General New Stadium Plans - The Triangle - Land Deal

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

We're on the agenda again at Kidlington Parish Council's meeting tonight.



Watch live on Zoom https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88165935184?pwd=YmRuZFRIcFp4SEd5UVhTVzlvOFkzUT09

Password and participant code in image.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Stadium Work Streams Begin

Oxford United Football Club are delighted to announce a series of work streams that will be starting immediately following the decision by Oxfordshire County Council to proceed with negotiations on ‘The Triangle’ site.

www.oufc.co.uk

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I've emailed to be added to their mailing list to be part of the consultation process. I mentioned where I live so they can use or discount me when appropriate.

 

[Yellowarmy]

I'll try my best to allay your fears, as you've mentioned me by name.

The intention has always been for a long term lease (250 years has been mentioned) from OCC, as landowner, to OUFC, as lease holder. It would be at a rent similar to that currently being paid by the fencing company (£440 pa) and would be non-transferrable. This means the club could not be separated from the stadium. Furthermore, there would likely be covenants on the lease restricting what it could be used for. There would almost certainly be a clause that would state that in the event of the club going bankrupt, or ceasing to exist, the lease is cancelled and the land reverts to OCC (who would always hold the freehold anyway). All of this is to prevent another Kassam situation occurring. Oxford Park Developments Ltd have been formed as the development/construction company, as is usual in the situations, but would not be the lease holder, merely the developer.

What all of this also does is provide very substantial extra business rates into the council coffers, meaning that from a financial perspective OCC would show that they are getting best value compared to at present. This is important to stop the anti's claims that they're giving away a valuable asset. It's so much of an asset that the council are only getting £440 for it each year!

As you say, it will all be in the Heads of Terms, but certainly from conversations I've had with councillors, it seems as if the two parties could be aligned.

Thanks for the inside info Colin. Presumably, the club are accutely aware of the need to sit down with Cherwell District Council immediately. The timeline is so tight and Identifying the needs and wants of cdc and building a strong relationship is vital.

 

[Sarge]

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I've emailed to be added to their mailing list to be part of the consultation process. I mentioned where I live so they can use or discount me when appropriate.

done the same ( except ox3 of course, isnt ox5)

 

[The mighty Aldo]

E mail sent to Oxford Mail letters let’s see if it’s published

Having seen plenty of letters sent to the Oxford Mail condemning the proposed new stadium at Frieze Way I thought to get some balance I would write in to support it
First of all if this development doesn’t go ahead it is the end of Oxford United Football Club.
Unfortunately since Mr Kassam got involved with the club the writing has been on the wall. He saw taking over the club as a business opportunity nothing more and because he won’t enter into negotiations to further the lease the club is in real peril.
Oxford United have thousands of followers you don’t get to three Wembley finals and sell out your allocation of 30000 tickets without a lot of people supporting them.
Now like any club, support increases when you are doing well and have decent surroundings. Mr Kassam/Firoka have done nothing but the minimum to look after the Stadium and it is in a shocking state and an embarrassment to Oxford.
Unfortunately the move to Stratfield. Rake was scuppered by Kidlington Parish Council who as far as I know didn’t have the courtesy to get the views of the sports clubs who use the land. What an opportunity lost.
So onto the triangle a piece of unused scrubland surrounded by major roads next to a station and a park and ride. Compare this to the Ice Rink which was built all those years ago. A prime site on a recreation ground next to a picnic area on the river. I lived in St Ebbes when it was built and although I had no interest in ice skating my view was if it gives people pleasure,why not.Over the years thousands of people young and old have had hours of enjoyment there including my children and grandchildre. So well done OCC for going ahead with that project.
Thousands of people will get enjoyment from the new stadium when it’s built let’s not let a few people with other agendas pretend this is an area of outstanding natural beauty, I believe part of it is being leased by a fencing company at the moment so why their concern.?
Perhaps they don’t like football or what they perceive as the archetypal football follower. Well let me tell them this is not the 1970’s and football followers have evolved.


except Scum fans of course

 

[Tomox]

Anyone following the KPC meeting tonight?

 

[ljs]

Anyone following the KPC meeting tonight?

Lots of waffle and going round and round in circles.

Going to meet with sports clubs, possibly invite NMW.
Lots of chat about the upcoming newsletter and how to consult residents on their wants from the development, and will state the current KPC stance in it.

They seem to have accepted the stadium will go ahead... but sound was poor so didn't hear it all.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

Lots of waffle and going round and round in circles.

Going to meet with sports clubs, possibly invite NMW.
Lots of chat about the upcoming newsletter and how to consult residents on wants from the development.

They seem to have accepted the stadium will go ahead... but sound was poor so didn't hear it all.

I’d be positive & say that’s a big step forward if that’s the case.

I like the sound of that!!

 

[Headley]

Lots of waffle and going round and round in circles.

Going to meet with sports clubs, possibly invite NMW.
Lots of chat about the upcoming newsletter and how to consult residents on their wants from the development, and will state the current KPC stance in it.

They seem to have accepted the stadium will go ahead... but sound was poor so didn't hear it all.

How to consult residents on their wants from the development?

Thanks to KPC we are no longer in a position to make demands.

Residents could've been in a very strong position to make demands if they had done their job and represented us in negotiations.

 

[DannyW]

I attended tonight and thought the mood of the council meeting was incredibly positive compared with what's gone before.
The PC may be out of the decision loop but will still be a very important factor in both the CC first and then CDC'S deliberations

 

[MJB]

I attended tonight and thought the mood of the council meeting was incredibly positive compared with what's gone before.
The PC may be out of the decision loop but will still be a very important factor in both the CC first and then CDC'S deliberations

Glad to hear it. Better for everyone if we work together. Open minds are the way in which everyone wins.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

I attended tonight and thought the mood of the council meeting was incredibly positive compared with what's gone before.
The PC may be out of the decision loop but will still be a very important factor in both the CC first and then CDC'S deliberations

Yeah and they're well connected and will be using all of their connections to delay and disrupt the process.

 

[DannyW]

Yeah and they're well connected and will be using all of their connections to delay and disrupt the process.

Mmmm I sensed a real change in approach, I will ask one of the ladies who spoke on Tuesday at the CC, as she was there, didn't get chance to speak to her afterwards though. She did wonder before the meeting where all the Kidlington supporters were. I told her its me and you, just one occasion when it wasn't last week.

 

[OxfordYankee]

Mmmm I sensed a real change in approach, I will ask one of the ladies who spoke on Tuesday at the CC, as she was there, didn't get chance to speak to her afterwards though. She did wonder before the meeting where all the Kidlington supporters were. I told her its me and you, just one occasion when it wasn't last week.

How did this change of approach manifest itself?

 

[unification]

Interesting article on how a new football ground changes property values around it...

The potential economic impact of stadium development - News - ESSMA

The possibilities new stadiums offer to clubs can be stated with various examples: increased stadium attendances, bigger budgets (through higher ticketing revenues, branding and improved revenues of F&B and hospitality) and higher supporter/visitor satisfaction rates.

essma.eu

It seems FoSB may have a point, the prices of their houses will be affected by a new stadium near by...

View attachment 11875

No wonder Suzanne McIvor is annoyed since she lives nowhere near the new stadium development …

 

[arthurturner]

It was the North Oxford literati that put the mockers on the club building a new stadium at Pear Tree which resulted in Grenoble Road, although the club hadn’t the funds or the nous to build either resulting in the “benefice” of Uncle Firoz.

 

[arthurturner]

@Colin B one thing that has been niggling at me is the idea that as a fanbase we may have taken our eye off the ball in ensuring that the club are protected from the mistakes of the past. When the announcement was made that the club were looking to build a new stadium a year or so ago, one of the things I was very interested in was to hear about the protections we'd have in place to ensure we don't get bitten like we did with Firoz Kassam again.

I believe we were assured that the land lease would contain clauses that committed the club OUFC to a peppercorn rent of £1 per annum. As a member of OxVox I also sought, and was given, assurances that OxVox would be looking at how they can ensure that the club and the stadium can never be separated again (in the same way we have been at the Kass Stad) and that, for example, any future owners would not be able to start charging the club rental payments for use of the stadium.

Obviously with the vocal anti-stadium voices gaining traction, the fanbase has rightly moved to a highly supportive position and lobbied the council to be 100% in favour of the lease., without lobbying for any of these protections

Can we be sure that OCC will still be writing into the terms the peppercorn rent? And perhaps any other protections for the club? e.g. perhaps a requirement of the lease is that it can only ever be owned by OUFC, and not any holding company associated with OUFC? @OxVox and @Paul P for reference and possible response too.

I suppose we will see for ourselves when the heads of terms come back to OCC, but it would be good to get reassurance on these points.

This much concerns me too, especially if we're talking about a 250 year lease which frankly seems nonsensical to me.
At the very least it will need to have a provision for non assignment without the written consent of the Landlord and a very restrictive user clause that the land can only be used by the tenant, OUFC Limited as a football stadium. Whilst I’m sure the club’s present owners have the club and fans best interests at heart, there’s no guarantee that future owners wil be so philanthropic. And whilst the current owners are seemingly prepared to spend their millions on building the stadium I’m sure they will want to see some return on their investment at some point. It would be good to know their thoughts on that.

 

[Robdec]

Hi all I don’t post at all but thought I would just this once and tell you a bit about me probably boring to most people anyway I live in West Yorkshire have done since I was 6,I do get to a few game a year go to more away games than home game,I was born in Oxford in 1971 and live in headington on chestnut avenue with my mum dad and 2 brothers I have three brothers now ,my dad has alway been a Oxford united supporter he used to go watch them play at the old manor ground unfortunately I never did ,he took my 2 brothers though who don’t support Oxford one supports Liverpool and the other one doesn’t support any team not a sports fan at all ,my younger brother is a Man U fan there is only me and my dad who support Oxford my dad use to work at pressed steel making body shells for cars when we was was younger we moved up to yorkshire when I was 6 years old I didn’t start supporting Oxford till I was 22 1982 my uncle used to send me the Oxford mail up so I could see what was happening with Oxford united I have to say my most memorable time was going to Wembley with my so to watch them beat York one of the best days in my life my son is a Burnley supporter by the way but follows Oxford as my daughter does aswell in fact I have a new granddaughter on the was and me my daughter her husband and my new granddaughter and coming down to the last game of the season and will be my granddaughter first ever football match not Man U which is who my son in law supports but Oxford united and that make me so proud anyway I have just joined oxvox

 

[Robdec]

I did write more but for some reason it hasn’t posted only half of it has never mind the rest was just about the new stadium that we need world class stadium and sporting facilities.

 

[DannyW]

How did this change of approach manifest itself?

They are at last going to speak to all the sports clubs, trying to get Niel Mcwilliams along at the same time. Looked at ways of engaging with other groups starting with Gosford Hill but getting quickly to the primarys. The new councilor Melanie Moorhouse had some good ideas on how to connect on social media. They are going to invite Niel McWilliams and Callum Miller to the annual parish meeting hopefully for a limited time question and answer session. So completely different to what I have been watching for the last few months, which has more or less been we are still waiting to hear from OUFC on our questions. I hope that covers it for you.