Having read Binks' post on the Wakefield board, and as someone who has absolutely no knowledge of the current supermarket situation in Castleford, it looks to me like Tesco are objecting simply because the site is too small for them, but they don't want to see a smaller supermarket built on the site to take trade away from wherever their ideal location would be. That could be Wheldon Road or somewhere else. So whilst it's not bad news for Cas (Tigers), it's not cast iron good news either... just news.

Does that sound fair, or am I "trolling" (again)?

Think that's precisely what it is, but Tesco also go on to say that other Supermarkets have deemed the site insufficient for food retail (size, parking etc)

It's a rather vague statement, though, isn't it? What may be too small for Tesco may not be too small for Aldi or Lidl (unless you already have one or both of these). Either way, it implies that Tesco are still looking at Castleford as a viable location, depending on whether they get their ideal site and can keep their competitors out of town. All to play for, as they say.

FWIW The difference is this -

Aire Street Food retail (Tesco/morrison??) is approx 7500 sq meters spread over 2 floors (with all the added service/running costs that would come with it) within a 7 storey block including car parking, other retail and 80 appartments on a small footprint town centre(!!) site.

Wheldon Road food retail is 8000 sq meters in an "off the shelf flat pack" building plus parking and petrol station all on ground level with easy build access.

Which would you or I or Tesco or Morrisons go for?

AFAIK Aldi or Lidl don't do 8000 sq metre supermarkets.

I'd go for the smaller area, as I don't have sufficient stuff to sell on 8 sq metres, never mind 8,000.

Seriously, though... I wasn't suggesting either Lidl or Aldi do large developments, and I don't know which supermarkets already exist in Cas. However, a smaller retail area may be of interest to either of those chains, if they have no presence in the town, and may put Tesco off developing a larger plot, even if it is at less cost. I don't think either chain would be considered as Tesco's main rivals, but they may take sufficient trade away to make a Tesco development elsewhere less viable. I'm only commenting on a possible reason for the Tesco objection to development from what I've read of their submission, nothing more.

Ok final post on this without any fact being given

A few wakey fans quote as knowing for sure that Tesco have pulled out
Please show your source " the fact "

Well come on then

There are no facts - that's patently obvious. It's all rumours/conjecture. Perhaps someone has been creating rubbish and feeding it to the Wakey lot over't common in the hope of putting more obstacles in the way of Opus. Who knows?

The hypocrisy is breath taking on you Fully mate. You've done nothing but shout about the Glasshoughton project from the tree tops when you don't actually have a clue whats going on. Your first reaction to this latest news was to plaster it all over the forums with your own personal spin on it. Your only source of information is Dickie Wrights press releases and your own personal speculation. We've had all this with the Ben Bailey housing project that I told you was doomed to failure without any extra funding. This Opus thing has more holes in it than a block of Swiss cheese. Nobody outside of the inner circle knows what’s going so please don't pretend you do!

How did I know when I opened the thread to your post, that it would be quoting me.

Obsessed. Predictable. Boring. Move on.

PS. You don't know me nor what I know. Please go bore someone else.

My source is a Director of Limes Development, he's acted as an Agent for Tesco for over 20 years, if Tesco heve bought a site anywhere in the UK you can bet that the paperwork has crossed his desk at some point and if it's a major build or a tactically difficult situation he'll have dealt with it personally.

I've known him for over 10 years via two separate and very different transactions.

I have read this thread with, well disappointment mainly, but do have a view on this.

Essentially the Carlton Lanes/bottom of Cas car park has been stagnant for the best part of five years and be assured if ANY credible developer thought they could make money with the project, it would not have lain dormant for that period. That is a FACT and nobody can deny this regardless of reason.

Secondly, the change in status of certain businesses around Wheldon Road means that land in that area is a significantly more viable proposition than it was a couple oif years ago - again - FACT.

Opinions part:
Castleford and Fryston has grown hugely in the areas beyond WR toward the A1/Fairburn area and in my view there is no other Supermarket particularly in the close catchment for that area, so I would give that scheme some logic.

It is my belief that the Town Centre Development was always a non-starter based on cost of construction, cost of land and basic access, but, the group that put together the initial planning and the people in the WMDC group that backed it and were describing it as the saviour of the town and staking their credibility on the Town Centre project going ahead now get a free walk away option without looking daft:
They get to say, well the Town Centre scheme was my preference, but Opus put a compelling case forward and we couldn’t match it - all the while with their fingers crossed behind their backs becuase with the market and finaincial austerity there is really only the Opus scheme in my view that COULD fly, that is not to say it will, there still needs to be favourable winds, but it COULD.

There you go, my opinion, I am not an expert but I know my way round some capital investments and businesses. Do your worst.

See the official club site for today's update about the sale of WR.

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'"

One potentially good thing about Tesco maintaining interest in Wheldon Road (assuming they are) is that councils in the past have made funding of linked developments part of the deal. If I understand it correctly, Tesco are behind part of the funding behind the new Saints ground, and I know they are being asked to upgrade part of the adjoining Yorkshire cricket ground at Scarborough as part of their planning application.

I think it works out that they get planning permission provided they prop up financially what is a linked development (not dissimilar to Yorkcourt at Newmarket), which would I assume sort out any shortfall between the value of Wheldon Road and Glasshoughton.

I may be way out factually, but that is how I have seen it happen. Ask Saints who paid for their ground.

This is part (and I think the crux) of today's statement by Opus.

"I'd personally like to underline our full commitment to delivering this project and to emphasise the large amount of time and resource already invested in it by our team. We aim to publically announce some good news regarding the commitment of a retail operator in the next three to four months. We will then be able to assess more accurately the completion date for the new community Stadium." (DN not before the start of 2013 season)

If that commitment is contractual the news might be good but who'd be surprised if, in three to four months time, they're telling us about an operator whose 'commited to the concept' but not expected to sign-up for a further x months.