Dirty Den?!

Halifax had a live feed of their stand been completed

Right one quick (ok, it's me, not quick)... one post from me!

I have to be up early tomorrow to head to London for the day! I am going to be putting a nice large cash deposit down on a docklands flat I have had my eye on for a while now. I have unexpectedly come into a large amount of cash, that was handed to me in a brown paper bag as I left the Town Hall earlier today... which was nice!

On a serious note, I think TrinitarianWF2's posts sum up things well. Mr Cummage was a plain and simple smear campaign ambush and further more, the inspector is clearly minded to dismiss his evidence and did say just that... he was not happy with him in the slightest and this may have backfired on the objectors big style! I think we have to question his motivation for giving evidence and it looks like it might, unfortunately, be motivated by local club rivalry. Mr Cummage lives in Lofthouse, nearer to J41 M1 than J30 M62 but he owns a business in Castleford and the 'news' of this impending ambush was broken on Cas Forum just a few hours before it then happened! It is very difficult not to draw conclusions from this and given the Mr Cummage was very reluctant to say who he was, what business he owned (the inspector had to push him to reveal this, as he didn't want to say) and his only 'tie' to the site was "We are thinking about buying a house in Methley" leaves me very suspicious of his motivation for giving evidence to the PI. I suspect had the inspector known in advance who he actual was, then he might of been minded to not let him speak, but because he was down as being part of a group from Methley Residents Association, I think this is how he slipped in under the radar.

BTW, clearly it is OK for me to question his motivation because mine is so very clear... see above about brown paper bags!

The other witnesses that appeared were quite weak. The Barton Willmore guy didn't seem to know who he was actually working for when asked, who are "Wakefield Residents Interest Group' by YCP's barrister and wanted to avoid answering the questions. When asked, so who actually instructed you, the answer was Paul Williams & June Fender. Paul Williams being a Newmarket Lane resident and June being a busy body from Methley of course! When June Fender was pushed on if she had paid Barton Willmore, she was forced to answer that a 'sponsor' had paid them!!!

Two other witnesses lost all credibility when asked one question at the end of them extolling the ecological virtues of this site... have you read the Environmental impact statements and addendum's submitted to this inquiry? No, was the answer... and pop went that balloon! God only knows why they didn't read them and at least refute some of the evidence and points made within them... they spent 20 minutes talking and it was all gone in one word... no!

The final Ecology guy from Crofton had read the statements and had indeed even talked to Yorkcourt's Ecologist, although they clearly disagreed with each other... but he blotted his copy book a little by questioning Mr Hesketh's (YCP Ecologists) professional integrity!

Finally, we had June Fender who even had me speechless... and that takes some doing! She went on a potentially libel assault of WMDC, YCP & Peter Box and I was just staggered by what she was prepared to say in an open public forum! Andrew Piatt of Yorkcourt called her evidence defamatory and let WMDC give her a good kicking. I think that WMDC barrister had no choice given what she had said, but he was hard but very fair on her and he actually guided her out of libelling WMDC & Peter Box but at the same time this showed her up for what she was!

Even I stuck the boot in at the end a little and G.Price Fan Club lined her up with a couple of questions and I followed up and got her to admit that WCCG was not a conservation group, did not exist prior to Newmarket being mooted and that it was actually a residents action group just formed to oppose the project.

So, all in all I think they did themselves more harm than good and whomever thought letting June Fender speak was a good idea clearly needs their bumps feeling!

Finally, I know lots of financial stuff and section 106 agreements have got people all excited, especially on the other forum, but we just need to let this inquiry concluded and also let us understand exactly what came out of today and what YCP will say about the ambush. We have met with Yorkcourt and others and have no reason to doubt their motivation, integrity and commitment to this project.

Simple question then. Having read the section 106 agreement is it the case that the B8 has to just be committed to via the signing of contracts or do they have to be built and working first? Effectively, does Yorkcourts letter to the inquiry guarentee the stadium will be built first or does the 106 say different?

That dots a lot of I s and crosses a lot of T s ---- very very interesting- thanks for that.

Think some on the Fax forum are clutching at straws saying it's not going well for us (if you look on the Cas board). Even suggesting will they get to replace us in Superleague if all goes to pot. Some people never learn.

Are they popping into to Diggerland to view the bulldozers RW got from the sponsors for the shot at GH for their SL franchise submission prior to the last one

Ridings FM highlighting LCC oposing the project but previously highlighting the facilities in the World Cup bid!
This has been covered in the Inquiry I believe but good to see the local media jumping on it.

Quote: lifelongfan "Trawled all over to find that picture but carn't find it, any sad person got it ????'" here you go www.ayberspace.co.uk/ayberspace/ ... age_id=147 It was on Tigers TV back in 2008 but the file is not accessible however the 'footprint' is

Quote: lifelongfan "Trawled all over to find that picture but carn't find it, any sad person got it ????'" here you go www.ayberspace.co.uk/ayberspace/ ... age_id=147 It was on Tigers TV back in 2008 but the file is not accessible however the 'footprint' is

Many thanks to all who have worked so hard on the Newmarket project .
Cannot wait to renew my season ticket for the first season there.
Think positively everyone.

Wonder if Richard wright will turn up at glasshoughton to tell the inspector how well things are going and that the stadium will be up and running in 2013!!??

It's a pity. I would have been interested in reading the Stadium Update for 22nd April 2009 in the light of the recent letter from the Cas CEO regarding groundsharing.

I would hope Richard has learnt to keep his neb out!

If he hadn't sent that letter I honestly believe the only time Junction 32 would have been mentioned was by t'old Fender Bender.
Because he sent the letter he forced the issue from a great number of sources (WMDC, Yorkcourt & IA) all of which told "home truths" that have remained out of the consciousnesses of many of us. In my view (and I have been at the inquiry 5 days) Junction 32 has come out of this a lot more blackened that before the inquiry sat.

Anyone with an objective head on can see the similarities of both schemes, yes the have fundamental differences, but also have key similarities. The most crucial of all being that they are triggered by enabling developments. In fairness to the "stadium race" that has been perpetuated over the past 10 years I think it's safe to say at this moment we are neck and neck. SHOULD Junction 30 get the green light we will be way out in front.
Full planning permission for the stadium having to be submitted by August at the very latest & work commencing on the rest of the development virtually from the word go. Having spoken to the Yorkcourt barrister yesterday I have no concerns over a client/clients being found. I don't think it would be prudent to quote him on here just yet, but rest assured an end client/clients have been involved from the creation of the project.

While I wish Richard Wright et al all the best I have serious concerns for the viability of their business once we begin construction, similarly the same concerns for us IF Castleford start to build. In my eyes the first one to build will take an accent that will be insurmountable for the other. The insecurity that is created by being perceived to be being "left behind" builds and undermines your viability as a business, as we saw this time last year.