video=youtube;c5fGeXTwza8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5fGeXTwza8&feature=youtu.be[/video]
