CASTLEFORD TIGERS have received a major boost to their redevelopment of their Super League stadium with the Environmental Agency withdrawing its objection to the plan.
The Environmental Agency (EA) has batted back Castleford’s redevelopment plans three times in recent months due to what the EA called an “absence of an acceptable flood risk assessment (FRA)”.
Following that objection in late last year, the EA also gave the Tigers pointers with which to improve their proposal, explaining: “The submitted FRA does not comply with the requirements for the site-specific flood risk assessments, as set out in paragraphs 20 to 21 of the Flood Risk and Coastal Change planning practice guidance and its site-specific flood risk assessment checklist. The FRA does not therefore adequately assess the flood risks posed by the development, in particular, the FRA fails to:
– Provide details of suitable flood risk mitigation measures
– Demonstrate that the development does not increase flood risk to others”.
However, it is good news for all those concerned with Castleford Tigers, with the EA now removing its objection, stating that: “Based on the revised FRA (Flood Risk Assessment), the Environmental Agency is now in a position to remove our previous objections.”
The proposal could now be heard in front of Wakefield Council on February 15th.
Previously, Castleford’s managing director, Mark Grattan, had told The COYFCast podcast that there were two plans in place for the redevelopment of The Jungle.
“Plan A is the full redevelopment which ticks every box going and would help generate more money so then increasing the financial elements of it as well,” Grattan said.
“We’ve got a Plan B so if there is an issue and if it drags on where we can’t start anything next season, we have £2 million in the pot from the council to do what we need to do in terms of getting that extra point (from IMG).
“Things that really count – capacity has to be 5,000 which we have ticked, you have to have 2000 seats which we haven’t got.
“You’ve got to have 200 sponsor seats which are padded and physically cordoned off in a different area which we don’t have.
“Your corporate lounge needs to hold 200 which we’ve got, directors box needs to hold 40 and be cordoned off from public are which it isn’t at the moment with direct access to and from the boardroom seats without passing through the public area or be properly stewarded so that’s what we would do.
“There needs to be a broadcast parking area which we have got, studio access for Sky which is on the gantry should be 4 by 4 metres. At the minute it is 3.1 by 3.1 metres but it is doable.
“Media facilities, we don’t have enough but it is doable and photographer facilities is doable. A very rough idea of a Plan B would depend on where we are on the stadium redevelopment by the end of the year.
“Potentially, if the stadium looks like it does now going into next year when we need to get the IMG points, we will start work with the council money.”
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