STADIUM WAKEFIELD ACTION GROUP
2011
23-11-2011
The Public Inquiry into the new Wakefield & District Community Stadium effectively finished today with a site visit to Belle Vue. Although proceedings have now been completed, the Planning Inspector Harold Stephens has adjourned the Inquiry until the 24th January 2012 to allow documents for both sides to be submitted. He will then review this information along with all the statements made from the interested parties during the past three weeks before compiling a report
It is expected that Mr Stephens will submit his report to the Secretary of State Eric Pickles within three months of the Inquiry ending. There is no time limit on when Mr Pickles has to make a decision, however, it is likely that one will be made in the Spring of 2012 to allow construction of the stadium, should outline planning approval be granted by Government Office, to begin “mid 2012”. The build is expected to take 59 weeks to complete and is earmarked to be ready for the 2014 Super League season.
06-12-2011
Tuesday 6th December saw the opening of the Public Inquiry for the proposals for a mixed use development at Newmarket which includes the building of a Community Stadium and Sports Facilities.
A crowd of around 200 people gathered outside the Town Hall in Wakefield to show their support for the proposals and their voices could be heard in the Inquiry itself as the proceedings began.
SWAG, Residents for Newmarket and the Supporters Trust are all angered by the only statutory objector - Leeds City Council - who wish to prevent this development from happening, despite the thousands who have shown their support for the scheme and the unanimous approval granted by Wakefield Council's own Planning and Highways committee in October 2010.
We also note with interest the introduction of a letter from Castleford Tigers Chief Executive, Richard Wright, who has 'muddied the water' by suggesting the use of facilities at Glasshoughton. We would note for the record that the Stadium referred to by Richard Wright does not exist; has no finance to be completed; is not a 'Community' Stadium as it is intended to be owned and operated by a private company; does not contain the additional facilities afforded by Newmarket - i.e. a full size artificial pitch and full size training pitch - not to mention that the stadium is in fact in Castleford, and would not sustain a viable Wakefield club. We are disappointed therefore that Richard has chosen to represent his club in order to provide the opposition for Newmarket with information which seeks to damage the magnificent opportunity afforded to Wakefield - both City and Club.
Despite the objections raised, we remain confident that the Inspector will review the proposals as a whole, for the benefit of the district, and will reach the conclusion we have, that Newmarket represents a one-off opportunity to realise the building of a new Community Stadium and Sports Facilities and simultaneously bring up to 2,000 permanent jobs to the Wakefield district which are so vital in these extremely harsh economic times.
02-12-2011
Re: Public Inquiry for Newmarket at the Town Hall, Wakefield on Tuesday 6th December 2011
Wakefield at War!
We, as representatives of the 3 bodies listed above, wish it to be publicly known that we consider ourselves to be ‘AT WAR’ with Leeds City Council.
On 23rd October 2010 the Planning and Highways committee of Wakefield Council unanimously approved the plans for the development at Newmarket Lane, Stanley, WF3 which include a range of commercial units and a much sought after Community Stadium and Sports Facilities. Two months later we faced despair as the approved plans were ‘called in’ by the Secretary of State, Eric Pickles, so that a Public Inquiry could instead be held to determine the outcome of the scheme.
In addition to the approval of Wakefield Council, the scheme has had in excess of 3,000 people writing to support the proposal and over 15,000 people have signed a pro development petition.
Today, as we approach the start of the Public Inquiry, there is only one statutory objector -Leeds City Council (LCC), whose objection includes the proximity of the Leeds based “Aire Valley Regeneration Scheme” and that the Newmarket Lane site is green belt land well used by local constituents.
As co-members of the Leeds City Region, Wakefield Council and Leeds City Council are bound to work together in a spirit of co-operation for the mutual benefit of the region and its citizens. Leeds City Council’s objection to this scheme stands in the way of Wakefield being allowed to build a fully funded Community Stadium and Sports Facility together with the construction of commercial units which have the potential to create up to 2,000 jobs, - and all this in an era of spiralling unemployment and a lack of public and privately funded development.
We wish to make it clear to the public of Wakefield and beyond that we consider the actions of Leeds City Council in this matter to be entirely self-serving. In particular, we believe Councillor Keith Wakefield, Leader of Leeds City Council, is guilty of displaying self-interest both politically as a serving member for an adjoining ward, and commercially, by promoting the interests of Leeds’ own developments in the nearby Aire Valley. This is because while this Leeds based development in the Aire Valley enjoys the benefit of “Enterprise Zone” status Leeds City Council’s objection to the Newmarket Lane development effectively condemns Wakefield to a future devoid of a sporting facility which would preserve professional sport in the City (Wakefield Trinity Wildcats) as well as providing a home for a host of other amateur sports which the Wakefield district lacks.
In addition, the loss of jobs to the region, which would undoubtedly provide benefit to the Southern parts of Leeds, would be a massive opportunity lost.
The Newmarket Lane development is within Wakefield Council’s boundary. It is sited south of an 8 lane motorway which separates the authorities and will provide the access to the development, making it the ideal location in which Wakefield Council can fulfil its obligations under the Local Development Framework which demands Wakefield provides in excess of 100ha of industrial land along the M62 corridor. Furthermore, the majority of the site is not greenfield, being land which once formed the site of Newmarket Colliery with the dust, dirt and disruption that this would bring to the area.
It is our contention that the future of this site should be decided by the residents of the City of Wakefield alone and, as has already been stated above, the people of Wakefield have already spoken and our voices demand to be heard!
Phil Townsend of SWAG stated ‘SWAG have been campaigning for over 7 years to have a Community Sports Facility built which would make Wakefield proud, now only Keith Wakefield, and his use of public money to protect the interests of Leeds stand in the way of completing our aims. In an age of austerity we should be grateful that we have such a wonderful, fully funded, opportunity to improve the quality of life and opportunities for thousands of people’.
Jonathan Stone of Residents for Newmarket added ‘There is a clear case for supporting the Newmarket development. It all adds up from the aspect of job creation; access to the motorway; the re-use of industrial land and the benefits to the district brought by the building of the Community Stadium. The case brought by Leeds is based purely on self-interest and we are confident that we are able to counter any argument against it that they can construct’.
From the supporters of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Chairman of the Supporters Trust, Ian Bramley, continued ‘It is widely considered that Wakefield Trinity Wildcats remain in Super League only via the last minute withdrawal of Crusaders. This has granted us with the opportunity to secure the future of this famous club for current and future generations and this will, in turn, allow the club and it’s own Community Trust to continue to deliver the fantastic work through it’s schools and community programmes focused on the elements of healthy living through diet and exercise. We also believe that the club can genuinely aspire to success in the model as Warrington have shown as a result of moving to their own new stadium site’.
We therefore urge all supporters of the scheme to join us outside the Town Hall from 9.00am on Tuesday 6th December to show their support for the Newmarket Scheme!
Phil Townsend – Spokesman for SWAG – Stadium Wakefield Action Group
Jonathan Stone – Spokesman for Residents For Newmarket
Ian Bramley – Chairman, Wakefield Trinity Supporters Trust
24-11-2011
Public Meeting - Tuesday 29th November 7.30pm - Cats Bar, Belle Vue, Wakefield
At 10.00am on the 6th December 2011 at the Town Hall in Wakefield the Public Inquiry for the proposals for the development at Newmarket in Wakefield will begin.
The proposals contain the urgent requirement for a Community Stadium for Wakefield - a facility to be available to sporting clubs, groups and individuals from within the district and beyond - together with Commercial development which includes Warehouses, small industrial units and a hotel.
The Commercial element of the development will enable the developer - Yorkcourt - to provide significant funding to ensure that the Community Sporting Facilities, including the Stadium, will be built.
SWAG, who have been working towards the construction of a Community Stadium and Sports Facilities since 2004, in conjunction with the Residents for Newmarket group and the Wakefield Trinity Supporters Trust, are now calling an open public meeting for Tuesday 29th November at which we will reveal details of our campaign to ensure that our opinions are heard at the Public Inquiry.
We will be calling for all of those who support this development to join us outside the Town Hall at 9am on the morning of the 6th December.
It is our contention that this proposal should be passed, just as it was unanimously by the planning committee at Wakefield Council in 2010. There is a need both for improved sporting facilities for amateur sporting clubs and for Wakefield's only full time professional sporting club - Wakefield Trinity Wildcats - who's future in Super League is very much dependent upon this facility being completed.
Doors will be open from 7pm and we would ask anyone attending to arrive early to ensure a place at the meeting. There will be a number of speakers on the night to update the details of the development and to provide an insight into the workings of the Public Inquiry itself.
SWAG will then reveal further details of the campaign surrounding the Public Inquiry.
Phil Townsend
Spokesman for SWAG - Stadium Wakefield Action Group
10-06-2011
Newmarket! Comment on Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Announcement re. Belle Vue.
Following the release of information from the Wildcats club that there are now firm proposals for works to improve the Belle Vue ground and bring it up to the required standard for Super League rugby, we would like to make it known that we understand that this work is meant as a stop-gap to allow the club time to develop new facilities.
Having been campaigning on behalf of a new Community Stadium for over 7 years, we are aware of the difficulties in obtaining the required land, funding and planning permissions required to obtain a facility of this size and value. There are many hurdles to cross, and anyone involved in these type of developments will be aware it is necessary to have the support of the local authority; have a site with a suitable designation and have a mechanism to bring together the funding - be it from existing assets or from external sources. We remain confident that the site at Newmarket provides all of these, with the land currently due to be re-designated under the councils LDF review providing the background for the Public Inquiry, scheduled for December 2011, to allow the proposed development at Newmarket to proceed with a commencement during 2012. The development itself being granted planning permission (subject to the Public Inquiry) very much on the strength of the provision of a new Community Stadium supported b y the 15,000+ signatures already lodged with WMDC planning department.
In light of the above we would confirm that the newly released plan to improve Belle Vue merely increases the likelihood of Newmarket proceeding as it will hopefully ensure that Super League rugby is maintained in Wakefield, be that in a 14 team completion or more.
Phil Townsend
Spokesman for SWAG - Stadium Wakefield Action Group
21-03-2011
News has finally filtered through regarding the Public Inquiry into the Newmarket Development.
The key dates are the 6th December 2011, when the Inquiry begins and is expected to last for a period of 12 days, and the 17th March 2012, when the provisional report is to be submitted to the Secretary of State to review.
A decision on the fate of Newmarket will then be issued by Government Office in the period after on a date which is yet to be agreed.
03-03-2011
As you are no doubt aware, in December last year the Newmarket proposal was ‘called in’ by the Secretary of State Eric Pickles for a Public Inquiry. Details of when this inquiry is to be heard are yet to be agreed, however, the planning inspectorate case reference number has been released.
If you wish to follow the progress of this case you can do so through accessing the planning inspectorate portal and entering the following reference number; APP/X4725/V/11/2144563.
26-01-2011
Residents FOR Newmarket (RfN) are a growing group of local residents who SUPPORT the proposed Newmarket development and not just because it provides Wakefield Trinity with a new stadium, but because of the large number of jobs that the site will provide and the community sports and educational facilities that form part of, and will be commercial supported and funded by the wider development.
They have created a 'Statement of Support' that they are asking people to consider signing and returning to RfN, so they can be passed on to the planning inspectorate, on-mass, to clearly show that a small group of objectors do not speak on behalf of ALL local residents.
While 'Residents FOR Newmarket' are targeting local residents within a three mile radius of the site, they are also asking all people within the wider Wakefield District and South Leeds area to participate in and complete Statements of Support if they support the development. The Statement is clear and self explanatory so they and the planning inspectorate knows what they are supporting.