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Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:47 am
by Darlo_CR
In the echo today, its reported that the rugby club have submitted plans to develop The Northern Echo Arena into a multi-million pound sports village.

It will be interesting to see how this develops considering the issues we had with development during our tenure.

http://ht.ly/qI1E50fuDMx

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:57 am
by Vodka_Vic
They can submit all the plans they like. Look how far Houghton and Singh got. Would it be any different this time? Unless Raj knew something we don't when he wanted to come back a second time, as it was fairly common knowledge that the Arena was part of his plans. It could be that behind the scenes that the council have declared that they would be more favourable to development this time. It's 6 years since plans were submitted last time as far as I know.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 10:25 am
by shawry
I'm guessing sports village fits within the original scope of the council so would pass much easier than entertainments and offices?



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Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:01 am
by divas
I don't think the council ever had any real issues with proposed development it was the funding for such a project that never materialised

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:16 pm
by loan_star
DBC do seem to bend over backwards for the rugby club. They seem to lower restrictions on car boots and other events, let people park for free for big events and also turning a blind eye to people abusing the residents parking scheme for these same events. Anything the football club tried to do seemed to be met with some kind of restriction.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 1:52 pm
by m62exile
I’d be disappointed, and a little surprised, if the FC board had not been talking to DMP and DBC about this.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:03 pm
by Beano
If the Arena is developed into a Sports Village, I fear it would be a join them or be cast aside mentality from DBC.

Blackwell Meadows couldn’t compete with that.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:53 pm
by poppyfield
Perhaps the plans include a nice little 5000 seater football ground :shock:

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 3:58 pm
by Spyman
Surely a sports village would have to include several well supported sports - are we not the best supported sports team in the town?

How are they proposing to fund the sports quarter (as I presume it will be called - every new development is a quarter these days)? I thought they were struggling to pay the bills as it is.

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Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:01 pm
by m62exile
Spyman wrote:Surely a sports village would have to include several well supported sports - are we not the best supported sports team in the town?

How are they proposing to fund the sports quarter (as I presume it will be called - every new development is a quarter these days)? I thought they were struggling to pay the bills as it is.

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With private investment - also DBC are considering using some of their adjoining land for residential development as part of this partnership so there would be revenue for them there. (for DBC that is, not DMP)

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:18 pm
by Spyman
m62exile wrote:
Spyman wrote:Surely a sports village would have to include several well supported sports - are we not the best supported sports team in the town?

How are they proposing to fund the sports quarter (as I presume it will be called - every new development is a quarter these days)? I thought they were struggling to pay the bills as it is.

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With private investment - also DBC are considering using some of their adjoining land for residential development as part of this partnership so there would be revenue for them there. (for DBC that is, not DMP)
Raj Singh?

Perhaps that's why he wanted to get back in with us - having the town's best supported sports team aligned with a sporting hub would presumably make the council more attuned to the idea.

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Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 8:37 pm
by DarloDave40
Pie in the sky without DFC going back there the footfall from other sports just wont be enough without us.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:01 pm
by Vodka_Vic
Coincidence that our presentation evening on the 11th is called 'The way forward' when this story has just broken? I'm inclined to think it is, especially as we've just funded the stand.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:04 pm
by Vodka_Vic
Spyman wrote:
m62exile wrote:
Spyman wrote:Surely a sports village would have to include several well supported sports - are we not the best supported sports team in the town?

How are they proposing to fund the sports quarter (as I presume it will be called - every new development is a quarter these days)? I thought they were struggling to pay the bills as it is.

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With private investment - also DBC are considering using some of their adjoining land for residential development as part of this partnership so there would be revenue for them there. (for DBC that is, not DMP)
Raj Singh?

Perhaps that's why he wanted to get back in with us - having the town's best supported sports team aligned with a sporting hub would presumably make the council more attuned to the idea.

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I've been thinking this, but if so, why the need for the back door stuff with MG, unless things have moved on behind the scenes since then.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:34 pm
by poppyfield
Vodka_Vic wrote:Coincidence that our presentation evening on the 11th is called 'The way forward' when this story has just broken? I'm inclined to think it is, especially as we've just funded the stand.
Apart from the foundations it can all be moved, and its ours :thumbup:

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2017 11:17 pm
by trevstanley
If the fans are annoyed that permission would be granted then best thing to do is organise a petition objecting to the proposals and citing the restrictions the same council applied to Darlington FC.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 5:10 am
by jjljks
poppyfield wrote:Perhaps the plans include a nice little 5000 seater football ground :shock:
Unless Santa really does... :thumbup:

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:16 am
by Vodka_Vic
They're debating on that thread about whether we could be part of the plans. It's a non-starter due to repayment of FSIF grants.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:15 am
by norwich darlo
Vodka_Vic wrote:They're debating on that thread about whether we could be part of the plans. It's a non-starter due to repayment of FSIF grants.
No need to worry Raj will sort that out.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:34 am
by Darlopartisan
Vodka_Vic wrote:They're debating on that thread about whether we could be part of the plans. It's a non-starter due to repayment of FSIF grants.
Don’t the grants have a time limit on them where after so many years we don’t have to pay them back if we move, I thought it was 5 years, but I could be wrong .

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 9:45 am
by Vodka_Vic
norwich darlo wrote:
Vodka_Vic wrote:They're debating on that thread about whether we could be part of the plans. It's a non-starter due to repayment of FSIF grants.
No need to worry Raj will sort that out.
Spill more, Mr. Cryptic.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:20 am
by m62exile
Let's see what happens. If we were to be involved then of course the FSIF grants would be a consideration, but I doubt they'd be a dealbreaker. There would obviously be issues with existing agreements with DRFC to consider as well.

I've really no idea whether there'd be any hope of progressing as part of the sporting hub as there are so many unknowns in terms of finance and legal issues but certainly if a proposal comes about that has the landowners and the council aligned and on the same page it would be daft not to be included in the talks at this stage.

I'd expect the council will be positive on the 5th as they've indicated and that will be the point that business plans can start to be formalised.

As an aside from DFC for a moment, the area has been developed for 15 years now and clearly there needs to be some flexibility with how it is used. The council will not want to see another sport club go under so I'd very much imagine they'll be all ears to any chance of development, particularly if it gives certainty to the area as they'll then be able to use some of the 42 acres they own to create revenue and also hit their housing supply targets.

I'd have thought therefore the council will be keen to see some progress with how the land is used.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 10:57 am
by norwich darlo
Vodka_Vic wrote:
norwich darlo wrote:
Vodka_Vic wrote:They're debating on that thread about whether we could be part of the plans. It's a non-starter due to repayment of FSIF grants.
No need to worry Raj will sort that out.
Spill more, Mr. Cryptic.
Easy it's called a joke.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 5:35 pm
by grimsbyquaker
Next thing Raj will sort is TW being sacked, MG reinstated with Steve McLaren and Gary Pallister brought in as Directors of Football. New accommodation will be included in the plans to house Dave Hodgson's Portuguese and Congolese U-21 starlets

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:01 pm
by quaker4life
DarloDave40 wrote:Pie in the sky without DFC going back there the footfall from other sports just wont be enough without us.
:lol: :crazy:

I am 100% confident of two things.

1. We're not part of their plans.

2. Mowden have got by for the last 5 years without us and need us as much as we need them.

The Arena is in the past and is no longer any of our concern.

However I will be interested to see how this pans out, as much as I hated the Arena it did annoy me that within a year of moving in Mowden had new built new pitches over the back after we had faced red tape from DBC for a good couple of years when Houghton wanted to develop the land.

There's probably no doubt that some arses were twitching in Billy boy's inner circle at Town Hall when the Football Club left it and unfortunately they've already been far more forthcoming with Mowden than they were with us.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:50 pm
by loan_star
quaker4life wrote: 2. Mowden have got by for the last 5 years without us and need us as much as we need them.
If they need us as much as we need them then obviously they aren't making ends meet. :?
The only reason they have got by in the last 5 years is the fact they had £5m in the bank, leftover from the sale of their old ground.
If they were managing ok then why the need to build a sporting village? Also with private outside investment, not their own!

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:51 pm
by QuakerPete
quaker4life wrote:
DarloDave40 wrote:Pie in the sky without DFC going back there the footfall from other sports just wont be enough without us.
:lol: :crazy:

I am 100% confident of two things.

1. We're not part of their plans.

2. Mowden have got by for the last 5 years without us and need us as much as we need them.

The Arena is in the past and is no longer any of our concern.

However I will be interested to see how this pans out, as much as I hated the Arena it did annoy me that within a year of moving in Mowden had new built new pitches over the back after we had faced red tape from DBC for a good couple of years when Houghton wanted to develop the land.

There's probably no doubt that some arses were twitching in Billy boy's inner circle at Town Hall when the Football Club left it and unfortunately they've already been far more forthcoming with Mowden than they were with us.
From memory, weren't Houghton's plans in the £12m-plus region? And weren't they all football-related as opposed to the mixed development with some private funding now proposed? Not sure how or why he was going to fund that as he had zero interest in the club. And wasn't it Houghton's decision not to proceed with the development rather than the council refusing permission?
As for Singh, he didn't own the Arena and land so he wasn't in any position to propose development (or be refused) planning permission


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Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 7:54 pm
by quaker4life
loan_star wrote:
quaker4life wrote: 2. Mowden have got by for the last 5 years without us and need us as much as we need them.
If they need us as much as we need them then obviously they aren't making ends meet. :?
The only reason they have got by in the last 5 years is the fact they had £5m in the bank, leftover from the sale of their old ground.
If they were managing ok then why the need to build a sporting village? Also with private outside investment, not their own!
Exactly.

So if it were to go tits up it would probably have an equally adverse affect on us.

And we're struggling to make ends meet ourselves, somehow I can't see the viability of upping sticks from BM to there.

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 8:00 pm
by quaker4life
QuakerPete wrote: From memory, weren't Houghton's plans in the £12m-plus region? And weren't they all football-related as opposed to the mixed development with some private funding now proposed? Not sure how or why he was going to fund that as he had zero interest in the club. And wasn't it Houghton's decision not to proceed with the development rather than the council refusing permission?
As for Singh, he didn't own the Arena and land so he wasn't in any position to propose development (or be refused) planning permission


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I can't remember all the ins and outs of it and there was a lot of politics involved that were above my head.

However my understanding was that Houghton hit a road block with his development plans and was at an impasse with DBC and could no longer sustain the level of funding required to manage the club as it was when the recession kicked in.

I think he said we were losing £50k a week?

Re: Northern Echo Arena

Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2017 8:37 pm
by AndyPark
grimsbyquaker wrote:Next thing Raj will sort is TW being sacked, MG reinstated with Steve McLaren and Gary Pallister brought in as Directors of Football. New accommodation will be included in the plans to house Dave Hodgson's Portuguese and Congolese U-21 starlets
People on Twitter are actually believing this :lol: :lol: :lol: