Sale of ground completed today?

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Quote :

A DEAL to sell off administration-hit Plymouth Argyle’s stadium to property developers was set to be signed this morning.

But the Football League’s chairman has promised the governing body will “rigorously enforce” its regulations before giving the takeover the green light.

Greg Clarke was speaking as city MPs joined supporters’ groups in voicing their concerns over the deal.

Bishop International Limited, an offshore company based in Gibraltar, was chosen as the preferred bidder for the debt-crippled Pilgrims in May.

The firm is a joint venture led by Truro City Football Club chairman Kevin Heaney and a mystery Irish developer, who have money-spinning plans to build a new south stand and cinema.

As part of the £5million deal they would seize control of the club’s land, including Home Park, becoming Argyle’s landlord.

Ownership of the football club itself, which stands to lose up to £2million next year, would be wholly assumed by acting Pilgrims chairman Peter Ridsdale.

Bye bye Home Park. Wonder where Argyle will move to. Brickfields sharing with Albion? Torpoint? Isn't that old Devonport Services rugby ground available?

Enjoy the ride.
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Freathy wrote:

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Quote :

A DEAL to sell off administration-hit Plymouth Argyle’s stadium to property developers was set to be signed this morning.

But the Football League’s chairman has promised the governing body will “rigorously enforce” its regulations before giving the takeover the green light.

Greg Clarke was speaking as city MPs joined supporters’ groups in voicing their concerns over the deal.

Bishop International Limited, an offshore company based in Gibraltar, was chosen as the preferred bidder for the debt-crippled Pilgrims in May.

The firm is a joint venture led by Truro City Football Club chairman Kevin Heaney and a mystery Irish developer, who have money-spinning plans to build a new south stand and cinema.

As part of the £5million deal they would seize control of the club’s land, including Home Park, becoming Argyle’s landlord.

Ownership of the football club itself, which stands to lose up to £2million next year, would be wholly assumed by acting Pilgrims chairman Peter Ridsdale.

Bye bye Home Park. Wonder where Argyle will move to. Brickfields sharing with Albion? Torpoint? Isn't that old Devonport Services rugby ground available?

Enjoy the ride.
​

I will be interested to see if Heaney and Stapes will actually be able to get anything built at Higher HP. The last notable structure was erected in 1951 and since then Dan Mc, Stapes and Todd have all failed to build more then a tent. Does Heaney have the ability to make it happen? You are not in Cornwall now Ginge

'Trust in Meaney and Hidsdale' does have a familiar ring to it.

Wonder when the, 'I'll never hear a bad word said against that man', legend, will be forgiven and given a standing ovation in the Business Lounge ?

Another production from Stapleton Heaney International Trading

Looks like these people really want to bulldoze their way through everyone ... literally ... cheers Brendan. There was always the danger of a Kagamiesque rusting padlocked gates routine.
As to the cricket ground, I have always understood that purchase to be a waste of time and money, and it will continue to be so .. hence the cheap price when Stapleton bought it.
It's going to be a nasty year ... where's my surfboard ?

Yes, but look how far we've come.

Would there actually be much demand for a cinema?

With the capital costs, of course not GS.... not in a million years.

It is often said that 'student accomodation' is needed to finance the other 'leisure' investments, including football stadiums ... Exeter are the latest, and that may well be acceptable to Exeter CC as it is not in a park ... our case is sooooo different.

In our case, it's actually the 'student accomodation' that IS the actual object of the exercise and always has been, not leisure, both in terms of ongoing oh so rare guaranteed corporate cash turnover and future capital appreciation, where rents are high, and where specification is mlow and security of tenure is non existent ... a developer's dream with always the likliehood of it being inevitably reclassified as residential some time down the road.

With the capital needed to build these 'leisure facilities', AND THE NEW STAND, the figures don't add up in this park and never have.. that's why we have City councils building our facilities for us .. there's no long term profit in it, especially in the next ten years ... and just look at the Pavillions' history of losses in a period of Blair-a-plenty.
At first we had the Barracudas naively lecturing us that property income was the only way forward. Well, that ain't going to happen now obviously. And now we have the new generation of Babalite posters acropss the corridor, far less intelligent than the original full shilling, telling us the Council must cave in, and let these people build all over our park and not give a penny to the club. What are these people on ? Do they understand anything of the real world ?

penzancepirate wrote:

With the capital costs, of course not GS.... not in a million years.

It is often said that 'student accomodation' is needed to finance the other 'leisure' investments, including football stadiums ... Exeter are the latest, and that may well be acceptable to Exeter CC as it is not in a park ... our case is sooooo different.

In our case, it's actually the 'student accomodation' that IS the actual object of the exercise and always has been, not leisure, both in terms of ongoing oh so rare guaranteed corporate cash turnover and future capital appreciation, where rents are high, and where specification is mlow and security of tenure is non existent ... a developer's dream with always the likliehood of it being inevitably reclassified as residential some time down the road.

With the capital needed to build these 'leisure facilities', AND THE NEW STAND, the figures don't add up in this park and never have.. that's why we have City councils building our facilities for us .. there's no long term profit in it, especially in the next ten years ... and just look at the Pavillions' history of losses in a period of Blair-a-plenty.
At first we had the Barracudas naively lecturing us that property income was the only way forward. Well, that ain't going to happen now obviously. And now we have the new generation of Babalite posters acropss the corridor, far less intelligent than the original full shilling, telling us the Council must cave in, and let these people build all over our park and not give a penny to the club. What are these people on ? Do they understand anything of the real world ?

Who cares as long as I've got my Argo !

Would anyone buy a bun from a baker that has a reputation for selling "dodgy" buns and is being taken to court for selling "dodgy" buns, on the basis that he'll deliver the bun "some time" after the customer has provided the payment?

They say us Janners have straw coming out of our ears, it's hard to argue that sometimes!

Best hope of it making money would br to transfer the activity from Union Street to Home Park and make it a red light area a la Hamburg.

pepsipete wrote:

Best hope of it making money would br to transfer the activity from Union Street to Home Park and make it a red light area a la Hamburg.

I might be tempted to buy a season ticket then!

Perhaps that's what these 'developers' have in mind Pete. Transferring the Warner village Chav Central up to the Park ... in fact, I'm sure that's what they'd do if they were given half a chance. There's no money in bums on seats at a cinema, that's just the headline act, it's all about the crass bolt ons they can build and the income derrived from the burger flippers, and high rent/no security of tenure 'student accomodation'.

I can't see this happening, I really can't ... Stapleton et al are trying their last gamble to 'realise their assets' as he put it not so long ago. So they've just gone out and hooked up with a cinema chain ..... the only takers probably.

I suspect the cinema is just talk and a ruse not uncommon in construction. Once planning is provided it is often resubmitted for change and as it's often too far down the road for permission not to be provided.

I see Carlyon Bay is about to kick off again, it's amazing what money, time and decay can achieve when it comes to influencing a councils decision and there are a great many other ways to influence those popular councillors!