The Mail Bag
Nov 18th, more fireworks?
Comments (22)
Date set for inquiry into Blues' Kirkby stadium
Aug 18 2008 Liverpool Echo
A PUBLIC inquiry date has been set for Everton FC and Tesco's joint bid to build a stadium and superstore in Kirkby. The bid was called in by Government office North West only two weeks ago but now Whitehall has offered the date of November 18 for the public inquiry.
Cllr Ron Round, Leader of Knowsley Council, said: "The council has formally accepted the date and we?re pleased the inquiry will be heard so swiftly. The people of Kirkby deserve a final decision on the regeneration of their town and holding the inquiry before the end of the year will bring clarity on the future of this development. "We?ll now be talking to our partners about the next steps in this process.?
Tesco and Everton have also agreed the date and Tesco spokesman Michael Kissman has said they are equally pleased with the date. The stadium and Tesco store are part of a planned £400m redevelopment of Kirkby Town Centre.
EJ Ruane, Posted 18/08/2008 at 18:44:57
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
Anyone any idea how long these inquiries last and what the process is?
It’s good that this issue is going to be put to bed one way or the other swiftly. Kirkby needs regeneration, whether it’s this scheme or AN other - EFC need a stadium solution & it’s in everyone’s interests that the enquiry is held asap. I think the politicians should actually be applauded for once - it’s a sensible decision.
Carl,
The inquiry itself, given the size and controvertial nature of the application, should last around a month. The planning inspector would then prepare a report to go to the Sec of State for her to make a final decision and this is usually were the greatest ’delay’ will be seen. There will be a enourmous amount of detail for the inspector to deal with. Condensing that into a report and then awaiting the decision by the minister could well take upto and even beyond a year.
If it gets as far as a public inquiry, my guess is that we should know the outcome around this time (give or take a couple of months) next year.
The inquiry itself, given the size and controvertial nature of the application, should last around a month. The planning inspector would then prepare a report to go to the Sec of State for her to make a final decision and this is usually were the greatest ’delay’ will be seen. There will be a enourmous amount of detail for the inspector to deal with. Condensing that into a report and then awaiting the decision by the minister could well take upto and even beyond a year.
If it gets as far as a public inquiry, my guess is that we should know the outcome around this time (give or take a couple of months) next year.
Fantastic news!!!! As a pro-Kirkby supporter I feared the club was about to bail out. Thankfully the government for once have been true to their words to Knowsley council and Tesco/EFC in fast-tracking the inquiry AND Tesco must be looking after the clubs increasing costs to boot. According to posters on kipper the club cant consider alternatives as they are ’defending’ DK. I’ve a feeling Kirkby will get its regeneration and we will get our new stadium - happy days COYB!!!!
Cheers Neil
Well the clubs lawyers have obviously advised that DK has a great chance otherwise they wouldnt have advised the club to engage with an inquiry. Knowsley, Everton and Tesco seem to be really happy and i’m officially worried again. This wretched Kirkby thing IS going ahead folks. :(
All those against the move now have 3 months to come up with a deliverable and affordable alternative ithat is nside the the city boundary.
If their suggestions are to be credible lets have no more pie in the sky about mysterious investors lurking in the wings and Sainsburys or any other party including the city council with concrete proposals should cut out the shilly shallying and put them on the table.
As for any input from Toffeeweb posters could they please cut out the gutter language.
If their suggestions are to be credible lets have no more pie in the sky about mysterious investors lurking in the wings and Sainsburys or any other party including the city council with concrete proposals should cut out the shilly shallying and put them on the table.
As for any input from Toffeeweb posters could they please cut out the gutter language.
It is likely the Board at EFC will have been privately told about this timetable.
Many thought serious transfers or selling club depended on Kirkby decision and I still reckon that is the case.
So we may have a decision by Xmas and isn?t there another transfer window around then? May be a buyer waiting for decision too.
So until then it?ll be Alan Smith or similar to keep us in the league and then we?ll see what the decision is.
I can see statement laced with "not for want of trying" but I wonder is it more down to commercial reasons linked to Kirkby ?
We may have to face this season has been written off as a mid table season for commercial reasons linked to a controversial ground move.
Many thought serious transfers or selling club depended on Kirkby decision and I still reckon that is the case.
So we may have a decision by Xmas and isn?t there another transfer window around then? May be a buyer waiting for decision too.
So until then it?ll be Alan Smith or similar to keep us in the league and then we?ll see what the decision is.
I can see statement laced with "not for want of trying" but I wonder is it more down to commercial reasons linked to Kirkby ?
We may have to face this season has been written off as a mid table season for commercial reasons linked to a controversial ground move.
Dave, the club has put in a lot of effort and probably money in DK. It would be very strange if they bailed out at this moment. Even if the club currently thinks DK is a bad idea, they’ll need the inquiry to abandon DK without losing face.
I just hope they are exploring other options in the background.
I just hope they are exploring other options in the background.
Okay so the inquiry is only a few weeks away. But from my experience of public inquiries of this scale the decision can take years - I’m working on a housing development in the Midlands that is still awaiting a decsion from the inquiry last year - and the latest is October - almost 15 months after the inquiry. That’s what they ment by the inquiry putting things back by a year or two - it’s the actual DECISION that takes forever, as the Government needs to carefully consider everything. Think of it as a jury in a court case - they hear all the evidence and then go away and think about it. If it’s not a clear cut case they can take ages deliberating about it.
I guess that tesco will be underwriting our inquiry costs as they know that without EFC they will never succeed.
People banging on about regeneration are so wrong. The last thing kirkby needs is more minumum wage jobs. With no prospects therefore keeping people in the mud
If you want to regenerate the area. invest in youth, schools etc. Not tescos and working on the shelfs.
If you want to regenerate the area. invest in youth, schools etc. Not tescos and working on the shelfs.
Whilst I am against the stadium move I have never been against regeneration for Kirkby. This news then is taken with mixed emotion. Whilst I’d hoped that the whole thing had been flushed away, I am actually glad it’s happening sooner rather than later. Now this might sound odd as it’s the Tesco part which is to be examined rather than the Value range stadium, but i hope that many of the problems regarding transport etc will be addressed at the same time. Hopefully the club will make the decision rather...
It is not really the timing of any decision from public enquiry that matters, but rather the inevitable changes to the planning application that will come out of the enquiry that will make the project financially inviable. Furthermore the process will be further held up by the objections to the CPOs that will certainly happen from the residents on Cherryfield drive.
Anyone been down Edge Lane recently and noticed how nothing has happened around the masses of derelict houses for 18 months at the Kensington end? Well that is what happens when people object to CPOs that knock their homes down.
With all this in mind, I still expect EFC to bin the scheme formally prior to the EGM... if pride allows.
Anyone been down Edge Lane recently and noticed how nothing has happened around the masses of derelict houses for 18 months at the Kensington end? Well that is what happens when people object to CPOs that knock their homes down.
With all this in mind, I still expect EFC to bin the scheme formally prior to the EGM... if pride allows.
... Than weakly crying about the inevitable delays. I say that as whilst this bit has been fast tracked, how the decision itself could be rushed through without huge outcry is unimaginable. Those who’ve been awaiting decisions on smaller schemes are hardly going to be pleased to see something which breaches so many rules in through because Tesco are behind it.
So again, i hope Everton do pull out themselves and pressure LCC et al. Otherwise, plan B will be left to fester when Kirkby really falls apart.
So again, i hope Everton do pull out themselves and pressure LCC et al. Otherwise, plan B will be left to fester when Kirkby really falls apart.
Does anybody know whether the exclusivity deal with Tesco ends?
I thought this one had been put to bed, I cant believe this is another thing I must agonize myself about over the next three months! We need to look elsewhere!
I thought this one had been put to bed, I cant believe this is another thing I must agonize myself about over the next three months! We need to look elsewhere!
One thing I noticed is that TW are complaining about the ’misinformation’ of when the hearing would be, the board were probably going by how long most Public hearings take to get scheduled, you’re having a go at them for something that they had no idea about AND that will help the club anyway!
I’d just like to correct Roy, the residents affected over the CPO’s dont live on the stadium site. DK is what is called a "phased development" over many years, the first phase will be the stadium which doesnt have any housing on it at all. So if DK is approved the stadium goes ahead - it is the very first thing envisaged to be built as part of the DK "phased development" plan anyway, the CPO’s could delay another part of the "phased development" but you know and I know Tesco will ultimately be successful at that point anyway.
Jeremy
Yes your right," great news" the incredibly stupid exclusivity agreement you so willingly embraced will now drag on another year - at the least
You clearly arent happy that we’ve only stagnated for two years, only to end up with no plan B, perhaps your hoping one more year will just about finish us
Yes your right," great news" the incredibly stupid exclusivity agreement you so willingly embraced will now drag on another year - at the least
You clearly arent happy that we’ve only stagnated for two years, only to end up with no plan B, perhaps your hoping one more year will just about finish us
I think anyone either pleased or disappointed about this announcement are getting ahead of themselves. Everton - unlike Tesco and KMBC - have conspicuously held back from commenting on this development...there hasn’t even been an update on the club’s OS concerning it. As roy p warne suggests, Everton could well decline to take part in this Inquiry, maybe using the storm of protest amongst a majority of shareholders against the scheme to back up such a decision.
We all, including the dogs on the street, know about the public inquiry into DK starting in November next. It’s a huge story for EFC no matter what your point of view is regarding the whole issue. Yet, correct me if I’m wrong, there hasn’t even been a two line acknowledgement of this news on the Official Website.
One wonders!
One wonders!
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 18/08/2008 at 18:09:17
Report abuse