Latest update on upgrade to Wakefield's ground

[Forever Trinity]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/wakefield-belle-vue-redevelopment-update-19990736?utm_source=leeds_live_newsletter&utm_campaign=rugby_league_lve_newsletter&utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwAR35LfpbPwg_xQ9lwom4LE8scNWvKbJ_3pSfbK5n60rXKtKpj3e6p6tgzDo

Looking more and more promising

[Eddie]

Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before. 

[Hela Wigmen]

Good luck to them. 

[Dallas Mead]

“Here comes the rain again....”

[Man of Kent]

Easy to be cynical about Belle Vue, but a start date of mid-September, (and 70-week construction schedule and early 2023 completion date) sounds suspiciously like this might actually happen.

How are Wakey funding this?

[The Daddy]

Must be that time again......

[Wholly Trinity]

4 hours ago, Eddie said:

Stop me if you think that you’ve heard this one before. 

...but this has never happened before.

The cynicism is fair enough, but the club has never applied for permission to redevelop BV stadium. They previously gained permission to convert the site to housing.

Any work on BV was seen as throwing good money after bad as there was never a plan to stay there as it would cost more to redevelop than build a new stadium. However, multiple failed stadium projects later, the current management decided that they could no longer wait for the unicorn stadium so decided on a change of tactics where they had more control but possibly lower standard finished product and longer lead time to finished stadium. 

All efforts to date were on building a new stadium elsewhere and was always pursued by 'trustworthy' 3rd parties and local authority advice. You already know how they turned out.

The funding for this is from the development of the site previously allocated for the stadium at Newmarket. Not much public news on that development, which is also going through planning atm afaik.

From the piece it only mentions permission for the stadium, but I guess they must be confident of the funding for the enabling project too?

[fieldofclothofgold]

Well at least they're keeping it going 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Must say it does sound like it's all going pretty well.

I'm presuming the potential use of the ground by the wider community is a big reason why they are saying they don't see any problem with getting planning permission. This certainly does seem to be a big point in British planning in the modern day, whether facilities benefit the community as a whole, probably the reason for going for the 4G pitch, plus the year round income that will bring of course. 

Good luck to them! 

[cookey]

Good luck,at least they are attempting to keep people up to date. Hope it all works out.

I've heard zilch from Castleford. Someone needs to tell Cas that unless there are shovels in the ground,they will be kicked out of SL and replaced by Newcastle,York,London or someone else. They have had 25yrs to achieve absolutely nothing.

[Damien]

Hopefuly it comes off this time and good luck to Wakefield. The more strong clubs getting good crowds the better. Its a pity they couldn't have started work on this during covid when the stadium was out of use anyway.

[Wholly Trinity]

15 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Must say it does sound like it's all going pretty well.

I'm presuming the potential use of the ground by the wider community is a big reason why they are saying they don't see any problem with getting planning permission. This certainly does seem to be a big point in British planning in the modern day, whether facilities benefit the community as a whole, probably the reason for going for the 4G pitch, plus the year round income that will bring of course. 

Good luck to them! 

MC was previously quoted as saying we'd definitely have grass, but I guess money talks.

There is talk of Wakefield FC sharing.

John Minnards (chairman) is dealing with the stadium development rather than Michael Carter (CEO) and in a recent zoom meeting with fans he stated that there were other investors. This may be why the floodlights and 4G can be done sooner as they are funded from a different source?

They say theeast stand is phase 1, but subsequent phases are as yet unfunded afaik. The east stand and refurb to the gym for public use in the clubhouse are seen as money makers beyond matchday. North stand remodelling will increase capacity via safety certificate. 

any work actually beginning will be a massive relief.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

9 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Easy to be cynical about Belle Vue, but a start date of mid-September, (and 70-week construction schedule and early 2023 completion date) sounds suspiciously like this might actually happen.

How are Wakey funding this?

But how many times have they given a date in 2-3 years time they expect a new stadium to be completed and no work has taken place. if they build a new stand at belle vue that’d be great, the ground in its current state isn’t fit for Super League, but how much will it cost and how are they going to pay for it? 

[Wholly Trinity]

16 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

But how many times have they given a date in 2-3 years time they expect a new stadium to be completed and no work has taken place. if they build a new stand at belle vue that’d be great, the ground in its current state isn’t fit for Super League, but how much will it cost and how are they going to pay for it? 

Previous projects were always 100% dependent on a third party providing a new stadium. The club couldn't (and didn't) promise anything as they were not in control of any aspect. For the Newmarket project, the club were not involved at all except for agreeing to be anchor tenants in a community stadium.

As stated above, the funding is mainly via the development of the proposed site of the stadium at Newmarket Road. The ground isn't fit for purpose and no-one at the club has tried to pretend it is. I feel this really is last-chance-saloon for SL membership.

I'm sure it's a complete coincidence that real progress only took place when the council leader (Cas fan and shareholder) stepped down. Maybe it's just that Michael Carter and John MInnards are better businessmen and decision makers than previous owners/chairmen.

The other advantage to the current plans is that the club (via council loan) now own the stadium and adjacent land to Doncaster Road (where Superbowl and Wimpy used to be) giving them much more room for manoeuvre. 

[Scubby]

Has anyone got images/watercolours/mock ups of how it will look when finished?

I'm sure many people will have a believe it when I see it reaction. If this does mean Wakefield can stay at BV then it is potentially a great move.

[aMAZEYballs]

Good Luck to them. It would be great to see Belle Vue redeveloped. Pipe dreams of new stadia in a sport like rugby league is hard to imagine. I would rather see clubs develop where they play already then build big fancy stadiums that they only quarter fill. 

I mean, Wigan have a huge stadium that neither the Warriors or the fallballers fill too often. Same with Hull FC and their football team. I don't get the insistence across League or Union for big football stadia. Neither sport will compete with the wendyballers for support. 

The maximum any of our clubs needs is a 20,000. capacity. That's for our big clubs, the rest of us could easily cope with 12, 10 or even 8000 capacities. I'd rather see them near full than have 10,000 in a 30,000 capacity ground. 

I just wish S*lford council would get their backsides in gear and help Swinton move home. Even if they built a new ground at Agecroft or another bit of land that the Lions and the R*ds could share. I mean, the Eccles ground is too far away from in the middle of nowhere for S*lford's true fanbase. 

[Wholly Trinity]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Has anyone got images/watercolours/mock ups of how it will look when finished?

I'm sure many people will have a believe it when I see it reaction. If this does mean Wakefield can stay at BV then it is potentially a great move.

 

[Scubby]

Just now, Wholly Trinity said:

 

Looks great. You have to start somewhere. If they can get one part of the stadium to modernise then the rest will follow over time. That is how it used to be done with teams upgrading their stadiums.

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, Scubby said:

Has anyone got images/watercolours/mock ups of how it will look when finished?

I'm sure many people will have a believe it when I see it reaction. If this does mean Wakefield can stay at BV then it is potentially a great move.

Every street artist in Wakefield will have one.

[Southerner]

I much prefer the idea of staying put and upgrading against moving into new stadia.

The new stadiums just don’t have any character. 

[Rioman]

4 hours ago, Scubby said:

Has anyone got images/watercolours/mock ups of how it will look when finished?

I'm sure many people will have a believe it when I see it reaction. If this does mean Wakefield can stay at BV then it is potentially a great move.

Go on Wakefield MDC planning website there's seventy odd documents including plans,

20/02587/FUL | Redevelopment of existing stadium comprising: demolition of existing east stand and replacement with 2-storey stand with 2,507 seated capacity and associated facilities, internal refurbishment of the Rollin Shack to provide additional facilities including gym, surfacing of car park, provision of fan zone, resurfacing of the pitch, upgrade to the existing floodlights, permanent electronic display screen and re-surfacing of existing north stand. | Belle Vue Stadium Doncaster Road Wakefield WF1 5EY

[WakefieldCityLoyal]

4 hours ago, Scubby said:

Has anyone got images/watercolours/mock ups of how it will look when finished?

I'm sure many people will have a believe it when I see it reaction. If this does mean Wakefield can stay at BV then it is potentially a great move.

https://www.afl-architects.com/news/plans-submitted-for-wakefield-trinity-stadium-redevelopment
 

Up the Trin 

[Kenilworth Tiger]

7 hours ago, cookey said:

Good luck,at least they are attempting to keep people up to date. Hope it all works out.

I've heard zilch from Castleford. Someone needs to tell Cas that unless there are shovels in the ground,they will be kicked out of SL and replaced by Newcastle,York,London or someone else. They have had 25yrs to achieve absolutely nothing.

I've forwarded your post to all concerned

[fighting irish]

C'mon Wakey! 

[Rupert Prince]

8 hours ago, cookey said:

Good luck,at least they are attempting to keep people up to date. Hope it all works out.

I've heard zilch from Castleford. Someone needs to tell Cas that unless there are shovels in the ground,they will be kicked out of SL and replaced by Newcastle,York,London or someone else. They have had 25yrs to achieve absolutely nothing.

Unfortunately this is true.  Some of that 60 million that (some) SL clubs turned down might have helped leverage some investment for Cas.  But Hetherington helped stop it.  Not that it did not stop him from getting private investment for Headingly.