What's annoying about the Wakefield Express articles is they continuously leave out or conveniently gloss over the fact that, although Yorkcourt are the landowners now - they only have this former greenbelt land because of the promises to build the stadium.

If this goes to appeal, who get's the final say: the council or someone above them? It's obvious to people following this closely the council aren't going to fight for what the people were promised, so who's to say this isn't just another curve ball in the long game to make it seem like the people have a say for it to just get passed on appeal anyway?

Yorkcourt do not want the stadium at Newmarket, they want a warehousing and distribution hub, they do not want the nuisance of a SL game every few weeks causing chaos to the tenants, parking issues, traffic congestion, pedestrian flow on match days, sky circus when they come to town all impacting on business of any warehousing or distribution company that sets up there, companies will look elsewhere to avoid it which won't make much money for the Yorkcourt mob. As a community development it is not in exactly the best location for general access, no bus route, not really what you call walking distance of anywhere.


SWAG and Wakefield supporters should keep the pressure on for every application at Newmarket Yorkcourt are bullies and need to be bullied and hit where it hurts their profits. They need to be made to fund an alternative which really should be a New Belle Vue stadium freeing up a big chunk of development land at Newmarket which they can make another wedge of money on to offset the funding of the NBV

I’m sure the community stadium trust members and club supporters will continue to frustrate the developers for as long as possible. Time is not on our side, the developers and some Council members at WMDC are seemingly complicit in their efforts to wash hands of any responsibility to the citizens of WMDC to deliver the community sports facilities as promised by the developers.
I have written letters many times to Wakefield Express stating how millions of pounds worth of land was gifted to the developers by WMDC on the promises of community stadium facilities being built by developers. The W Express appears to ignore any criticism of WMDC and fails to mention how Yorkcourt received this land.
My concern is, if there is no confirmation of new build/redevelopment by the end of this season, then Super League bosses will remove our place at the table. Michael Carter also mentioned this possibly in a recent interview.

Do you honestly think that Yorkcourt are concerned for ANYONE, other than themselves.
Their failure to make any progress towards the stadium build has got NOTHING to do with their attitude towards local residents and it's a fair bet that every one of them would rather see a bit of congestion 13/14 times a year than to have the HUGE white box on their door step.

WMDC and Yorkcourt have been laughing at the local residents (and the rest of us) since planning was originally passed.
They appear to do as they please in flouting the planning aspect and the comment about nothing being allowed to "disaggregate" the scheme is an absolute utter joke.
It's not unusual for developers to ask for one thing and then upscale their plans before development but Newcold is far greater in size, in all directions, than it was set out to be originally and quite cleverly, it was this change in size (particularly it's height) that "forced" them to issue a new application and then construct, then extend the HUGE white box.

Local residents and the community stadium seem nothing more than obstacles for them to negotiate and not since the original application have they made any moves towards acknowledging the need for them to do anything other than please themselves.
Average Joe's like me cant see how this can be allowed but, WMDC either close their eyes and deny any involvement or make equally rash promises regarding the ground.

It wasn't so long ago that WMDC were going to build a stadium, regardless of whether Trinity would use it.

It's an absolute disgrace and WE all need to do whatever we can to keep this in the public eye and just hope that at some point, either the council or Yorkcourt are finally found out and dealt with.

I might be wrong, and I have no inside info, but I'm wondering if this is the scenario:
MC has come to an agreement with WMDC to borrow the money to redevelop Belle Vue, on the basis specified by MC in earlier interviews, but it was all put on hold until the outcome of the latest planning meeting, to see what to extent Yorkcourt are going to cough up. Now that it is clear Yorkcourt aren't shifting their stance, the announcement will be made as per previous hints. Once that is put in place, avenues will be looked at in order to secure compensation or funding from Yorkcourt, which will go some way to clearing the debt to WMDC.

I have no idea if I'm right, just a guess, but the scene did seem to shift from hints about some agreement with WMDC to another Yorkcourt planning meeting.

I don't either but what I do know is the clubs silence has become deafening. Cast you mind back 18 month and virtually a week didn't go by without the club stating that they would be leaving BV perhaps even before the season was over. Health and safety were the main reasons mentioned and Dewsbury was stated as a ready made venue to move to. At the same time legal action by the club was being talked about openly with our friend at the Daily Star ramming the point home.

Since then nothing, not a dickie bird - you don't need to be in the know to suspect some deal has been offered, certainly one strong enough to shut up all those involved.

As I say I really don't know but 2 + 2 is starting to add up to 4 as far as I can see - or to put it another way that is what I wish to see for now, tbh any other option seems to awful to contemplate. So fingers crossed and all that.

Wrencat I agree wholeheartedly Yorkcourt only interested in their cash but my comments about congestion were not about nearby residents but businesses on the development. A car blocking you on Regent Street is annoying a car stopping your trucks getting in and out is another matter time is money, species not too fussed where they park a kick off draws near. Freighting time is money. BV don't get the biggest crowds but plenty of extra traffic in the side streets on match days. Yorkcourt/WMDC need to be challenged on every plan they try to get through.

Am I thick or how did Yorkcourt actually acquire the land?

I seem to think that they were given it by the council WMDC on the provio that they built a stadium.

Am I wrong?

I got told that it is actually Henry Boot's that now own the land ??

At the planning meeting the legal representative kept saying he was representing Newmarket Lane, eventually he had to say it was Yorkcourt.

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9619382 We should put in an objection to this as well, plans for another art gallery

https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news ... -1-9619382 We should put in an objection to this as well, plans for another art gallery

Are Wakefield Council trying to "Art Gallery" us all to death by saturating the district with arts centres? Aren't the Hepworth Gallery, The YSP at Bretton and that place on Drury Lane enough? Jewels in the crown they may all be, but there is an old saying: "You can't polish a turd". We are a northern working class city and should be proud of this fact and professional Rugby League has been associated with this city for nearly 115 years, yet it seems that a sport that has been the trademark for Wakefield for all this time can go by the by in order to try and make the place a northern Bloomsbury.
I thought the idea was to draw people into the city centre at night. I somehow don't think an arts centre is going to do this ,and the old market should be a bowling alley to replace that at Belle Vue'

It seems that money can be made available for anything "artistic" , but sport in Wakefield is a no no.

I wouldn't even call the market old

Old in the sense that it's not a market anymore, snowie. One would question whether it ever was a market as such.

Why would we do that?!

It's not a plan for a gallery - it's for an arts centre, promoting the creative industries; art, design, music and gaming for example, which is a brilliant use of the space; the Hepworth and YSP have put us on the map for a reason that busts the stereotypes of a northern city like ours, and we've benefited hugely from it in terms of visitors and recognition.

Meanwhile, where's our stadium?

[*

Maybe if we proposed a stadium with an integrated art gallery?

Maybe if we weren't in hock to a shonky developer, and our favourite son wasn't working against us, we'd actually get somewhere?

I'm a bit in despair - the vote to deny permission was probably grandstanding and will be overturned on appeal - and whilst it's nice to bloody their noses, I'm not sure it advances our cause much; meanwhile, we're inching closer towards a loan to buy back BV, which means we'll end up with a few cosmetic improvements, but nothing of substance, and certainly not a modern facility that helps us capitalise on an improved on-field situation.

Yes we will be back in time to exactly where we were about 15 years ago. We own the stadium but have a debt on it. Only thing that's changed is Ted as gone and MC has taken over and the stadium is even more unfit for purpose in these modern times.

I'm not so sure on that - Box like all petty dictators eventually runs out of rope and their demise often comes from an unexpected source. Its very often a long running issue where fairness has not been shown and a detrmined group of people refuse to back down. Eventually others spot their chance because people like Box make enemies and jump on board. Sure their motives are dubious but that doesn't matter because once these sort of people smell blood they are in for the kill and that is the end of that.

Perhaps and I'm only speculating, Box turn has come and this side issue that has been dooging him for years will finally get up and bite him. Now I'm being optimistic I know but I do feel a groundswell of support, certainly against Box if not the Stadium specifically. If this can become an issue his enemies can unite around then we might just have him.

Of course there is still the chance that we'd get side swiped by the new people but generally new poilticians tend not to bite the hand that just fed them.

Who knows but I'm cautiously more optimistic than I was 12 month ago. What we might end up with though I don't have a clue.

Sorry PB but I think MC and the Trust are a little bit more savvy than to accept just that don't you?

Of course they are, no doubt about it. However you can be the most Savvy person in the world but remember who they are dealing with.


Yorkcourt own very little if any land at Newmarket, its either mortgaged, sold or it wasn't theirs, they only had options. Building a stadium was never in their true business plan. I would imagine they have made a fair bit of money already. If they don't get anything else built. They will take their profit and walk. So I am certain you can count them out as a financial source for funds. Forget the council also, even if Box had a change of heart the cost would be too much for them. We had all this nudge nudge, wink wink crap quite a while ago now and still nothing !!! Like you say MC and JM are no mugs and the longer that we hear nothing tells me there is no deal to be had.


I would love to be wrong about all this but time and experience of this mess has left me very sceptical

Now that I get, who knows as you say its a complete mess.

I admire your optimism but I suspect you underestimate the power of patronage that Box wields to remain in his position. If I remember correctly, he has now been leader for 21 years!
He rules by carefully controlling his Labour Group of councillors. Yes, no doubt there are a few that likely despise the very ground he walks on but they exist in their positions of power in this small pond by his will and "gifts" of influence. I'd love nothing more than to see the back of him and a new leadership and phillosopy around Wakefield Local Government and its support of professional and local sports clubs and please, please please, don't let it be any of his current lieutenants, especially the one who has ruined Wakefield City Centre. I really believe you need to look anywhere but towards Peter Box for any progress for Wakefield Trinity!

No I don't under estimate him and I did state it was a hugely optimistic scenatio. However tyrants fall, nobody expected Thatcher (who wasn't a tyrant in the truest sense but appeared to rule with a rod of iron) to be diposed but she was and it happened quickly - happens all the time throughout history, they nearly all slip up in the end, Julius Caeser the most famous one I suppose.

Nor do I think the loss of Box will by itself change the world which again I think I said there was a risk as to who takes over.

Wouldn't Box just love to be in the same company as the two I've just mentioned

zzzzzzz!!!!!!

Edited: I normally give you the benefit of a very small doubt but the zzzz offer no opinion and are just designed to wind people up.
Let it be you last one or I'll have to start giving you a temporary rest from posting... Poptart