Whilst there has been talk of a new stadium in Colchester for many years, 2005 has seen the project move closer to fruition than ever. On this page, we’ll keep you right up to speed with all of the headlines - as well as CCSAG’s latest activities.

By visiting the Evening Gazette Archive and typing in 'cuckoo stadium', you will be able to access all the Evening Gazette's stadium articles.

NEWS

27.01.07 - BARR LTD ANNOUNCED AS CONTRACTORS
BARR LTD have been announced as the preferred contractor for the new Colchester Community Stadium. Barr are based in Scotland but have extensive stadium building experience. In fact that is all they do. Also identified are the project managers for the construction phase. This will be Drivers Jonas - again a company with an impressive track record of building new stadia. Both appointments have been signed off by the Portfolio Holder Councillor Brian Jarvis but are subject to the usual “5 day call-in period” to allow for scrutiny of the decision.

The CCSAG and CUSA have met informally and it is hoped that there will be representation on the Stakeholders Group in the near future.


07.01.2007 - PLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED
Another historic night at the Town Hall !!!! On Thursday 4th January the Planning Committee of Colchester Borough Council granted permission for the Community Stadium to be built ahead of the new A12 junction.

This was the last major hurdle and (we hope) this just leaves for the decision to be ratified by the Government Office of the East of England and formal contracts to be signed. These are for the contractor of course, but also between the principle stakeholders binding them to the scheme.

There is still no definitive timetable in place but it is hoped that the formalities can be completed in the next few weeks and work can start on site in late March or early April. With an estimated build time of 11 months this will mean that the stadium will be ready for the start of the 2008/09 season. There are no plans for a move mid-season.

The new A12 junction may not be started until 2012. The Council agreed that if they wait for the junction the funding will be lost and the stadium scheme will effectively be dead in the water. The concerns of residents over the increase in traffic were heard and the Council agreed to work with all areas of the community to ensure that a suitable Match Day Travel Plan is organised and implemented. The Highways Agency are content that the Ipswich Road/Severalls Lane junction and the Crown Interchange have the capacity to cope with any increase in traffic until the new junction is built. Plus, the new East-West Link Road (by Flakt Woods) will be completed as part of the stadium project.

It was great to hear support from all sections of the Council and to see another unanimous vote.

So, are we nearing the end of this long and winding road? We hope so but we aren't at the finish line just yet. We'll keep you posted.


23.12.2006 - SEASONS GREETINGS !
Well, what a years it's been for the CCSAG. A year of open forums, lobbying of councillors, meetings with pressure groups and, finally, the historic council meeting on the 13th November.

There have been ups and downs but that Monday night in the Town Hall was a night to savour.

But don't think that the campaign is over as we are still awaiting the final agreement for the go ahead before the completion of the A12 junction. That decision would be the perfect start to 2007 for both the supporters of Colchester United and all the resident of Colchester.

We promised an update and timescales following on from the Council meeting but until we get the final decision from the Planning Department at CBC this won't be possible I'm afraid. As soon as we are in a position to let you know we most certainly will. In the meantime we will continue to lobby the decision makers and make sure that this stays right up there on the agenda.

So what does 2007 hold for us? Our wish is that there is a positive decision on the planning in January followed by the diggers going in a few weeks later. We are looking to get a supporter (or two) on any Advisory Committee to help with decisions for the stadium, but this has yet to be confirmed. We will keep pushing hard for this as we think it is so important.

The next 12 months should have us all contemplating our final season at the antiquated, but much loved, Layer Road and the start of a new era in our new home.

These are hugely significant times for the club on the field and for us supporters too. You will all be lucky enough to say that you were there in 2006/07 as we take this massive step forward.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

From all at the CCSAG


23.12.2006 - STOP PRESS !!
The CCSAG have been formally advised that there will be a meeting of the Planning Committee on the 4th January 2007. At the meeting it will be decided if the project can go ahead before the new A12 junction is built.

We are very positive about this meeting but, as ever, we are not counting any chickens ... (or, as it's Christmas, counting turkeys!).

We will keep you posted of developments.


16.11.2006 - IT’S A UNANIMOUS - YES !!!
At Colchester’s Moot Hall on Monday 13th November the full council agreed to the business plan for the new stadium and the funding of £14.2 million to the project.

Speaker after speaker, both public and councillor alike, got up and spoke in favour of the Community Stadium. There were a number of issues over traffic surveys and the A12 junction but not one voice was opposed to the project going ahead. At five years old, Colchester United supporter Scott Mason was the undoubted star of the show.

Then it came to the vote and one after the other the Council say “For”, again and again. There were more shouts of “For” than my last round of golf, and then came the cheer from both the 250 inside and the 200 locked outside the Town Hall as the decision was announced - YES. As one councillor said “after tonight there is no going back”.

This does not mean that building can start immediately as there are a couple of outstanding issues over planning regulations and tenders but make no mistake, this was the Big One!

The time is right for the Community Stadium and if the Council had said either No or Deferred then the momentum, and the outside funding of over £4million would have been lost. But the Council didn’t, they made the right decision. The right decision for the club, but more importantly, for the residents of this wonderful, historic Borough. Now let’s get it built!

A further report on where we stand, any hurdles and proposed timescales will follow shortly.

Martin Reilly
CCSAG


06.11.2006 - DECISION TIME!
Monday November 13th, 6pm start at the Town Hall High Street Colchester. All supporters of the Community Stadium are urged to attend this crucial meeting for the Town and Football Clubs future.


06.11.2006 - MINUTES OF CCSAG MEETING 12th October 2006
Download WORD - document


13.10.2006 - STADIUM UPDATE
The CCSAG received the following statement from Marie Partner, CUFC Chief Executive, just prior to our latest meeting.

There has been a 108 page 'Draft' report compiled by Pan Leisure, which the three partners were furnished with just 2 days prior to our meeting. The Report is very comprehensive and in view of its complexity, there have been various questions raised by the partners which has now been taken away by the project management team to to work on. At first glimpse of the finances, it looks tight, but still looks doable.

The Tenderers have also furnished the partners with their revised position to the cost of build, which was handed to the partners on the day of the meeting and discussed in detail. This has to also now been taken away by the project management team to incorporate within their revised plan.

There has been a huge amount of work gone into this Business Plan, of which the Football Club has contributed a great percentage, it is now a case of revising various issues raised by all three partners, which will then enable everyone to sit around the table to discuss in depth, the structure in which the Stadium will be operated, including the proportion of revenue streams (which is extremely important to ensure all partners operate within a sustainable business operation).

The Council have also appointed a firm of lawyers which will work in conjunction with the club and Trust's independent lawyers, to ensure the structure that is put in place is workable and fair.

Because your meeting has fallen only 3 days after all three partners have only just had the chance to work through this draft business plan, there is no more at this stage Paul I am able to give.

Meetings with the Shadow Board are now taking place fortnightly, with such a tight schedule to work to, eg. the council are very aware of the meeting of the cabinet on the 13th November and we all have to ensure that the final document produced is absolutely skin-tight.

We appreciate you keeping up the impetus of your support, but at this stage, it really is left with the partners around the table now to work on the draft document up to presentation stage and I will keep you informed as best I can within the process. Robbie Cowling has only been involved on a 'kept informed' basis at the moment too, so he feels it would be better to follow up with any comment once the revised document has been put in place and everyone knows the next path to be taken.

The Football Foundation funding is based on stage payments on the back of architects reports, therefore the funding is paid to the builders in stages on this basis, it is not a case of getting the whole 2million up front. Again, all three represented lawyers are in close liaison with the football foundation, they have posed their relevant questions and made clear their criteria, all of which everyone is comfortable with and understands.

I am sorry that I cannot give you more details Paul, in reading the above you will see that we have only been privy to the report ourselves for the past 3 days and i.e. what I have given you is exactly where we are at now.


05.10.2006 - NEXT CCSAG MEETING
Thursday 12th October 8pm at the Corner Bar, Supporters only.


25.09.2006 - MYLAND CONSULTATION EVENING
Last Friday (15th September) I helped out at a community based consultation evening at Mill Road Rec. The evening was organised by a Colne Housing Community Worker, Jo Wheatley. Jo works specifically for CAM (Community Action in Mile End) and local youngsters were enticed to the evening with the promise of a free burger and drink if they completed a questionnaire.

The questionnaires were aimed at 11 - 16 year olds and asked questions of what facilities they wanted to see in their community. One of the questions asked what they wanted to see included at the new Community Stadium.

A total of 49 forms were completed and the results will be fed back by CAM directly to the consultants working on the Community Stadium project.

This is an interesting and welcome development. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that a community project has asked direct questions about the proposed stadium and the facilities that it will provide. Working alongside the likes of CAM, and by discussing our issues with local officials and residents, the CCSAG have championed the cause of the Communitry Satdium within the local area.

We wish CAM every success in their work in North Colchester and we hope to continue working alongside them if circumstances allow.

Martin Reilly


22.09.2006 - CCSAG OPEN MEETING, 5th SEPT @THE CHERRY TREE
Firstly I'd like to say thank you to everyone that attended and to the Cheery Tree pub for their help and support. Also, thanks to the Cowdray Arms for their support at previous meetings. We wish them well after the unfortunate events down at the Cowdray Centre.

The meeting started with the one thing we didn't expect on such a balmy September evening - a power cut ! Luckily the electricity was restored after about 15 minutes and there was a hush around the bar as the lights were dimmed for a second time (on purpose this time) and Paul played his 25 minute video presentation.

The presentation looked at the history of a proposed stadium, with footage from the 70s and 80s, and the current development at Cuckoo Farm. The video included footage from that never to be forgotten day at Yeovil and showed scenes from the High Street and the parade. These scenes of jubilation were cut with interviews with supporters, young and old, who gave their opinions on the state of Layer Road and their hopes for the future. There were scenes from the CUST and a reminder of how the club spreads the good name of Colchester across the country, in fact, across the world. The video ended with a scene of a father and his two children standing at the locked gates of Cuckoo Farm , just looking and waiting ...

Steve Lamacq provided the voice over (for which we are eternally grateful) and we made sure that the community aspect of the project was reinforced. In fact, at this meeting the CCSAG ensured that voices from the community were heard.

The work that Paul Ost put into the presentation should not be underestimated and the excellent feedback pays testament to his professionalism. Well done Paul!

The meeting was opened to a Q&A session with both councillors and club representatives fielding points raised from the floor.

A number of questions were raised by parish leaders and community workers from both Myland and Highwoods. This helped give them a voice and has raised concerns that the council were not fully aware of. Let us hope that the meeting fostered even better dialogue with local community groups in North Colchester. This should mean that when the matter is finally decided upon, many of these concerns have been dealt with and will not add further delay.

I mentioned that there will be a decision and all present felt that the Council meeting in November is crucial. There are still concerns over funding and contributions to the project, as well as the planning permission ahead of the A12 junction, and no definitive answer was given on these.

I was satisfied that all parties are still looking to go ahead with the Community Stadium sooner rather than later but, until the first digger moves on site, this positivity will not have been turned into action.

So, at this stage, no news is neither good nor bad news, BUT this meeting proved (once again) that the project as a whole is still moving in the right direction. Consultants are now working with all parties to formulate a business plan and everything should be in place for November's Council Meeting.

Thank you to those on the top-table too, the Council fielded some "big hitters" for this and the excellent turn out, sensible questions and honest debate means that they cannot shelve the plans due to "apathy" as they have done in the past.

Despite the odd technical hitch, this was a very successful meeting and the Community Stadium, OUR Community Stadium for the Football Club AND the people of Colchester, is still high on the agenda. With your help we will be keeping the pressure on, so Roll on November !

Martin Reilly


21.09.06 - SEPT 5th MEETING UPDATE
There will be a full report on the CCSAG meeting held at the Cherry Tree on 5th September on here very soon. CCSAG members have also been involved in local youth consultation in Mile End, a report on this will also be included.

Our next open meeting is expected early October, please check here for details soon to be announced.


02.09.06 - Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq is backing the CCSAG and its campaign
Steve, a long time Colchester United follower has been working in the BBC studio's on a voice over for the CCSAG's campaign video to have its first airing at the meeting on the 5th September.

This video, which includes work by the Sports Trust, footage supplied by Anglia TV and contributions from the CUCST along with interviews with members of the Colchester public, will bring home the need for this Stadium development to start.

The meeting will also be attended by Robert Davidson, Cabinet Chairman CBC. Steve Clarke, Head of Economic Regeneration, Councillors Anne Turrell and Richard Bourne.

The meeting takes place at the Cherry Tree public House, Mersea Road, Colchester at 8pm


16.08.06 - CCSAG meeting 5th September 2006
I can now confirm that the meeting will take place on Tuesday 5th September at the Cherry Tree public house, Mersea Road, Colchester, who have offered the Colchester Community Stadium Action Group their well appointed function room with full bar facilities.

As you know, the Cowdray have had to cancel due to redevelopment of the fire damaged Cowdray centre, and I am pleased to say, the Cherry Tree room is very similar in size but is well equipped for presentations. With good parking either side of the venue and on a public transport route, the Cherry Tree can be found along the Mersea road, not far from the Beerchurch hall road turn off, on your left as you leave Colchester. Although the Venue can accommodate up to 150 people, seating numbers will be similar to the Cowdray so please arrive in good time.

We look forward to seeing you there 7.30pm for 8pm start. Any queries please do not hesitate to contact me.

Paul Ost
01206 766729
paul_ost@btconnect.com


03.07.06 - Stadium Report/Update prepared by Steve Clarke of CBC (Head of Social and Economic Regeneration) for the next Council Cabinet Meeting to be held on Wednesday, 12th July at the Town Hall, 1800 start. [ pdf-file ]
The following, very important, Community Stadium Report showing progress to date and the various hurdles to be overcome will take a bit of reading, but please make every effort to do so. It gives a clear indication where we are heading on the project.

Due to the size of the report (20 pages) you have to download it here as a pdf-file.


22.06.06 - Next step for Community Stadium
The following Press Release has been made by Colchester Borough Council today, 22nd June. Hope at last??

The Community Stadium has taken its next step forward now invitations to tender for the project have been sent out. This means construction companies now have the chance to set out how they would go about delivering the project, based on a design which has now been developed by architects working for the Council, Colchester United Football Club and Colchester United Community Sports Trust.

Cllr Robert Davidson, Leader of Colchester Borough Council, said: “It’s great news that we are moving this project forward, with the invitations for the tender process having now been sent out. As a partnership we are working together to ensure all of the hurdles are crossed in order to deliver the stadium for Colchester. Not only will it provide a new home for our Championship football team, Colchester United, it will also provide a facility which can be used by the whole community. Because of the progress being made by all partners on the business case, we felt it timely to press ahead with the tender process in tandem as it will help us deliver the stadium at the earliest opportunity.”

A report, providing an overview of project’s progress to date, and setting out the next steps, will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting on 12 July, 1800hrs start


20.06.06 - Council statement on business case and tendering
Robert Davidson, Leader of CBC, has made the following statement (on 14th June), in reply to correspondence from ourselves.

1) "I am committed to delivering the stadium as soon as I have a watertight business case to borrow the money. We, the partners, HAVE agreed to work together to expand on the Clubs business case to make it watertight. Once done I can take it to the full council for approval."

2) "I have agreed to go out to tender on a 'design and build' now, before the business case is complete. That is a real risk that I am prepared to take to keep to our timetable of delivering for the 07/08 season."


20.06.06 - Club statement on land problems and tendering update
Following the item on this site yesterday (19th) regarding possible problems with the Health Authority and EP on land issues, and follow-up correspondence to CUFC by ourselves, Marie Partner has replied today as follows:

"I have had a chance to speak with my contact in the Council today. He did say that there has been a problem with the PFI and the hospital, but that it does not affect the Stadium. However, there is a tripartite agreement between the three land owners up at the Cuckoo Farm/Severalls site where disagreements are in place, but this still will not have an affect on the development of the Stadium, more so the A12 junction in that it could delay the opening of that, but as far as the council are concerned all plans are in hand to deliver the stadium ahead of the junction anyway.

"The good news is that all the parties are now in receipt of the relevant documentation relating to the tendering process. This is well under way and from what I can gather, there will be some sort of public release on this shortly. I know the Cabinet are very eager to find out the actual cost to build the stadium as this will allow a more efficient approach to working from there on the Council's borrowing power and funding, etc."

Ps: Tom Weatherill of the Gazette has also made enquiries, on our behalf, with the Health Authority regarding the possible moving of the General Hospital from Turner Road to the Severalls land, and they have denied all knowledge of this.


19.06.06 - How CUFC see things following the 2nd June meeting
The ccsag wrote to Marie Partner, CE of CUFC on 5th June (following the 2020 Meeting on 2nd) and asked the following questions to clarify what had been published in the meeting Press Release. Marie replied on 9th June. The Q&A's are shown below:

Q1) Has the Business Plan submitted by CUFC now been accepted by CBC or is further work/information required?

A1) The Business plan submitted by the Club back in October was based purely on the financial running and budgeting of the Football Club within the Confines of the Stadium. Since this time, the council have continually made comments stating that an overall business plan would have to be completed which would include the Club's, The Community Sports Trust and the overall effect on the Borough, the latter two of which as you can appreciate, cannot be completed by the club and the penny has finally dropped on this aspect, as this Business Plan has now finally been agreed to have put into place in the next few weeks upon return of the Two Accountants annual summer leave.

Q2) Has agreement been reached between the partners as to how repayment will be made of the loan to be taken out by CBC?

A2) An original Agreement was reached between the Club and the Council, again, some 6 months ago that the Club were happy for the Club to pay the Council a return of £2.00 for every ticket purchased on Match Days, budgeting on a gate of around 6,000 @ 23 home League games, showed a return of around £276,000. If the gates increased, the Council benefit. Since this time, the Council have been trying to move the Goal posts to increase the level of Rent from this figure and look at other ways of clawing back any revenue streams from other activities within the Stadium, such as Banqueting and Conference, Concerts etc, which dependant upon their suggestions, could have an adverse effect on our budget and financial sustainability for survival as all these revenue streams have been included within the Club's own Business Plan (which incidentally was acceptable to the Council at the time).

Q3) Has agreement been reached on the running of the stadium and the make up of the Stadium Management Company?

A 3) A shadow board has been agreed at the last meeting, but the Council have still not come up with a defined agreement to who will be running the stadium, only that there is an obvious need for a Management structure which should be put in place and this can only be done by appointing a Project Management Team to lead these points. This is is a subject that Peter Heard and myself have continually been trying to hit home with and again, we now feel the penny has finally dropped because the Subject of a Project Manager is now being dealt with by the Council.

I trust the above answers your questions to how the current situation lies, but of course, do bear in mind these were areas that were discussed in great depth at the last meeting (2nd June) with pressure being put on the Council to get a more defined agreement on these very issues.


19.06.06 - Yet more delays for stadium?
On Friday, 16th June the ccsag received information that there could be yet another delay involving Health Authority owned land controlled by English Partnerships (EP) and that this could impact on the stadium scheme resulting in a delay of at least another year!

This information was relayed to Robert Davidson, Leader of CBC, who stated that he believed that the land in question was ready for marketing by EP. Either way, it would not impact on the timetable for delivery of the stadium.

Today (Monday, 19th June) we have been further advised that following the collapse of the PFI package to rebuild the General Hospital on the current Turner Road site, the Health Authority may now be looking to build a new hospital on their land at Severalls, which would mean that land previously intended for housing and forming part of the infrastructure of the whole north Colchester regeneration site would not be released.

Whilst none of the above information can yet be verified, we are putting the details on to the site to allow you to make your own judgements on how you see things moving (or not).


05.06.06 - New Business Plan needed
Following the Colchester 2020 meeting held last Friday, June 2nd, it now transpires that the Business Plan* previously submitted by Colchester United was unsatisfactory and would have failed to stand up to close scrutiny, even if it had been passed by the council.

All three partners (Council, CUFC and CUCST) have agreed to work together to produce a more detailed business plan.

In a bid to keep the project moving forward, a tender pack is to be sent out to the short-list of companies, held by the council, to design and build the stadium. This will be done as soon as possible.

Robert Davidson, the Council Leader, has stated that he was confident that they could build a business case, but it needed a lot more work.

* The business plan is crucial as it will demonstrate how the costs of the council acquiring the £10.9m loan for the scheme can be repaid back.

The decision on the Football Foundation grant (expected to be £2m) is not now due until August 2006.


03.06.06 - General press release following the Colchester 2020 meeting
Report sets out next steps for Community Stadium
A further, crucial step was made today [2 June] at a meeting between partners involved with delivery of the Community Stadium. Greater understanding and clarity around the desired specification and the running arrangements for the long awaited stadium, enabled agreement for the plans to move to the tender process.

This progress follows guidance on the next steps the project should take, as part of an independent ‘Gateway’ review. This independent ‘health check’ took an in-depth look at the progress which has been made so far and the work which still needs to be carried out in order to deliver the stadium.

The Gateway report said: “The project has now reached a pivotal point in its history. It is now better placed than ever to move forward provided the opportunities now presented are seized and used to formulate an agreement between the parties on management arrangements enabling the detail of the stadium to be finalised and a full procurement exercise completed.”

Following the meeting Dave Murthwaite, Colchester2020 representative said: “We are all committed to succeeding with this project and have made a great deal of progress with the community stadium over the past few months culminating in a further valuable, businesslike and positive meeting this morning. However, I think we have to recognise that a mid 2007/2008 season move must be contemplated, instead of an opening at the start of the season and all partners are now working towards this. It is vital that we get the stadium right, so that it offers both a new home for our Championship team Colchester United, and delivers many other benefits to the borough’s community as a whole. And if that means it takes longer to complete than initially thought, then I think that is something we all accept.”


02.06.06 - Crunch meeting on Stadium
A meeting takes place today (Friday, 2nd June) under the Chairmanship of Dave Murthwaite of the Colchester 2020 group. It was scheduled to start at 9am and will have representatives of the three 'partners' i.e. Colchester United, Colchester United Sports Trust and Colchester Borough Council.

There are definitely stumbling blocks to be overcome at this meeting. If a joint statement results from this meeting we anticipate that progress will have been made. Should the various partners issue separate statements, this could indicate that things are "off-track".


31.05.06 - Council update on progress regarding new stadium [ word file ]
The following reply has been received from the Colchester Borough Council Leader, Robert Davidson, who is replying to a letter sent to him on 26th May by our group. Takes a bit of digesting but it gives you the situation as CBC see it.

Colchester Community Stadium
Thank you for your e-mail dated 26 May 2006 confirming the questions you posed at Cabinet the other evening.

You have asked me where matters currently stand with the project and when the Council will take the key decisions that will see it start on site. As you will have gathered from my comments at Cabinet, in terms of timing, this is a difficult question for me to answer in categorical terms. What I can say is that the Council has been vigorously progressing all the actions that Cabinet authorised back in December 2005. In particular, it has since that time:

• Finally secured outline planning permission.
• Signed a deal with other landowners to enable the development of the Cuckoo Farm/Severalls Hospital site to come forward and to ensure that permanent access via the NAR 3 and new A12 junction can be delivered (the landowners agreement)
• Selected a developer to deliver the next phase of the East West link road in order to ensure availability of access and services to the Community Stadium site at Cuckoo Farm
• Secured the surrender of the secure Farm Business tenancy to ensure that the site at Cuckoo Farm is available for development.
• Prepared initial cost, cash flow, risk management and programme analyses for the project.
• Sought specialist advice on the complex VAT and potential MRP implications of the project for the Council.
• Ensured that detailed soil tests and site survey work to support detailed design work on the Community Stadium building have been undertaken
• Ensured that a detailed design including structural steel designs and full Mechanical and Engineering Services Specifications are now approaching readiness to form a tender pack for contractors.
• Undertaken all necessary procurement processes through the European procurement route (OJEU) to ensure that a shortlist of suitable tenderers are waiting to receive the final tender pack.
• Commissioned further to support the case for the delivery of the Community Stadium in advance of the A12 junction.
• Undertaken public consultation on the draft Traffic Impact and Environmental Impact Assessments in order to address local public concern over the Community Stadium proposals particularly over transportation issues and traffic congestion/unauthorised parking.
• Ensured that issues connected with the detailed design have been raised with Building Regulations staff and Police Community Safety teams
• Used the opportunity presented by the Growth Point bid made by the Haven Gateway Partnership to submit a bid to ODPM for financial assistance towards the infrastructure needs of the project.
• Prepared a draft planning brief for the redevelopment of the Layer Road site to facilitate its sale.
• Consulted with local residents in the Layer Road area over the draft planning brief.
• Assisted the Colchester United Community Sports Trust undertake a consultative exercise with local organisations on community needs that could be met within the new Community Stadium.
• Begun to scope out briefs for future project management, legal advice and financial advice on the next stages of the project and to identify potential specialists to undertake that work.

As you will see a considerable amount of work has been completed on the project over recent weeks and this represents a significant financial and staff commitment to the success of the project by Colchester Borough Council.

As you have rightly identified, critical to the project moving forward to a start on site is a decision by the Borough Council to borrow sufficient money to meet the balance of construction costs under the Council’s Prudential Borrowing powers. The information needed to do seek this decision is not yet available.

What remains to be done in order that the Council can take this important decision is as follows:

• The completion of the Business Case. This is needed so that the Council is clear as to exactly what benefits will be available from the Community Stadium and how the risks and finances stack up. The Business Case will ensure that the uses and activities possible within the project and the resultant capital costs are considered and that the revenue costs and income streams likely to be generated to be fine-tuned to achieve optimum viability. Without these aspects being settled the TIA and EIA as well as the detailed design cannot be finalised. Without that being finalised, Reserved Matters approval cannot be sought and the tender process cannot be progressed. This Business Case is also vital to enable the Council to assess the potential impact of the project to Council Tax payers and to assess the risks of the Council’s involvement so appropriate mitigation measures can be put in place.
• Confirmation that the £2 million grant from the Football Foundation has been secured
• The formal grant of Reserved Matters on the planning side, including the relaxation of the condition imposed by the Highways Agency against the Community Stadium opening in advance of the A12 junction.
• Clarity on the role and responsibilities of the Community Stadium Management Company. This governance question is crucial since the Council needs for legal reasons to ensure that the asset created by the Council’s investment remains a public asset and one that can be managed in the long term so as to deliver a wide range of community benefits in accordance with the Community Strategy and its own Strategic Plan. This is what Adrian Pritchard alluded to at the Cabinet meeting.

The Council is very supportive of the project and with the Club having achieved such remarkable success on the pitch, the time to press ahead with it could not be better However, all the outstanding issues mentioned above are ones upon which the Council alone cannot reach conclusions. They are partnership matters and the Council, the Club and the Community Sports Trust must work through them and it helps no-one if, in public, we are continually asked to apportion blame for delays. We should also not underestimate the work that will be needed to settle these outstanding matters.

In conclusion, whilst I am sure you would like me to confirm a definite date upon which the project will be completed and open, neither I nor any of the partners are presently able to do so. What I will say, is that the partners are working and will continue to work very hard to ensure the delivery of the project on the earliest possible date.


25.05.06 - CBC Cabinet Meeting, 24th May 2006 - ccsag statement [ word file ]

CCSAG statement to the Cabinet Meeting of Colchester Borough Council on Wednesday, 24th May 2006

As I am sure you will all be aware, the town’s professional football club has recently been elevated to the second tier of the English football league, the Championship. In view of the outdated facilities at their current Layer Road ground, this is an incredible achievement.

The promotion was celebrated by an open-top bus parade on the Monday, after winning the promotion on the Saturday, with over 7,000 people turning out in the High Street and outside this very building, in poor weather and at very short notice.

Absolutely nothing in Colchester, as far as we are aware, has ever attracted so many people to the town centre to acknowledge such an achievement, of which, this town can be justifiably proud.

Rarely has the town of Colchester been given so much free, and good, national publicity. So much attention from not only the tabloid and broadsheet press but also other mass-media and television coverage across the globe. All courtesy of Colchester United football club!

This free publicity will be increased enormously over the next year as people, nationwide, will take a genuine interest in the fortunes to the town’s sporting ambassadors. Yet the community stadium, a project brimming with benefits for the not only the people of Colchester, but the whole of north-east Essex, appears to lie floundering. This is becoming an acute embarrassment to myself, our action group, and to many, many other Colcestrians.

According to our records of target dates set by the council, we are an incredible SIX MONTHS behind on some of these. Even the business plan, as far as we can tell, has not been finalised and accepted.

John Jowers, the former Leader of Colchester Borough Council and Chairman of the Cabinet, led us to believe that, one the elections had taken place, that there would be two special meetings called, first for the cabinet and then the full council, to decide on the Community Stadium.

However, as always, the correspondence comes back to us with “there are several stages still to go…” May I remind the Cabinet that there have been ‘several stages to go’ for at least six years.

The sale of land by the Mental Health Trust was supposed to be the biggest hurdle to cross, and once cleared, the rest would fall into place…. we were led to believe.

So, there are a few questions that we would like to ask the Cabinet:-

1) Where exactly do we stand on the stadium scheme?
2) Why is the variation order to the current planning consent taking so long?
3) When do the council intend to ratify the business plan?
4) When will you make the application for the necessary loan?
5) When do you realistically, see the final building contract being let.
6) When do you expect building to start?

The longer this drags on with no apparent progress, the less likely it is that we will even get into the new stadium in 2007, and less likely that we will ever see, again, the thousands of people celebrating outside this building as happened on 8th May.

Please grasp the opportunity NOW. There can be no better time than when the nation’s gaze is upon us.

Please move forward the Community Stadium scheme without any further delay.

"The Chairman of the meeting said that replies would be made by the relevant persons to the questions asked within the ccsag statement.

However, we remain extremely concerned that yet again the question of the viability of the business plan was being called into question by the Chief Executive of the Council. Until the business case stacks up (and one wonders whether it does at this time), the council really do seem to be holding back.

We will be making contact with the Council to further matters shortly and we will, again, be writing to Colchester United to ascertain just what is going on with their 'business plan' submission to the council. Likewise, we will be asking the same of the Colchester United Community Sports Trust.


10.05.06 - Stadium news - update
The following questions were put recently to Steve Clarke of CBC and his answers received on 8th May are shown below

Reserved matters planning application - any idea when this will go before the Planning Committee?

* Not yet but the architects and I are meeting the planners on Wednesday and this may help clarify what further work/information is needed.

Do the council have a preferred list of prospective tenderers?

* Yes

How do we stand on the construction of the next phase of the east-west link road (i.e. from the Woods factory to the stadium) as this is going to have to be built (I would think) to allow construction traffic to and from the site?

* The Council have selected the Easter Group to buy the site next to Flakt Woods and they will build the road as part of the deal (like Flakt Woods). I currently believe construction traffic could gain entry to the site from the Boxted Road end but this has yet to be formally raised and agreed with the Highway Authority.

Have business plans been submitted by CUFC and CUCST yet?

* We do not yet have all the information we need.

Whilst probably not within your remit, do you have any update on whether the application for funding has been made to the Football Foundation (I assume this is being done by the football club).

* As you say the Club is progressing this aspect but I understand the Football Foundation have been updated on the situation and will now take forward the grant application.


24.04.06 - Stadium sitrep latest
The following feedback was received from Steve Clark of CBC today (24th April):-

"The project is still progressing as well as can be expected. We should shortly be receiving a draft tender pack from our professional team, which if we approve, can then go out to prospective tenders. We have appointed a developer to deliver the off-site infrastructure and we have just held the Gateway Review. More work is needed on the business case and we still need to submit the reserved matters planning application, but a lot has been happening since the December Cabinet report. In view of this we are intending to review the overall project programme probably in May."


22.03.06 - Outline Planning permission given
The outline planning permission* for the whole of the north Colchester regeneration project, of which the stadium forms one part, was granted yesterday (21st March) by Colchester Borough Council planners. This is something that was expected to happen, following the land deal sign-ups on Monday (20th March).

We would add, however, that the Section 73 application, and reserved matters, to vary the original permission (* this says that the stadium cannot be built before the A12 junction is built) is currently being prepared by CBC.

CBC also continues to work on the stadium design.


20.03.06 - Land plans finally signed
We can now confirm that the legal agreement (S106) for the release of land for the north Colchester regeneration project, of which the new stadium forms part, were, at last, signed off by all partners today.


19.03.06 - Land deal - still not signed!
The ccsag would like to say that the earlier information regarding the supposed signing up of the S106 land deal by the Mental Health Trust on 22nd February came from them! It now transpires that they HAVE STILL NOT SIGNED UP and that it is expected that the full sign up will now take place on Monday 20th March - a full month on from the original 'sign-up' date. A very unsatisfactory state of affairs and one that has come as a complete surprise to not only us, but to the Borough Council as well.

On a more positive note, it is good to see that the Council have signed a 'land for road' deal with a developer for the parcel of land adjacent to the new Flakt-Woods factory. This will provide for a full east-west link road to the stadium and will be built by the new developer at their expense. It is expected that the road could be completed as early as this autumn.

This section of road is essential to the proposed early-build of the stadium prior to the A12 junction being built. It will take traffic away from the Mill Road area, and will allow access to the stadium from the Severalls Business Park approach road (off of the A120 slip-road).


02.03.06 - Notes from the Mylands Residents Meeting 02.03.06
Download and read the notes from the Mylands Residents Meeting on 02.03.06 in Word or PDF format.


02.03.06 - The current situation – as we see it.
Now that the legal issues relating to the release of land at Cuckoo Farm have been resolved, Colchester Borough Council are hoping to make rapid progress with the stadium development, but all things are relative.

The council is now conducting a series of meetings with local residents to explain what is happening and listen to any concerns there may be. .

This consultation process will continue, to a greater or lesser degree, throughout the period until the stadium is built.

The CCSAG has attended the meetings held at Highwoods and Myland and will continue to do so to ensure that our voice is also heard and a balanced debate is held.

Full planning consent, with a variation of the requirement for the A12 junction to be built before the stadium, is expected within a matter of weeks.

In the meantime, the council is waiting for detailed tender documents from potential contractors

These are unlikely to be received for at least a month. They will then be ‘considered’ and the matter will go before the council cabinet and then the full council for approval.

Unfortunately the council elections in May mean it is impossible for action to be taken on this or any other major project during April. Our best estimate is that the crucial council meetings will now take place in mid to late May.

Everything looks very positive at this stage, but the unavoidable delay of full council approval means that Colchester United FC are unlikely to start the 2007/8 season in their new home. Sources close to the project believe Christmas 2007 to be a more realistic target.

We will keep you posted on any further developments and confirm the dates for the council meetings as soon as we know.


01.03.06 - Change of Venue
Please note that the meeting with Myland residents on Wednesday, 1st March HAS BEEN MOVED FROM the Rugby Club, TO the Drama Studio, at the Gilberd School in Brinkley Lane, Highwoods (see link below).
www.gilberd.com/map/map.htm


01.03.06 - Notes from the Highwoods Residents Meeting 27.02.06
Download and read the notes from the Highwoods Residents Meeting on 27.02.06 in Word orPDF format.


24.02.06 - This is why we need your support at the council meetings
In today’s (24th Feb) East Anglian Daily Times there is a report indicating that there will be objections to the stadium being built before the A12 junction is completed.

This is exactly why we need every possible support when the Colchester Borough Council (CBC) call their two meetings at the Town Hall in the very near future!!!

The proposed community stadium should not be built until the new junction has been created on the A12, says Robert Johnstone, the Myland parish council chairman.

He spoke out just days after a vital agreement was reached to free up acres of land in north Colchester for the major regeneration project.

Yesterday, Johnstone said that without the vital link to the A12 the scheme could bring problems to the area.

The A12 junction has been approved as part of the regeneration project, but it is believed there is no way it could be built in time for the stadium’ targeted opening date of the summer of 2007.

Johnstone says: “The parish council’s opinion is we don’t want to see the stadium built before the junction. One of the main problems is congestion. I have seen the traffic assessment drawn up by a consultant, and there does seem to be robust transport plan. However, the likely problem will be at the end of matches or events, when people tend to drift away in their own time.

“We will object. Our pollcy is not anti-stadium, but we want the junction built first.”

CBC has already said it intends to try to alter the existing outline planning permission for the stadium, which currently has a condition saying that the junction must be built first.

Yesterday, Robert Davidson, CBC cabinet member for regeneration, said it was important the stadium was built as quickly as possible to ensure it was eligible for the £2m grant from the Football Foundation.

“This is a community stadium, which is also going to bring an immense benefit to people nearby – including health services, a library and, of course, sports facilities. I am confident that the traffic impact assessment we have undertaken shows the stadium will have minimum impact on the community, even without the junction.

“We have had a series of meetings with Myland Parish council and others to engage them in this process over the last couple of years. They have been made aware of the advantages of delivering the stadium sooner rather than later.

“We have a meeting with them in the near future where these issues will be considered again.”

Well, that clearly sets out the Myland Parish Council’ s attitude to the scheme. We must make sure that ours comes across loud and clear as well.

---ooo0ooo----

There are two meetings planned for the communities in north Colchester, to discuss the Traffic Impact Assessment and the Environmental Impact Assessment. They will be held as follows:-

Highwoods – Monday, 27th February, 1930hrs, at the Highwoods Community Centre.

Myland – Wednesday, 1st March, 1930hrs,on the First Floor of the Colchester Rugby Club in Mill Road.

Both meetings are open to the general public, so if you want to have a say or just listen to the ‘locals’, then go along.


23.02.06 - Special Council Meetings planned
Please note that it is intended that two special Council meetings will be held in the very near future, and will be called at short notice.

These meetings - a Cabinet and Full Council - will be held at the Town Hall (possibly in the Moot Hall), so that (a) the cabinet members can make the necessary recommendations to the full council and (b) for the full council to have a free vote on whether to progress with the stadium scheme.

We will advise here, and on the Official Club and Rivals messageboards, when we have any information.

Your attendance at the meetings will be vital at what is very crucial time for all of us.


23.02.06 - Land deal signed!
As mentioned at the ccsag meeting on 21st February, the full agreement on legal deals, freeing up land for the stadium and the whole north Colchester regeneration project, was finally achieved when the North Essex Mental Health Trust finally put pen to paper yesterday (22nd Feb).

This now means that all three partners, Colchester Borough Council, English Partnerships and the Mental Health Trust, are signatories to the Section 106 agreement that was needed before the outline planning permission could be given.

The partners can now sort out the final details to obtain the planning permission and the scheme could well be put out to tender by April, just as long as the business case is deemed acceptable.

The variation of the original outline planning permission, to build and use the stadium before the A12 junction is built, is due to be applied for, based on the Traffic Impact Assessment that has already been completed and is going out for local consultation next week.

Still a fair bit to do, but things are looking extremely positive now and the news has been widely welcomed by both the partners and those within the borough council.

John Jowers, Leader of CBC, said: “I’m over the moon.

“We’ve now got to get the business plan sorted, which I don’t anticipate any problems with, and then we can really start motoring.

“You can really taste it now – it’s that close.”

The agreement on the land deal now means that English Partnerships can start the process to secure a developer to turn the redundant Severalls site into a vibrant new community. This, in turn, will eventually start the release of cash for the building of the A12 junction.


22.02.06
CCSAG Meeting, held at 1930hrs on Tuesday, 21st February 2006 at the Cowdray Arms, Cowdray Centre, Colchester

Present:

Steve Bradshaw, Chief Executive, CUCST
Matthew Young, CBC with responsibility for Community matters

John Jowers, Leader, Colchester Borough Council (CBC)
Steve Clarke, CBC

Bill Frame, Non-Executive Director, NEE Mental Health Trust

Peter Powell, Director, CUFC

---ooo0ooo---

The Meeting opened with an extremely good presentation from Steve Bradshaw (SB).

He outlined the fact that the stadium will be used 7 days a week for community purposes, and not just the 23-odd match days for football.

He spoke about the sort of uses the facility would be put to, including health awareness, activity sessions, football, aerobics, fitness awareness, local health programmes and the possibility of a community physio suite. The stadium would be the base for the CUCST involvement in north Colchester.

Matthew Young (MY) said that he was working with SB on behalf of the council on the community content side of the scheme, which would be used not only for Colchester, but for Tendring and parts of south Suffolk as well.

They were talking with Essex County Council and other agencies in an effort to get funding to deliver the right facilities for the area. He said he was working with the CUCST in an effort to find partners for this part of the scheme, and this was proving very successful.

Both SB and MY spoke about the role of the CUCST and said that the infrastructure at the new stadium would complement the new facilities now being constructed at Shrub End, which were aimed at the residents of south Colchester. Once completed it would include activity halls, physio facilities, new changing rooms, meeting rooms and be fully accessible to the disabled. It was costing £1.3m to develop this site, but it was stressed that this had had no effect on the funding of the stadium.

SB said that the stadium plans would not be delayed on their part for the want of the odd room or other. He was fighting to get as many other parties on board as possible.

There was a query from the floor about Lottery Funding, but it was explained that whilst there could be lottery funding for individual community groups via the CUCST, the borough were not allowed to use lottery funds on the stadium.

He added that all the partners in the scheme (CBC, NEEMHT and English Partnerships) had to stand up to the scrutiny of auditors.

SB said they had had two major meetings with their partners and were still working on the stadium designs.

Whilst there had not been any direct promise if additional funding at present, there were strong possibilities of this happening.
They were working with the Colchester Primary Care Trust, re funding for GP surgery facilities on the site. Essex County Council (ECC) for a library. Local colleges are also keen to be there with a possible large cash input as a result.

CBC/ECC and various voluntary organisations are desperate to get involved in getting things right in a very short time.

SB said It was hoped that some big partners will commit within the next 2 months, but he was unable to say anymore due to commercial confidentiality.

John Jowers (JJ) spoke briefly on the Football Foundation funding, and explained that whilst the deadline for the application to be submitted (Dec 05) had passed, Peter Heard, the CUFC Chairman, had been able to keep the funding in place, on the basis that we are now so near to getting the necessary planning application through for the stadium. (This has to be done before the actual Football Foundation application can be made).

The amount of money involved is roughly £2m to £2.5m.

JJ also stated that CBC would need to borrow around £11m. He said that he saw no problems with this, just as long as the business case stacked up.

JJ then mentioned the recent problems regarding the failure to get the S106 legal documents signed regarding the land sale. It had basically been down to the use of the land being sold and a confirmation that it would be used only for the stadium and not some other commercial or housing venture.

JJ (together with Bill Frame of the NEEMHT) then confirmed that there would be a Board Meeting of the Mental Health Trust tomorrow (22nd Feb), where is strongly expected that the Trust will sign up to the land sale. Once all the signatures of the partners are confirmed, the council will quickly move forward with the outline planning application, which is ready to be agreed.

JJ said that he would call both Cabinet and Full Council Meetings to move things on.

Once the planning application has been agreed the Football Foundation funding application will be made. JJ also stated that things connected with the scheme would then start to move far quicker.

JJ said that a ‘shadow Board’ for the stadium, would be appointed, with representation as follows: CBC – 2 members. CUCST – 2, CUFC -2 and there will be 3 independent members.

Steve Clarke (SC) said that to date they have dealt with 43 organisations to progress the stadium scheme. Everything was now very close to becoming a ‘go’ just a long as the money side of things stacked up.

He also stated that whilst the land sign-ups were due to be completed last December, and were not, he was more than hopeful that matters on this score would finally be resolved tomorrow.

SC said that in relation to the Business Plan, he felt that there would be three specific business plans, from the Club, the Sports Trust and also from the Stadium Management Company, to include various sub-tenants.

JJ explained that as long as the CBC Chief Financial Officer (Sue Edwards) was happy with the business case, it would satisfy him.

The need for confidentiality was still paramount, especially in relation to the main club benefactor. He also felt that it would be beneficial for the Club to engage a professional, when putting their final case to the council.

He said that the current gate figure of between 5,500-6,000 which is being used when working out the business case was a very good and sensible level to work on. The District Auditor has to be satisfied at the end of the day.

JJ said that there would need to be a surcharge on ticket prices to assist in the repayment of the capital loan.

It was made clear that because the Council were in the position of ‘building before they can sell’, they would not be able to realise the value of the assets of the Layer Road ground or the land at Cuckoo Farm in the initial stages. The income from the sale of land at both of these locations was expected to meet the capital of the loan, eventually.

SB also said that it was very difficult to judge the value of community cost avoidance schemes, such as a surgery, library, and having facilities in place in north Colchester before major developments take place.

Local MP, Bob Russell asked the council members if there would be any juggling by the council to put the scheme. He also asked if there were any proposals before the Council that would delay the planning application. He also asked for a ‘best guess’ on the laying of the first turf.

SC said he had to satisfy local residents regarding the stadium being used before the junction was built.

A land deal for the plot next to the new Woods factory is being worked on, with land being sold at cost on the proviso that the road extension (needed to access the stadium) will be provided by the developer.

He also had to deal with drainage and other main supply problems for this part of the site, which had none of these.

JJ said the Council were committed to getting the stadium built as quickly as possible and he, personally, will vote for it.

He said that whilst there had to be a target date, he just could not guarantee that the August 2007 date will be met. If it did slip, it would not be by much.

The Meeting was advised that both the TIA (Traffic Impact Assessment) and the EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) had been done and to enable the local population to have their say, two meetings have been arranged for Highwoods (27th February at the Highwoods Community Centre) and Myland (1st March at the Rugby Club).

SC said that as part of the TIA, the main flow of traffic to the stadium would be via the Severalls Business Park and the new road next to the Woods factory. The return would be along Severalls Lane and into Ipswich Road.

These arrangements are being put to the local population (via the consultation meetings) on the basis of an approximate use period of 18 months, whilst the A12 junction matter is resolved.

SC said there may well be a need for people to re-look at how they get to the stadium, whether walking up the Northern Approaches road or getting the shuttle bus link from North Station. The car park would have 600 spaces at the stadium.

There were comments about the use of North Station on a weekday evening, and the fact that the station car park would not be available for a shuttle service. SC said they were aware of this and other arrangements would be put into place for evening games.

JJ added that there was the outside possibility of moving the car park to the north side of the A12, which would allow for it to be expanded.

Stadium timetable

SC stated that in relation to the current timetable, the following had or was happening:

1) The OJEU process has commenced on time.
2) Design advisers were appointed on time.
3) The planning permission and Football Foundation Grant application are on hold until the S106 Land Agreement is finally signed-up too by all the partners (expected tomorrow, 22nd Feb)
4) A12 junction modification is dependant on 3.
5) Detailed site investigations and soil test have been set up.
6) Design Brief – workshop seminars in progress and a breakdown of exactly what will go into the stadium is being done.
7) Community Stadium Management Co. Dave Murthwaite has agreed to take temporary charge and this is being progressed.
8) Shadow Board – as mentioned, this is being progressed, with representation as mentioned earlier.
9) TIA and EIA - have both been done and are going out to consultation with the local population at the two public meetings.

There was query regarding the type of contract that the council would used in relation to the ‘design and build’ of the stadium.

JJ and SC both confirmed that one of the major problems with contracts elsewhere, was the constant changing of what was wanted, after letting the contract. The fact that the council was putting so much effort into getting the design right (i.e. the releasing of an additonal £250,000 towards the design) will mean that what the eventual contractor signs up for, will be what will be wanted. To that end, the contract will be a fixed one.

JJ stated that they had done exactly the same thing with the current Garrison development, which is a PFI agreement, and the contract there is both on time and on cost. This is exactly what they were aiming for with the stadium contract.

Following a query, JJ explained that the council wanted the stadium to be good quality, but that it had to be within the cost figures available to the council. They were still aiming for a stadium along the lines of the one built at Hudderfield by McAlpines.

---ooo0ooo---

Whilst it is very difficult to keep track of everything that is discussed at a meeting like this, I have tried to get down as much as I could.

The meeting was a very, very positive one, and the ‘vibes’ coming from it, from all of those involved, now need to be put into deed. The main concern, after the land deals are done and dusted, will be the costings of the business plan(s). If these are acceptable to the District Auditor and the Chief Financial Officer of the Council, then I fully expect to see significant and quick movement towards to letting of the contract.


09.02.06
CCSAG members Paul Ost and Rob Knight met with the Chief Executive and Chairman of the North East Essex Mental Health Partnership on Monday 6th February, after concerns were highlighted in the east Anglian Daily Times newspaper, that they may not sign the land agreement that would enable the Cuckoo farm development to proceed.
Paul and Rob were both reassured that it was very close to being completed, but because the MHP is a public body and both the Chairman and CE are accountable, they had to make sure everything is right.
They told the CCSAG members that "Its in our best interests to sign sooner rather than later and we would sign today if we could".

Paul & Rob expressed how important it is to move forward, and the possible consequences to the project if it does not.

We would like to thank the MHP for their hospitality and we appreciate very much, giving us time to meet.


05.02.06
NEXT CCSAG MEETING
Tuesday 21st February at the Cowdray Arms, Cowdray Centre, Colchester. Starting at 7.30pm . Bar and refreshments available. Please email paul_ost@btconnect.com if you wish to attend.


19.01.06
Please note that the next Council Cabinet Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 25th January 2006 HAS NOW BEEN MOVED to Monday, 6th February 2006.

08.12.05
A massive thank you to all those who packed into the meeting at the Town Hall on 7th December. It was great to see some younger members of the community join us and their behaviour was exemplorary, a credit to your club and Town.

Another stage passed and a very important one at that. The agreement to release £200.000 should be seen as a signal of intent. It is enabling money, and it will be used in part to pay for going out to tender for a contractor to develop and build the stadium.

Once that contrator is appointed, early next year, a firm price will be set for the project. Only at that point can the exact costings be worked out. The partners have been using estimates from industry experts so far, but once this contract is awarded a precise figure can be used.

It is now more important than ever, that you keep logging onto this site to see what meetings and news there are, we must work together to keep the pressure on.

Activity Target date for completion
¤ Commencement of OJEU process to appoint main contractor December 2005
¤ Appointment of design advisers December 2005
¤ Grant of Outline Planning Permission Christmas 2005
¤ Formal Application for Football Foundation Grant Christmas 2005
¤ Application for A12 junction condition modification January 2006
¤ Detailed site investigations/soil tests January 2006
¤ Completion of detailed Design Brief January 2006
¤ Formation of Community Stadium Management Co January 2006
¤ Appointment of Shadow Board/independent chair January 2006
¤ Acceptance of TIA and EIA reports January 2006
¤ Development of design and specification February 2006
¤ Detailed cost plan/pre-tender report February 2006
¤ Reserved matters approval March 2006
¤ Modification of A12 junction condition approved March 2006
¤ Update of Business Case March 2006
¤ Gateway Review March 2006
¤ Approval to proceed with Tender March 2006
¤ Formal Tender March/April 2006
¤ Tenders received/evaluated/report available April 2006
¤ Football Foundation grant awarded April 2006
¤ Contract signed for delivery of site access/servicing April 2006
¤ Production of Final Business Case April 2006
¤ Final decision to proceed by Colchester Borough Council April 2006
¤ Formal appointment of contractor April 2006
¤ Earliest start on site June 2006


28.11.05
The "Colchester Borough Council Cabinet Report" for use at the next Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday, 7th December, is now on site for you to see. As can be seen there are a considerable number of matters that still need to be resolved.

There does appear to be a willingness to get the project completed, but only after certain assurances are with the Council.

The timescale shown, within Item 4, really does now show that any slippage will mean that the August 2007 opening, that is still seen as being possible, just cannot be met!

Enjoy the read, and come along to the Meeting and 'have your say' if you wish. The more support, the better, whatever your age."


25.11.05
The following reply was received from Cllr Robert Davidson, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration on CBC today:-

"Since the Cabinet meeting on 19th October 2005, when you asked a series of eleven questions concerning the current status of this project, the Partners have had further a further constructive meeting. Some previously confidential items can now be shared with you...

The issues that you have raised are all matters that we have been in active discussions with our Partners, Colchester United and Colchester United Community Sports Trust. I am therefore able to reply on behalf of all the Partners as to the current position.

You have stated you would still like specific responses to your points, which are as follows:

1) The Partners do not currently believe that there is a funding gap.

2) See answer to 1 above.

3) The project will be discussed at the Cabinet on 7th December 2005 and it will be recommended that the project goes to tender on a design and build contract in Spring 2006.

4 & 5) See answer to 3 above.

6,7 & 8) We are currently looking at the programming of these next steps. As yet, no contractor has been appointed, but that is what the proposed tender process would achieve.

9) The Partners wish to see a new Community Stadium that is of as high a quality as possible.

10) Yes, this timetable is the one we are working to.

11) See answer 10. Depending on the outcome of the tender process and the programming work we are currently undertaking, the opening of the Stadium in readiness for the start of the 2007/08 football season remain a possibility.

A Cabinet report (of which the ccsag now has a copy, but which must remain confidential until early next week), expands upon many of these points. A great deal of progress has be achieved and we now have a likely timescale that would indicate an opening is still possible for the start of the 2007/08 season. However as is indicated in the report, there remain a number of complex issues for the Partners to address, many of which are beyond their direct control. We are all committed to do everything possible to bring forward this project, but for these reasons the timescale cannot be guaranteed.

The ccsag will advise as soon as possible on the contents of the Cabinet report, which has been given to us ahead of the proper publication date.


20.10.05
CCSAG were in attendance at the latest Council Cabinet meeting on 19th October 2005 at the Town Hall Colchester. A number of questions were put forward and the reply to those questions will be put up on site as soon as we have them.


20.10.05
CCSAG STATEMENT

THE COUNCIL IS NOW IN RECEIPT OF THE PETITION IN FAVOUR OF THE COMMUNITY STADIUM.WITH OVER 30,000 SIGNATURES THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT OF THE HUGE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT AND THE LEADERS OF ALL THREE MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED PUBLICLY THEIR WHOLEHEARTED SUPPORT

ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRAFFIC IMPACT REPORTS HAVE BEEN POSITIVE AND THE STADIUM WILL REQUIRE NO FUNDING FROM TAXPAYERS AFTER CONSTRUCTION.ALL VERY ENCOURAGING SO FAR………….AND YET THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NO PROGRESS FOR AN ALARMING PERIOD OF TIME.

THE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN IN POSSESSION OF THE CONSULTANTS FINANCIAL VIABILITY REPORT FOR 4 MONTHS AND AS YET HAVE MADE NO COMMENT.WE MUST ASSUME,THEREFORE,THAT THIS REPORT IS THE CAUSE OF THE UNACCEPTABLE DELAYS.THIS LEADS US TO ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

• IS THERE A FUNDING GAP?
• IF SO,WHAT IS BEING DONE TO CLOSE IT?
• WILL THE STADIUM PROJECT BE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETINGS ON 7TH AND 14TH DECEMBER?
• IF NOT,WILL THERE BE A SPECIAL MEETING BE CALLED BEFORE THEN?
• IF SO,WHEN?
• HOW SOON AFTER THE PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED WILL THE PARTNERS SUBMIT THE DETAILED PLANNING APPLICATION?
• HAVE AN ARCHITECT AND A CONTRACTOR BEEN APPOINTED ALREADY TO ENSURE NO FURTHER DELAYS AFTER APPROVAL?
• WHAT STADIUM WILL BE BUILT – MODULAR,INTERMEDIATE OR “ROLLS ROYCE”?
• DOES THE COUNCIL STILL BELIEVE THAT THE STADIUM WILL BE READY FOR THE START OF THE 2007/8 FOOTBALL SEASON?
• IF NOT,WHAT IS THE REVISED TIMETABLE?

THE PUBLIC NEEDS ANSWERS AND IT NEEDS THEM NOW.


02.10.05
After a year's sterling efforts by the Colchester Community Stadium Action Group and the Evening Gazette, more than 30,000 names will be delivered to the Town Hall calling for a community stadium.

This will be presented at 3.30pm on Thursday, October 6, at the Town Hall, High Street, Colchester


08.09.05
STATEMENT TO COUNCIL CABINET MEETING – 7TH SEPT 05

We are from the Colchester Community Stadium Action Group. We have sought to represent the very significant majority of the residents of both Colchester and the surrounding areas.

Many have expressed their support for the building of a community stadium for Colchester in the Cuckoo Farm development. We have collected over 30,000 signatures from local inhabitants, Colchester United football fans and supporters from around the country, who all wish to see the stadium, in part, provide a home for Colchester United Football Club, the only full-time professional sports club in Colchester.

These people also recognise that the stadium will also provide a vast array of facilities for the benefit of sports clubs and other groups, together with the expansion of the activities of the Colchester United Sports Trust.

Whilst sporting arenas are used by local residents, they are also visited by large numbers of people from outside the immediate area. This is particularly true of football grounds. We believe that such facilities, if provided, contribute enormously to the external perceptions of a town or city.

It is extremely unfortunate, therefore, that the perception of Colchester for so many people from around this country, is based on their experience of visiting the current Colchester United ground at Layer Road. Indeed, we have evidence that many people from both Colchester, the immediate surrounding area and from other parts of the country, refuse to attend games at Layer Road because of the lack of facilities available, and, in part, the extremely limited parking provision, which has been made worse since 1st August of this year, with yet more restrictions being introduced.

The benefits to the area, from an improved public perception, through a modern stadium, will be to increase revenue for local businesses as well as those at the stadium, and will be enormous. The Colchester public have accepted this, with the strong support for the Evening Gazette initiated campaign showing a clear approval for our money to be spent on something we really want and need as a community.

The Borough Council was due to consider moving the stadium scheme forward at the July meetings, but the matter was deferred until September, to allow for feedback from the independent consultants report, which has been with the council now, for some time.

We are concerned so see that the scheme is not now being presented to the meetings in September and would ask if special Cabinet and Full council meetings are going to be held in October for the necessary decisions to be made to allow the stadium to be ‘up and running’ by the start of the 2007-8 football season.

The timetable is now under great pressure and we would urge all councillors to be bold and support the project without reservation.

Thank you for your time this evening.

(the statement is also available as a WORD-file on the download section)


01.09.05
Latest update on stadium as per article in the EADT on Wednesday, 31st August:

HOPE FOR EARLY START TO SPORTS STADIUM
Work can begin before road link, says report

A Sports stadium in Colchester could be opened before a new major road junction is built, traffic experts have concluded.

For years it was thought that plans for an new community stadium in Colchester would depend upon the construction of a new interchange on the A12, allowing traffic to access the town from the north.

Buit now transport consultants Savell, Bird and Axon have submitted a draft report, which suggested the existing road network would be able to cope for an interim period without the new interchange.

This report wil be discussed with the Highways Agency, which will make the final decision on whether the proposal should go ahead. (when!!!)

The stadium, which is planned for the former NHS hospital land at Cuckoo Farm, would provide a home for Colchester United Football Club as well as a variety of community sports and activities.

Mike Crouch, Colchester Borough Council's executive director,