Exactly this - he obviously had an attack of the squits when the story hit the national media and that quickly translated into local pressure - including a lot of difficult questions on social media. Box may be arrogant, but he's not immune to being embarrassed into action - which appears to have been the case here.

I'd suggest that Andrea Jenkins is our best friend right now - Box can't gag her like he did with the Labour councillors, and she seems very willing to ask the difficult questions for the sake of gaining some political traction; so whilst ever our aims are aligned with her political aspirations, we should exploit that, just as she is doing with us.

One would also hope that from here onwards, the Trust will take specialist advice on every single step, to avoid any further skullduggery by York Court - the first being to ensure that whichever legal entity is named on the S106 agreement can't simply dissolve itself to avoid liability.

I emailed the three councillors for my area - 2 labour and 1 UKIP
No prizes for guessing who replied

I've had a good think about this and tried to think "deceitfully"
If I was in Box's shoes I'd have had this agreement sorted and in my back pocket ready for the publicity to hit home, hoping that the pressure wouldn't come for a while.
I'd then wheel it out at a council meeting taking a while to hand over details to the trust. Fanfare in the local press etc.
I'd then be hoping for long and protracted negotiations, all taking time and taking it through to December when the original Planning permission runs out.
By this time Box can publicly state that'd he tried, it hadn't worked and a new planning permission will be granted with no nod to the 60.000sqM trigger.
Does that make sense?

Or there is a problem with the Glasshoughton project and Cas need somewhere to play.

Do you know, I jokingly said the same to a kid at work but stranger things have happened. It would be funny though if it were to happen

Let's ground share, build it in Normy!

I had been told a while ago that Mick Carter had told Steve Gill where mistakes had been made with Newmarket, signed agreements etc.

Haw hill park would suit you wouldn't it pal?



I have to say it does seem convenient that he has come out with this now, knowing a project of this nature will take years to complete, when the original application expires in December..... I appreciate the pressure he has been put under but it just doesn't ring true to me that he has seemingly succumbed so quickly and easily. I don't believe for a second that this has just been gathering dust in a lever arch file....

Considering cas have a "potential" date to move in for 2020 (nothing more than potential) I'm not sure how long it'll take for the Newmarket development to come to fruition, considering these trigger points are still a fair bit away.

Hopefully the application renewal, if required, is a fairly straightforward process.

Box being a cas fan is irrelevant to me. I've never liked the bloke and I've had experiences to form quite a solid opinion.

That being said, sometimes it's better the devil you know. A big upheaval in the council cabinet could be as much of a hindrance as a help.

With regard to box using the Newmarket development as a toe dipper for the castleford one, I really can't see that being the case.

Bear in mind Carter and Gill are both very down to earth and practical business men, and they have an excellent relationship as far as I am aware. This can only be positive for rugby league in the area AND for both developments.

Carter has said recently that if he & Steve Gill had been at the helm a few years ago, a shared stadium would've already been sorted. Both are shrewd operators & have transformed both clubs respectively!

From whats gone on so far any number less than 60,000 means jack (imo)

Excactly what I was alluding to earlier jinjer. I'm sure his speech and rhetoric had been prepared some months ago and were kept gathering dust in a drawer somewhere until the appropriate time arrived.
What struck me as Box was speaking was how nervous he seemed to be; not the experienced orator I expected the leader of the council AND the WY Combined Authorities to be. Possibly he was aware that those in the public gallery weren't going to Kow Tow to him like his acolytes would.

Let's hope Andrea Jenkins can hold on to her seat now the snap General Election has been called. Last thing we need is Ed Balls back in place.