Apparantly the RFL have tried to throw a spanner into the works of Widnes' SL bid. They've drafted in a new rule that states any club applying from outside SL must have a stadium with a capacity of at least 14,000. Widnes have moved swiftly to counteract this and produced the following artist impression that shows the re-developed stadium.




The move by Widnes is rumoured to put their stadium development plans ahead of both Castleford and Wakefields stadia plans.

that north stand is going to look good, shame its not for 5000 capacity

12,400 is still a bit small but im sure the club will get it up to 15,000 or more over time

yeh could have been a bit bigger but still 12,400 (with 11,200 of that being under cover) will be sufficient for the next few years. There is still room to expand the main West stand at each end and eventually replace the South temp stand with another full stand which could in theory take capacity to 17,000+ should we ever need it. Hats off to the HKR management, the ground will be unrecognisable from the 1/2 built tip that I frequented for many years.

As a Hull fan, I hope it works out well for you. It will look a bit of an odd ground, but I suppose that's what gives them a bit of character!

Just the South Stand and the South-West corner to go after this then I guess. No need to rush that I guess. Might as well see how the new capacity holds out for a while.

Where have you gotten the 17,000 capacity from, by the way?

basically the 12400 +
Extending Roger Millward stand at both ends = 2000 new seats
New South Stand of 3800 (existing1200+2600 new seats)
Ideally they would come up with a way of wrapping the new Sth stand around to join the East and RM stands with seating all the way around, thus creating a barrier from the freezing Humber wind!

As said this would be way down the track and prob not necessary for another 10 years or so unless we see a massive surge in interest and popularity of RL.

I thought the new North Stand filled that part of the RM Stand as well?

It does but it is still missing any seats above it.

Lets hope the new stand is supplied with the normal plastic seats, just been reading another forum where some muppet believes that the RM stand contains wooden ones

not sure yet, looking at the artist impression it looks like the outer building will wrap around but may leave a gap between the two stands which presumably could be filled by extending the RM stand and well into that space.

sounds like win stadium with the wind coming off the sea.

just a few degrees cooler, in fact quite a few!

So just to re-fresh my memory - where are we up to with new stadia? Salford and Saints pretty much all problems resolved and just have to get the things built and Cas and Wakey still no nearer?

Wakefield and the Newmarket development planning application is currently with the SoS (Eric Pickles office) for a Public Inquiry referral decision. The government office asked for the deadline to be extend a couple of weeks ago, as they are allowed to do, and as such a decision is very imminent maybe this week or next but certainly before Christmas. It is felt that given the current noise about making planning decisions a local matter and cutting red tape as well as the case for the development stacking up in terms of Wakefield's LDF and previous legal direction for Wakefield to provide more B8 (distribution) development land on the M62 corridor, it is highly unlikely to get called in for a PI... but it is possible! So, if it does not get called in then (they have said) it will start on site in March, if it does get called in then it is any guess as to time frame but it could hold things up a good year!

Wakefield have said that next year is their last season at Belle Vue and that they will be playing at a temporary home for 2012 which everyone speculates will be Oakwell. If everything goes to plan then that should be only for the first half of 2012, if not could be longer.

Basically, if Wakefield get the news they are hoping in the next couple of weeks then it would appear to be a done deal, contracts will be signed (including with the temporary venue) and work will start on site before the application has to be submitted and, as such, Wakefield can put in their application with Oakwell and Newmarket being their homes for the next franchise period, both of which exceed the Super Leagues minimum standards.

just a minor point: the applications in FatBoy Pickles's office is for outline planning permission – once they get the response to him they still have to submit final permission and have it approved. Nicht wahr?

Have they confirmed this? Heard it mooted a few times though not seen it official, would it be held against them as far as RFL saying grounds must be ready by start of 2012 (bare in mind that's an extension in itself)?

The moving to a temporary ground or that this is their last year at belle vue?



They mention this a few times across press releases etc.

This is true but Wakefield have said that full planning will be applied for almost immediately upon receipt of the OPP.

The developer could and most likely will begin remedial groundworks in lieu of the FPP and may even gamble on starting substantial foundation work given that the signs are positive.

i find that very hard to believe.

Tempory ground, had seen the last season pieces

Chief Executive James Elston confirmed at a supporters meeting two weeks ago that Trinity have plans in place to be playing out of a stadium fit for SL in 2012. He didn’t go as far as confirming where the temporary ground was, but as mentioned before assumptions suggest Oakwell as being the most likely venue.

Where will you play if you dont get a licence for 2012?

To be honest I have no idea, the only thing I know is that is won't be at Belle Vue.

Whether the business plan to play at the temporary ground allows for a demotion I couldn’t say, but one would’ve thought that all possibilities have been looked into.

a wakey fan on another forum told me he expected construction of wakeys new ground to begin in february.

Salford's developers did it. They started remediation in April and the full planning application wasn't going before council until August. Although the I seem to recall that the remediation itself was subject to a seperate planning application that was passed late 2009/early 2010.

If all goes to plan it will start around February/March. If it goes to a public inquiry it won't.