No idea. The community plans for the Newmarket development are clear to see. I believed that all that could be built on the GH footprint is the stadium. No room for training pitches, sports halls etc. If this is inaccurate I’m happy to be corrected.

Regardless it doesn’t alter the fact that NM doesn’t need a review. With the mechanisms in place it’s viable financially. The council are still proposing that two plots of land are used to aid the funding of a stadium rather than two they are not exactly saving anything.

As for the time constraints, Trinity can play out of alternative venue until Newmarket is ready. Saints are doing it next season. So even if it goes to a public enquiry and gets delayed by x amount of time, if plans are put in place to mitigate against this then that removes the extremely tight margin of error from the fray.

This is just what I have been getting at for weeks, glad somebody else can see it.

For Newmarket to happen it needed political will and support. It would appear that it no longer has that (if it ever really did?).

Newmarket could go ahead on time, if the council wanted it to.
It looks to me like York Court will be offered a deal where they get planning permission for the whole site when the greebelt status is removed in 2013 in exchange for funding the shortfall at GH. What we don't get is the community sports facilities which make Newmarket the more attractive option for me.
This will no doubt produce a joint stadium in enough time to satisfy the RFL. A better stadium could be built but would two teams thrive? I could live with travelling the short distance to J32 but what guarantees would there be for 2 independent clubs?
WTRLFC-RIP-1873-2012?
The people of Stanley and Wakefield get a great big industrial estate and no sports facilities. NIMBYs, be careful what you wish for!

There will be one community stadium in the District and both clubs will share it - anyone who believes otherwise is either naive to the ways of local government, or is deluding themselves.

After a year or so of sharing a ground, the clubs will merge and there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth from some intransigent, old time supporters of both clubs; some fans will desert, but not many. Then the new entity, providing it's not run by Ted, will emerge as a force in SL; old fans will forget and new ones won't have known anything different and all will be well; exactly what should have happened 12 or so years ago.

Of the 2 sites, Glasshoughton seems to have the more going for it. It has excellent transport including its own rail station and infrastructure already built It is no doubt an ideal spot with plenty of space and other amenities/attractions. Outline planning permission has been granted -albeit they have not been "signed off"as yet and they do seem fiurther on than we do. I do know they have engaged leasing agents to lease the stadiums undercroft sections to retailers, with some of these going to the local health authority and WMDC ( Health action zones, learning, clincs etc)

Newmarket requires fiull development, wie are getting a lot of negative publicity from the loclal resident groups, and opposition from our friends in Leeds, as well as transport and enviromental departments.

We have a lot of work to do to turn this around, with precious little time. I really feel for both sets of fans and both clubs who have had thier feet pulled from under them by the council, however the council is under severe finacial constraints, and will struggle to comply with thier statatory requirements.

The curent economic climate is not going to ease, money is in very short supply, if this wasn't the case i would suspect both stadiums would go ahead.

That’s the point, the full value of WMDC ‘contribution’ is going to one stadium and not two. They are not saving any ‘money’. If they wanted to save money they could just back the stadium that only needs the one parcel of land to raise capital against. The one they said they would back to SWAG and the developer right after the General Election.

Much is made of this railway station, but can someone tell me where does it link to? Can you catch the train to there from Leeds? Wakefield? Cas?
I've not been on a train for a long time.

Off topic slightly, I am surprised to see that a few of you are equally surprised to see that politicians tell lies, thats just a fact of life

Everyone is going on about a shared ground,how long before the RFL come up with the bright idea of a shared team at the shared ground ?

5/6 posts and you've made more sense than the rest of us

After reading the Express Mr Box refuses to put 2 million pound into each development I find this extremely harsh. Both developments will help communities a great deal and help the region with there developments i.e. both clubs and each development will create so many jobs to the areas. Just think what the council have spent stupid money on over the years they spent 7 million on that awful market stall next to the bus station thats ruined most of the market traders trade, god knows how many million on the bridge in CAS and now they are saying 2 million for each development isn't possible I think its disgusting personally both developments will bring more positives than negatives. ITS APPAULING AND I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE A RE-THINK !

Not long pal, not long at all.

The timing of this stinks and can lead to no other conclusion than Box’s manipulation of the circumstances to achieve his own ends.

The press release has been released, by Box, in spite of an agreement not to do so without the full knowledge and approval of all parties. It has been released immediately before the most important derby game since the £1M relegation match.
The threat to withdraw the loaned land in Sept also coincides with the WMDC’s planning delay for Newmarket and threatens to throw a spanner in the works for both clubs SL franchise applications at just the WRONG time for the clubs.
COINCIDENCE?

Castleford make much of the Outline PP that was granted a few years ago but that is close to expiration and is worth nothing in light of Castleford’s lack of funding. Also, if Surfworld are being relied on to build one stand as part of their facility then no such stand can be built until they gain Full PP for their development. As I type they have not even confirmed their intention to build in Castleford let alone begin feasibility studies etc..

If the value of the WMDC land is just £2M then it is quite possible that York Court and the WCT can proceed without it. If the land is being used as an asset upon which to borrow money during the early stages of the Newmarket project in the lead up to gaining Full PP then surely the granting of Full PP will negate the need for this land and WMDC can take it back.

Someone in authority should make it known that a full review of WMDCs actions over the last 5 years will be undertaken by an independent legal team. If WMDC or any of its representatives are found to have acted inappropriately then legal action should be taken to recover any financial losses incurred by York Court, Wakefield Trinity and any other parties involved.

Further to this, a full and independent review of Peter Box’s involvement coupled with an immediate call for his resignation due to his incompetent leadership and handling of WMDCs affairs in relation to its leisure facilities.
Let’s not forget that Wakefield placed at the BOTTOM of an official Government league table in terms of leisure and sporting amenities. One legacy of that is Obesity in Wakefield is 3% above the National average, putting strain on the health authority and costing lives.

An investigation into Peter Box’s decision making with particular interest shown to his perceived lack of impartiality & conflict of interests should also be undertaken.

If that was the case (and I'm not saying it isn't) would it necessarily work against a merger? In many ways, (environmental, economical, cultural, industrial) Cas and Fev are very close (GH is squarely betwixt WR and POR) and very similar, but the division created by their passion for rugby league and the emnity of their respective clubs means we may never be able to co-exist in an RL context.

I'm no advocate of a merged Cas-Wakey but if franchise criteria don't eliminate one of us this time SL will come up with something to ensure that ultimately there will be only one club in WMDC. Over the past 20 years the greater and more sustainable interest in attending games exists in WF10 but I accept GH is badly placed for a Tigers/Wildcats merger.

Wakey have no less right to a RL club than Cas but moving to GH would be a far greater risk to their continued existence (or to the viability of a merged club) than us going to Newmarket so I could live with the latter if all else failed.

Great post i totally agree Box is a complete idiot awful timing why decide this now. Hes incompetent and we should protest for his resignation. Even cas should get involved this is appauling.

In terms of funding, a few on here have suggested that WCT and WTW have lied about full funding being available, well quite frankly that’s crap!

The funding for Newmarket has always been open book and no one has ever hidden the fact that apart from York Courts contribution there would also be a number of Grants involved.

These grants have already been identified and the mechanism for their successful application and securing investigated. Wakefield Community Trust are so confident in the initial stadium funding being secured that they have identified further funding that will enhance the community sports facilities that lay adjacent to the stadium.

Once planning permission is granted the question is not [i‘can it be funded’ [/ibut [i‘how big can the facilities become’.[/i

How much more time do Castleford need when I lived there 7 years ago you were just about start building the ground.

Both Cas and Wakey have been messing around for too long. I said it years ago that land could have been used at Europort along with building a part time train station there which would serve both wakefield and castleford.

It's as if we are getting punished for having 2 clubs in the elite competition. This should be embraced, we shouldn't be forced to ground share or merge.

A lot of it is our argument the bloody council messing every one about incompetent idiots they must be the worsed council sporting wise in the country.

Wakefield and Proud
1) I will not ever go to a Wildcats game in a shard ground in Cas
2) Wakefield as a Football Team Wakefield.F.C., I would rather them move in with us in a new stadium than Castleford, I know they have not got many fans, but ay I'm working on that, I'm Wakefield through and through... WE DO NOT NEED CASTLEFORD or Peter Box...

I would rather our club die then merge with Castleford, NO NO NO ever...!!!

=#8040FFApparently you do.

We will see working on getting him out of council as we speak

=#8000FFIf you think 4 shares or whatever it is, that were GIVEN to him is a conflict of interest etc you'll just get laughed at. Not to mention the council will just see it as a half baked attempt by some desperate Rugby fans, that won't bode well will it?

Suits me.