Quote: Inflatable_Armadillo "I have been trying to decide whether I should post this and also where I should post it! However, after some reflection I think it is important to post this, even if many will view this as me being negative and anti-Cas/Pro Wakefield and some will chose not to believe me at all... as after all, I can't reveal my source, just tell you that it is very reliable one!
I am posting it for two reasons, firstly I think Cas fans are being a little mis-lead by RW. I understand why he is doing this of course and if I was him and facing the licence issue and needing to present things in the best possible light I might do the same, but I do think that the fans are being possibly being deliberately mis-lead? Also, as someone who supports a 15 team SL or, if a side has to go, then it should be the failed Welsh folly, then I think the important perception that Cas are in front of Wakefield on a new stadium is unfair and now, given this news, you could say that Cas are now behind Wakefield. I don't want Cas or Wakefield to go, and what I hope this news might do is galvanise some Cas supporters into realising that losing either side is just plain wrong and unfair!
Well, here goes, I expect that another forum's members will get out their voodoo dolls and go into libel and slander overdrive...
So, a meeting has taken place between Castleford, Opus and senior planning officers at Wakefield Council, has as been widely publicized. However, this meeting was not very positive at all, in fact it was very negative and not very well received at all by the planning officers!
The long and short of is it that they perceive a retail/supermarket on Wheldon Road to have massive planning issues/implications and the proposals were seen, currently, as not being suitable for many reasons. Firstly, although this area is in the current LDF as a special regeneration zone they did not foresee any plans for major retail or a supermarket in this area at all, in fact the very opposite! Issues with increased traffic generation on the existing network and the implications for the continued re-development of both Castleford Town centre and also the established out of town retail zone at Glasshoughton.
They were, I understand, very sympathetic to Cas's situation and understood why they wanted to develop this land for this type of use, to benefit from a higher land sale value. They however were told that they have to view any application objectively and can't simply sit there and tell them everything is fine, when they have what they see as massive and legitimate planning concerns.
The meeting did end on a slightly more positive note and the planners told them that developing this land for retail was not necessarily impossible but was currently improbable, all things considered. They were happy to work closely with Opus and the club to try and present the best possible options for developing the land for an eventual application of this type on this site but, they thought that the possible section 106 implications on the developer (road and highways improvements) could be too onerous to make the development financially viable and that even then the were concerned that other planning issues, like the impact on Castleford Town Centre, might still lead them to recommending to the planning committee that they reject the application. They were also told that this was not going to be satisfactorily resolved in a short space of time and that even 12/18 months was hugely optimistic given what they had seen so far!
Finally, they did admit that the LDF may help their application longer term but as this is still a year away even if Opus just wanted to chance their arm with a planning application to the planning committee, doing so before March/April next year (when the LDF should be in force) was probably futile.
Personally, from what I have heard from my source, I do think that in the longer term prospects of getting some sort of retail of commercial use for the site may happen, but I think it is 2/3 years away before planning is granted on this site if at all!
Sorry, but this is from a very credible source, who shall of course remain confidential (sorry, I know some of you will poo-poo it just for this, but I trust them and that is the end of that) and I hope the more reasonable posters don't just shoot the messenger!'"
According to a friend of a friends uncle Dave's, sisters, brothers pet rabbit it doesnt matter if FULL planning permission takes 5 years as long as Outline PP goes through the funds will be given to CT from Opus. The reason the council were a bit cagey about it all is that Opus have many different tenders for the project and cover a wide range of different sizes and plans and different impacts on the area. They were basically too vague at this point as to what was actually going to be put on the site.
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