Brockhall STC - planning permission application ?

[JBiz]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

There's only one way this is going....how do you half the space and get all the 

6-16s playing

Girls teams

Youth

There has to be downgrade somewhere.....Cat 2 here we come.

I’m no expert- how many pitches did it say we’d lose in the plans released?

[Sparks Rover]

2 minutes ago, JBiz said:

I’m no expert- how many pitches did it say we’d lose in the plans released?

Neither am I,  but where do all the teams play?  Looks like we will be doing a nobbers and using local schools, colleges, .....very poor.

[MarkBRFC]

11 minutes ago, JBiz said:

I think, under different owners / ceo, nobody would’ve batted an eyelid.

Why in your opinion do you think that is out of interest?

I think, it's because these owners and more recently the CEO have downgraded everything to do with the club in the last 11 years, nothing is better now than what it was before these idiots took over.

What on earth makes you think they are capable of building better facilities than we currently have?

 

 

 

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, Sparks Rover said:

Neither am I,  but where do all the teams play?  Looks like we will be doing a nobbers and using local schools, colleges, .....very poor.

Is that what it says in the plans sent out?

I couldn’t find it with a quick look then (I’m making a bacon sarnie ffs) but I recall that we’d have the same number of practice pitches? 

[JBiz]

Just now, MarkBRFC said:

Why in your opinion do you think that is out of interest?

I think, it's because these owners and more recently the CEO have downgraded everything to do with the club in the last 11 years, nothing is better now than what it was before these idiots took over.

What on earth makes you think they are capable of building better facilities than we currently have?

 

 

 

“Downgraded everything to do with the Club” is not true or we wouldn’t have a grade 1 academy for a start.

Which sort of makes the point - they’re (Waggott especially) not trusted. Previous owners would’ve never had the same “questioning” in my honest opinion.

Ps - they’re not trusted for good reasons (the owners at least) - but I still can’t see how the Indian family would know / suggest to make money by “downgrading” our facilities.
 

I could see SW desperate to fill the commercial hole he’s created though.

Im still on the fence (maybe should change my name here to “Arse splinters rover”)

[Mattyblue]

From memory the combined site would have 50% fewer pitches.

[JBiz]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

From memory the combined site would have 50% fewer pitches.

Thanks MB 👍 

[Mattyblue]

Yep, 12 (ten outdoor, two synthetic) to 6 (5 outdoor, one synthetic).

[rigger]

1 hour ago, JBiz said:

Is that what it says in the plans sent out?

I couldn’t find it with a quick look then (I’m making a bacon sarnie ffs) but I recall that we’d have the same number of practice pitches? 

The main question is going to be: How big is the treatment room ? 

[JBiz]

4 minutes ago, rigger said:

The main question is going to be: How big is the treatment room ? 

😂 you meant “Ayala suite”?

[Dreams of 1995]

It was a downgrade in every single way

Even the car park had less spaces which only signals one intent - less bodies in the building 

It is impossible to spin any other way than a downgrade and capitalising on expensive real estate, which is quite synonymous with Waggott funnily enough 

[Crimpshrine]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

From memory the combined site would have 50% fewer pitches.

And no swimming pool - don't know how important that is but must be classed as a downgrade.

Once we've sold the land there is no going back - can't 'upgrade' again in the future.

[JHRover]

2 hours ago, JBiz said:

This is basically my thoughts on this.

I understand the worry / lack of confidence in the rationale and current CEO.

I don’t understand the mindset that what we have is already perfect, purely because it’s Jack Walkers investment and still category 1.

Perhaps a more independent enquiry / assessment of these plans / ideas are necessary to avoid the speculation and worry?

It isn't perfect and of course in an ideal world we would have everything on one site which would make more sense for several reasons, logistics and finances.

But it is still a very good site, better than most at this level and many in the PL. I also very much doubt there are other sites in BwD  or the surrounding boroughs that are big enough, accessible enough, affordable, able to be developed and anywhere near as private/exclusive as Brockhall.

It might be appealing to some people to throw up a prefab facility behind Witton Park school or on Whitebirk industrial estate but I think having the beautiful surroundings and privacy of Brockhall, yet only 10 minutes drive from the M6 and 20 minutes to the middle of Blackburn is ideal

If we look at what other clubs have done with their training facilities almost all the biggest clubs have sought to develop what we currently have - a countryside base, away from the town or city, decent transport links, private, a nice place to work and train. I'm not aware of anyone who has given that up to build something slightly nearer their town to maybe save some people a few minutes drive or for the nonsensical reason of being in the local authority boundaries.

We are like a club in reverse - having everything that rivals would want and then actively looking to give it up.

One of the first to have a club radio station - gone

One of the first to have an academy - trying or risking losing it

One of first to have a state of the art complex - looking to get rid

Town centre and stadium  shop - gone

Personally, if they had shown any interest or appetite over the last 10 years for improving facilities, investing in the clubs infrastructure then I would have been all ears for such a scheme. If there was a strong logical argument for relocating other than saving on a very short drive fine. If they had started by sorting Ewood out - by cleaning it, investing in a better pitch or rebuilding the Riverside stand which is much more pressing than messing with Brockhall - yet they've done none of it. All these things would be indicative of owners wanting to improve things and willing to spend on it.

If we look at what Leicester recently did with their new training ground - if we had done similar - talked about buying a new site elsewhere - perhaps a golf club or large site elswhere capable of housing a combined facility then it might be plausible.

But the suggestion that the bottom site is either big enough, accessible enough or capable of being developed to accommodate everything is completely ludicrous. We've done it to death why that is. It isn't only about pitches. Floodlights, parking, access, building an indoor centre down there.

Edited August 9, 2021 by JHRover

[Mattyblue]

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19597399.immense-objection-sees-blackburn-rovers-shelve-training-ground-plans/

“The pitches at the STC are unbelievable and (Head of Academy) Stuart Jones said they’re the best they’ve ever been down at the Academy.

“The investments have been worth it.”

So we need to flog it off and move somewhere smaller in BwD because…

Edited September 22, 2021 by Mattyblue

[tomphil]

Because this slug and his pals are now trying to sell another evolution plan to the ownership. It'll be in his new sales pitch and he can give it the old we need three or four years to see it through.

They won't see through it.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19597399.immense-objection-sees-blackburn-rovers-shelve-training-ground-plans/

“The pitches at the STC are unbelievable and (Head of Academy) Stuart Jones said they’re the best they’ve ever been down at the Academy.

“The investments have been worth it.”

So we need to flog it off and move somewhere smaller in BwD because…

Palms to be greased.

If Brockhall (rightly) can't be redeveloped for housing then any financial benefit to the Club from moving would be minimal. Completely pointless.

And are we seriously  expected to believe  that we can finance a state of the art Category 1 Training Centre when apparently we can't even fund a new £2m pitch?

Whilst I am loath to cast aspersions on the intelligence of the LT readership it seems that sadly some are already buying into this latest round of bull.

"Have to live within your means" etc.

It really does seem you can tell some people anything and they'll believe it.

[had.e.nuff]

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Palms to be greased.

If Brockhall (rightly) can't be redeveloped for housing then any financial benefit to the Club from moving would be minimal. Completely pointless.

And are we seriously  expected to believe  that we can finance a state of the art Category 1 Training Centre when apparently we can't even fund a new £2m pitch?

Whilst I am loath to cast aspersions on the intelligence of the LT readership it seems that sadly some are already buying into this latest round of bull.

"Have to live within your means" etc.

It really does seem you can tell some people anything and they'll believe it.

Its easy financing a cat 1 academy pays dividens with players coming through, paying for a new pitch dosen`t

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, had.e.nuff said:

Its easy financing a cat 1 academy pays dividens with players coming through, paying for a new pitch dosen`t

Especially when half of it comes in a grant.

[LDRover]

It was said on here a couple of months ago that the new plan was to sell the training ground and rent it back while 'looking for alternatives' (that never materialise).

There is no doubt in my mind that will happen within the next 2 years tops.

[tomphil]

That would hardly be a worthwhile exercise but i wouldn't rule it out. It gives them a ticket to move to some shoddy brownfield site somewhere in the boundaries.

[rigger]

1 minute ago, tomphil said:

That would hardly be a worthwhile exercise but i wouldn't rule it out. It gives them a ticket to move to some shoddy brownfield site somewhere in the boundaries.

The way it is run, Ewood will soon fit that discription

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, LDRover said:

It was said on here a couple of months ago that the new plan was to sell the training ground and rent it back while 'looking for alternatives' (that never materialise).

There is no doubt in my mind that will happen within the next 2 years tops.

Suspect you might be right there LD.

Unless Waggott goes first.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

That would hardly be a worthwhile exercise but i wouldn't rule it out. It gives them a ticket to move to some shoddy brownfield site somewhere in the boundaries.

Bizarre isn't it, we 're looking at giving up a site on the outskirts of Blackburn in favour of another inferior site on errrrr...........the outskirts of Blackburn (M65 site) , but some seemingly can't see how ludicrous the situation is.

[tomphil]

I've no doubt in my mind if the owners are backing this it's because they are happy to be cancelling out the Walker legacy.

[AllRoverAsia]

3 hours ago, LDRover said:

It was said on here a couple of months ago that the new plan was to sell the training ground and rent it back while 'looking for alternatives' (that never materialise).

There is no doubt in my mind that will happen within the next 2 years tops.

If or rather when that happens there will need to be a deep dive investigation on who is linked to the buyers.

I also think that Venus gets of lightly with ire primarily directed at Waggott. Yet another man in the shadows.