|  Author | Topic: Ground Redevelopment (Read 1,291 times) |
cmontheburnie
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|  | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #15 on Aug 20, 2008, 7:42am » | |
So all the councillors who are supposed to represent the interests of Blackburn all sat around in silence and never spoke up in support or had anything to say ? now theres a surprise.
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theobserver
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #16 on Aug 23, 2008, 6:33pm » | |
Aug 19, 2008, 2:43pm, Admin wrote:WLC's Property Services Manager Jack Orr yesterday afternoon, 18th August, presented to the Whitburn & Blackburn Local Area Committee his departments recommendations on Blackburn United Community Football Club's redevelopment proposal. In summary, he outlined that the Club's proposal hinged upon Murrayfield Park being developed for residential housing and the Club relocating to the Council owned open space to the east of the current ground. He further outlined that this was contrary to the Council's open space strategy as outlined in their Local Plan (2005) and would also present problems for WLC's Education Services as existing secondary school rolls in the Blackburn area cannot currently support any new residential development not already included in the aforementioned Local Plan. Consequently, Property Services recommended that the Club's proposals cannot be taken forward in their present form.
Blackburn United Vice President Ian McGinty was then given the opportunity to put forward a response and he explained that the Club's vision was to provide a modern facility for both the Club and the wider community, a facility that would allow the club to grow and engage further with the community and that would provide a focal point to help steer local youngsters away from anti social behaviour. Ian then stated that Murrayfield Park could not presently be considered public open space as the ground was for the Club's sole use under the terms of a ground lease that runs to 2021 and that the proposed redevelopment of the open space to the east of the village would see the site in question remain as predominantly open space reconfigured on much the same footprint with only a section of it being fenced off for the Club's exclusive use. Ian underlined that he felt Sport Scotland, who are the prime movers against public open space in communities being used for residential/commercial development, would not oppose a redevelopment that provided a modern sporting facility at it's core. Councillor Jim Swan suggested that much of what the Club proposed may be enabled as part of the ongoing Blackburn Partnership initiative.
The Chair of the meeting moved to minute the recommendation from Property Services and indicated that the Club should engage with Property Services on the matter in an attempt to identify a possible acceptable alternative. Ian indicated the Club's willingness to do so.
Progress will be posted on the main website and on this thread as and when it happens.
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As cmontheburnie said, where are these great Blackburn Councillors to speak up on the clubs behalf? nowhere to be seen I bet. Useless shower.
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brians
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #17 on Aug 24, 2008, 10:25pm » | |
On behalf of the youth teams at Blackburn we would like to thanks Ian and the rest of the guys for their continued work and effort in trying to secure BLACKBURN COMMUNITY FOOTBALL CLUB, FIT FOR PURPOSE training and Playing facilities. I think we must be the only village in the county who dont even have a astro kick pitch...speaks volumes the poor cousins.
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Ian
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #18 on Aug 28, 2008, 12:42pm » | |
Thanks Brian, the support of you and the under age teams is very much appreciated and may very well be important in the months ahead should we need to bring more pressure to bear on the Council.
It goes without saying that we desperately need to have them commit in some way to helping us if they're not willing to sanction the fully backed plan we approached them with. A plan that was central to helping grow our fledgling community football club. Their failure to give, in my opinion, any real and proper consideration to a proposal that would have been cost neutral to them but to instead allow it to fall at the very first hurdle by hiding behind the 'Open Space' issues in their Local Plan of 2005 is bitterly disappointing.
It's now a question of us trying to press them into bringing forward their own vision for improved football facilities in Blackburn, something which the Local Area Committee confirmed their Property Services people were willing to work with us on. We shall see as, rest assured, we won't be letting it go!!
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Admin
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #19 on Feb 8, 2009, 9:53pm » | |
Aug 28, 2008, 12:42pm, Ian wrote:| It's now a question of us trying to press them into bringing forward their own vision for improved football facilities in Blackburn, something which the Local Area Committee confirmed their Property Services people were willing to work with us on. We shall see as, rest assured, we won't be letting it go!! |
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After an October 2008 meeting with WLC Property Services, Sports & Educational Services and Land Services it has become apparent that WLC do not appear to have a vision for improved football facilities in Blackburn. Consequently, the Club have developed an alternative proposal for ground regeneration which would allow for stabilisation, growth and further engagement with the community of Blackburn. With the ongoing help of Councillor Gordon Beurskens this proposal has been presented to WLC Council Officers and LAC Councillors as part of the Club's recently released Development Plan.
The Club consider the regeneration outlined in the Development Plan essential to accommodate the existing needs of the football teams playing on a weekly basis in the village while also allowing for further expansion and engagement with the local community.
The regeneration proposal and the Club Development Plan can be viewed at.....
http://blackburnunited.homestead.com/Redevelopment.html
Any comments would be gratefully received.
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theobserver
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #20 on Feb 16, 2009, 9:31pm » | |
From what I hear the Council are again dragging their heels, I've heard there is cash earmarked for new facilities but the Council dont want to spend it for some reason, which is a disgrace.
West Calder dont have a community club but they get a spanking new ground, we do have a community club with a load of youth teams but get f**k all - as usual. Apart from Beurskins, where are all the other Blackburn Cooncillors? sitting on there erses raking in expenses no doubt.
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Admin
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #21 on Feb 25, 2009, 1:33pm » | |
A meeting, attended by all four Blackburn & Whitburn Local Area Committee Councillors and by Council Officers representing Community Services, NETs and Land Services, Culture and Leisure Services, Property Services and Sports Development, was held in Council Chambers on Tuesday 24th March 2009. At this meeting it was recognised by Council Officers that the Blackburn Partnership Centre, previously promoted by WLC as a project that might offer solutions to the decaying football facilities in Blackburn, should not stand in the way of allocated budget investment in the Murrayfield Park area at the heart of the community.
Consequently, Council Officers have undertaken to investigate options that might go some way towards meeting the Clubs aspirations as outlined in the Club Development Plan (see link in previous Admin post) and also largely mirrored in WLC's own "West Lothian Outdoor Facilities Strategy" of March 2005 (conducted by Torkildsen Barclay Leisure & Sports Consultants) - see pages 34 to 37 of the document found by clicking on this link http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/downloaddoc/1799441/1856768/1856791 - and report back to Club and Councillors in six weeks time.
Further updates will continue to be posted on this thread and on the main website where necessary.
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Admin
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| | Re: Ground Redevelopment
« Reply #22 on May 20, 2009, 5:49pm » | |
Feb 25, 2009, 1:33pm, Admin wrote:| Consequently, Council Officers have undertaken to investigate options that might go some way towards meeting the Clubs aspirations as outlined in the Club Development Plan and report back to Club and Councillors in six weeks time. |
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A further meeting with local Councillors and Council Officers went ahead on Friday 15th May to discuss options proposed by WLC Construction Services to provide the Club with a six dressing room changing facility. Of seven options, four involved variations on a theme, either being part of the proposed new Partnership Centre, earmarked for 2014 at the earliest, or being part of an extended Community Centre. Given that Councillor Buerskens had confirmed at a previous meeting that the Chief Executive of WLC has indicated that there are no plans for the Partnership Centre to include sporting facilities (seemingly the recent investment at St. Kentigern's Academy is intended to provide this) and that the ultimate provision of such a Partnership Centre is likely to result in the demolition of the Community Centre, none of these options were pursued. A fifth option was to emulate the Broxburn United project now underway at Albyn Park but the costs involved would considerably dwarf what WLC have budgeted to invest in Blackburn.
Consequently, only two of the seven options were discussed at any length:
1. Extend the existing Ash Grove changing facility next to the Community Centre
2. Build a new, Sibcas type construction between Murrayfield Park and the all-weather park
After lengthy discussion it was decided that Council Officers would pursue further discussions with WLC Construction Services on these two options with a view to ultimately agreeing with the Club the most appropriate course of action, at which point any necessary plans would be drawn up. It should, though, be noted that the build costs of either option are significantly greater than the available budget. Accordingly, once agreement is reached on which option provides best value and once appropriate plans are in place, WLC have offered to make available their own in-house experts to help source additional funding from the various bodies that provide grant aid for this type of project.
Further updates will continue to be posted on this thread and on the main website.
(For further reference see http://blackburnunited.homestead.com/Redevelopment.html)
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