What a waste!

[ChrisB 150]

Here's a bit of trivia for anyone who may be interested, although it's not exactly a trivial matter.

Today saw the start of the demolition of the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield.

It was built in 1990 and it's lasted just 23 years. It cost £29 million to build.

It's been used for some rugby matches and a few pop concerts but perhaps never fully utilised.

Sheffield Council said they couldn't justify the cost of running it when they have to find £50 million's worth of budget cuts so it has to go.

Should it have been built in the first place? Well times were better then but it's £29 million down the drain now.

The money that's wasted in this country beggars belief!

[mick2me 3,033]

Wheres De Da Pete when you need him

[FLY2 10,108]

Maybe he 'Self Deleted' !!!!!

[Michael Booth 7,364]

I can remember taking my eldest son to play football at the Don Valley Stadium a few years ago. It had really good facilities and access and, after reading the post from ChrisB, I find it's beyond belief that it's to be demolished.

[fch782c 144]

Don't know about anyone else but I am willing to bet that demolishing the stadium has absolutely nothing to do lack of funding but more to do with the fact that some mega rich property developer was more than generous to the local council in return for a nice piece of prime building land with a promise that there will be a few of the less desirable plots developed as affordable housing association properties leaving a nice big fat chunk of profit to redevelope another allegedly non profitable recreational plot of land.

[fch782c 144]

GEDLING Borough Council wants to exclude parts of King George V Playing Field from a covenant in order to build a new leisure centre.

The land in Arnold is a registered charity administered by the Charity Commission and Gedling Borough Council acts as its trustee.

The field was given to Gedling Borough Council and set up as a recreation ground in 1950. To make sure the land was protected, a covenant was put in place to ensure it remains "a public recreation ground, playing fields and rest garden".

However, the council now wants to build a new leisure centre on the land and has proposed to designate Nottingham Road Recreation Ground, between George Street and Charles Street, as a protected recreation ground instead.

The Gedling Charities Independent Panel is asking residents for their views.

Rev Philip Williams, chairman of the panel, said: "We need to consider whether the swap takes into account the original purpose the land was given over for and whether the swap is in the interests of those who benefit from the charitable trusts."

>>>>≥>>>>>>>>>>>≥>>>>>>>>>>>>≥≥>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So it seems when it comes to planning consent the council seems able to build whatever they want wherever they want

Does anybody know if planning consent has been granted, it also makes one wonder if the council were a little premature with their decision to evict Arnold town football club to a site they obviously can't afford.

[DAVIDW 1,681]

If you go here you can search for planning applications

https://pawam.gedling.gov.uk/online-applications/

If you type in "King George V" last permission dates back to 2006 for a cctv pole !

[mick2me 3,033]

What is happening to Elvaston Castle?

Last I heard was that it was being sold to a hotel chain?

This building and land actually belongs to the public!

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

FCH you think like me. But I am always suspicious of things like that. If it's public money being wasted, councillors and their ilk do not worry about it. As long as they can make a killing out of it.

[TGC 216]

Don't know about anyone else but I am willing to bet that demolishing the stadium has absolutely nothing to do lack of funding but more to do with the fact that some mega rich property developer was more than generous to the local council in return for a nice piece of prime building land with a promise that there will be a few of the less desirable plots developed as affordable housing association properties leaving a nice big fat chunk of profit to redevelope another allegedly non profitable recreational plot of land.

The devious world of politics, local and national, never ceases amazing me.

Their fiddling and cunning has no bounds it seems.

I can't see any alternative system that would work for government.

Perhaps the only action would be for MPs and councillors to be honest, moral, dignified and compassionate... what am I thinking? Silly me!

TTFN

[fch782c 144]

Residents win battle over public land, but for how long? Nobody will win as the council always have the last say

RESIDENTS have won the latest battle in a long-running fight to retain parks and walks given to the people of the city over 150 years ago.

A piece of land on the site of a former tea rooms in The Arboretum was being used as a car park by Nottingham High School.

The use had been allowed by the city council, despite legal advice that it could only be used for public recreation under the Nottingham Inclosure Act of 1845.

**** *****, chairman of Friends of the Forest, said she had to remind the council of the legal position and the school has now been given two weeks to stop using it.

Mrs ***** said the issue was the latest in a string of incidents where the city council, which holds four parks, two cemeteries and three miles of walks in trust, has allowed various "misuses" to happen or gradually develop.

This has led to some of the grounds being lost or put under threat.

"When the 1845 Inclosure Act was laid out it was with great pride and pleasure," she said.

"But over the years the sanctity of the land has been slowly forgotten and eroded and little bits and pieces of land have been sold off or built on.

"These central city parks and walks are an historic treasure that we have got to keep an eye on because once they are lost, they are lost for ever.

"It must become something that the city is proud of like they used to be."

Mrs ***** said she knew the council was aware of the legal position because she became involved in a legal argument with them when the former Park pub which was formerly the tea rooms was due to be sold to Nottingham Boys High School to use as a nursery in 2006.

This ultimately led to an appeal to the Commissioner for the Freedom of Information Act, who ruled that the legal advice given to the council that the land must be kept for public walks and recreation for ever should be made public.

Mrs ***** said this meant that the various Friends and residents' groups knew "with absolute authority" that the land was protected by statute.

***** *****, head of parks and open spaces at Nottingham City Council, said: "The use of the car park was only a temporary measure whilst we are reviewing our options in respect of the site."

***** **** , headmaster at Nottingham High School, said: "We are in discussions with the council about the use of the land."

The land included in the Nottingham Inclosure Act includes the parks at The Forest, The Arboretum, Queen's Walk Park, and Victoria Park, as well as General Cemetery and the Rock Cemetery, and walks along Robin Hood Chase, Elm Avenue, Corporation Oaks, St Ann's Hill and Queen's Walk.

[Rob.L 1,088]

#6 Mentioned this elsewhere (http://nottstalgia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=11394#entry203981).

It was the great Stalinist idea of the leader of Gedling's previous administration - close all the leisure centres, including Calverton, and build a new one on the KGV field. He thought he could ride roughshod over the King George Fields covenants and restrictions, yet was quite happy to use them as ammunition to get rid of Arnold Town football club to the wilds of Eagle Valley, and to near-extinction.

Turned round and bit him in the end, when he got ousted from power and the new regime scrapped the plan.

[catfan 14,793]

Bet the local council is labour controlled.

[Rob.L 1,088]

It is now. It wasn't when the grand plan was formulated.