Times change and precedents are set,eg Salfords planning application.

However as Saints fans we got organised via the SBS, and held marches , put pressure on the politicians to act in support of a new stadium, wrote letters to the government department, held demonstations outside Morrisons etc.

Bulls fans need to get organised and start putting the heat on councillors and MP's

Oxymoron city!

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/3209382.Council_drops_plan_to_sell_off_playing_fields/Horsfall will not be sold[/url.

Everything in there is consistent with what I was told, especially the last 2 para's.

And another one bites the dust.

[i"We have an opportunity to put a project in place that is realistic and can be [udelivered in a short space of time[/u.” [/i



That did give me a much needed chuckle this morning when I read that. Hopefully we'll get more detail of this super quick streamlined plan when when get the latest of the never ending reports.

Im sure I'll be watching the Bulls from under cover by the time of the next franchise round.

[size=59I'll have moved over to sit in the stand by then!![/size

I seriously doubt it. I really think the thing will go ahead. In what form I'm not sure but I would imagine the quickest, easiest way to proceed would be to lose the roof.

Whether they do or not is another matter ....

We've tried, i have a petition from the last time when we were at VP, which the council just sent back.

according to league express the progress report to council involves hood and all partners in scheme (sport england and bradford college), making presentations to council detailing funding etc. Certainly sounds more promising now Horsfall not involved. Says Hood hopeful of being able to release details of revised scheme in very near future.

Only had a brief read of the report earlier today but from recollection the recommendations are :

a) Horsfall isn't involved - as stated earlier.
b) All parties to go away and get detailed proposals including expected costs.
c) To report back in "late 2008" with expected costs and proposed achievable facilities.
d) At that stage a consultant be employed to work up the business case including who will deliver and then manage the proposed scheme.
e) Following the business case a stadium delivery consultant to be headhunted but not employed until the business case, detailed costs and legal agreements have been approved by the Executive Committee. Once approved the consultant to be recruited.

I'm actually rather surprised that the "partners" ( and I include the Bulls and Bradford College in this ) are not further down the road with the proposals.

I still believe there is no pool proposed ( although no new plans have been published ) which could be politically sensitive considering the uproar over Buttershaw's proposed pool closure especially if it could be argued that the Bulls are getting facilities at the expense of a pool for South Bradford.

As I have stated I still expect the OSV to materialise in some shape or form but there's quite some mileage left in it - not least the pool provision or lack of if that is the case.

March/April 2009 then

If we're lucky. But now the licences are sorted we NEED this sorted. No more pie in the sky pipe dreams

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sportbulls/sportbullsheadlines/3223570.Bulls_handed_Super_League_licence/T&A[/url

I'm not surprised but it looks like there has been hardly any progress made at all in the past 18 months. Looks we'll have to wait even longer now to hear if the scheme is viable.

There seems to be no will to drive it forward and make some real progress, what makes you think it will materialise?

I agree that some pool provision is a must if the R Dunn centre and Buttershaw pools are to close soon. I always said that any sale of Horsfall should be mitigated by including open green space in the OSV scheme but this didn't occur and as such the Horsfall group had good cause to complain. If the new scheme doesn't provide a pool then the same problems could occur IMO.

It all seems to me to be a scheme too ambitious for our council to push though.

[url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/local/localbrad/3225891.___Bulls_could_lose_Super_League_status___/More from the T&A[/url



Where is he wanting to drive them? Valley Parade? Cougar Park? Could explain a lot!

Council leader Councillor Kris Hopkins is in charge of the thing now and will need plenty of reminding just how much of the city wants this scheme to go ahead. The more people who write to him urging him to expend every effort on ensuring it happens, the more he will realise that it MUST happen!



[url=http://www.bradford.gov.uk/asp/councillors/details.asp?id=73:2jwyrqgqContact him here[/url

Kris Hopkins? My local councillor and prospective MP for Keighley?

I'll drop him a line.

I was told he was using Odsal as the springboard for his campaign. As much as I would like to see it happen, how do you know how much the city wants this scheme to go ahead? I've not seen any evidence apart from a few on here.

bradford council havn't got the forward thinking to pull this off ,never will have.my heart say's odsal but in reality if we have to leave to save the club let's get on with it.

As AJ points out, he is a ward councillor and prospective MP candidate in Keighley.

The people in Keighley couldn't give two figs about a sports centre in Bradford - I would go as far as saying that it could harm his campaign !!

I'm surprised also that so little progress has been made. I'm convinced [i*something[/i will happen because it has to. I can't see them refurbing Richard Dunn's and anyway they'd need the land to finance a new project from scratch. They have a legal obligation to provide sports facilities for the public.

Currently the swimming provision or lack of ( they have some consultants recommendation for a city central 50m swimming pool to replace the need for decaying local pools ) works in the schemes favour as it would reduce the cost of said Sports Centre and Bulls facilities.

Personally I think the pool situation is more a smokescreen to reduce the cost of OSV by the backdoor. The thing has legs yet as imagine the uproar IF the Buttershaw pool has to close AND the new Sports Centre has no pool due to cost and yet the Bulls get a shiny new roof etc

[i*something[/i - [icould[/i be a crappy sports centre with no pool and no facilities for the Bulls or a trade-off no facilities for the Bulls and a pool.

I presume the legalities of the lease and what the Council could be allowed to do if the Bulls were against any plans would dictate some of the possible permutations

We don't know how many want it to go ahead. Maybe it's time for the club to take a more openly pro-active role and solicit support for the scheme amongst non-bulls fans.
If they can't do that directly then surely they can't sit back and expect the fans to do all the work in drumming up the necessary support. It just wouldn't happen without considerable input from people who know the scheme very well and know what kind of support is required.

I've emailed him offering my opinions, and asking a couple of questions.

If there's anything relevant, I'll let you know.

Interesting take on events BM.

I can't see the Bulls going against the Council over Odsal plans. However what about the two parties coming to some arrangement that would see the Bulls moving to VP at some stage?

I think it's fast becoming the only possible long term home for the Bulls as I don't think any development of Odsal Stadium is likely to take place.

Sam you already know that VP is not considered a permanent option whether a tempory one would be considered if there were a need re OSV development is still 50/50.
I think the Council were probably left in no doubt last night that the Bulls will move if the OSV does not get off the ground within the next 18-24 months. The fact the Council insist on another committee to look at the situation just beggars belief but its not suprising, those of you who know about the Special Schools reorganisation and rebuild will not be fazed by the massive overspend they have occurred and that not one build has actually started.
Then you get the whinging little pill0cks going on about subsiding the Bulls, that don't look at the massive amounts of money the Council waste on their behalf by not actually doing anything positve for the Community. I'm just suprised that even Peter Hood has kept his patience with morons that run the BDMC.