Plans for Odsal Stadium remain Bradford Council goal (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Talks held on future of development
11:20am Wednesday 19th January 2011 in Odsal By Tanya O'Rourke
Odsal Stadium
The creation of a sporting village at Odsal remains a Bradford Council goal, a senior councillor has pledged.
But aspects of how the long-standing plans will come to fruition remain unclear with private investment hard to come by, according to newly-published minutes of a meeting of the Council’s regeneration and economy scrutiny committee.
A £5 million contract with the doomed regional development agency Yorkshire Forward for remedial work has been withdrawn and a timescale on delivering the project is not easy to establish, the report says.
The document also shows that Councillor Dave Green, the Council’s executive member for regeneration and economy, told the committee one of the problems was that the private sector would not back the Council’s plans because the sector seemed to have been put off by the project not being “a main Council priority” in the last ten years.
He said financing of the project was an issue.
At the same meeting, minutes show Tony Stephens, the Council’s assistant director of leisure services, said £15m had been agreed for the project but “raising any shortfall would take time”.
A steering group, representing partners involved in the project, is chaired by Councillor the Reverend Paul Flowers, the Council’s executive member for culture planning and housing.
In a statement to the Telegraph & Argus, Coun Flowers said: “The ambition to create a sports village, including a new stadium at Odsal, remains. We are working with partner groups to explore ways of achieving that goal.
“However, the sports village plan is subject to the same pressures as all council services and spending plans. We can’t make any firm funding commitments while the Council budget has yet to be agreed.”
Council leader Ian Greenwood said he echoed the sentiments of Coun Flowers.
Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, leader of the Tory group, said: “Last year’s Conservative Group Capital Budget included funding towards the Odsal Sporting Village.
“I note that the Labour Group appears to remain committed to the project.
“Obviously we are in extraordinary times. It really is time for something to happen.”
Peter Hood, who sits on the steering group as chairman of Bradford Bulls, whose stadium would be redeveloped as part of the project, said: “We are very busy. The partners group continues its work as normal.”
Comments(15)
flashdonut
says...
11:34am Wed 19 Jan 11
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The council should be ashamed. Not just Odsal, but all sporting venues in the city.
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We USED to have first class cricket, world speedway, a big RL club, two professional football teams etc.
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All sport has been let down.
Apollo
says...
12:07pm Wed 19 Jan 11
It will be another 10000 years before it is developed if Bradford Council are involved.
Stop printing these ridiculous stories every few months.
colgre
says...
12:20pm Wed 19 Jan 11
Bone_idle18
says...
12:32pm Wed 19 Jan 11
yorkshiredude
says...
12:34pm Wed 19 Jan 11
old speckled hen
says...
1:10pm Wed 19 Jan 11
basil fawlty
says...
1:34pm Wed 19 Jan 11
mad matt
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2:23pm Wed 19 Jan 11
Joedavid
says...
2:34pm Wed 19 Jan 11
Carlos the Tackle
says...
2:52pm Wed 19 Jan 11
It fills column inches in the paper and it's fair to say it more uplifting to read this than the diatribe regarding City Centre regeneration.
BD16
says...
3:03pm Wed 19 Jan 11
Joedavid wrote:Well said Joe, finish the city centre first. That will attract more money and investment into Bradford than a Rugby ground half full 20 times a year.
Council finish the City Center please.
allannicho
says...
3:14pm Wed 19 Jan 11
he has a bob or two?
Tell him we want it under the P.F.I. system like the Government uses.
Far Away
says...
4:17pm Wed 19 Jan 11
albion wrote:If the Council have any sort of hand in this project whatever gets built will have fallen down long before then.
Will they still have sports in the year 3000 or are I being over optimistic?
Thee Voice of Reason
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7:57pm Wed 19 Jan 11
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Why don't you finish something you have actually started before turning your attention else where.
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This ship has sailed. Back in 97 Bolton built the reebok stadium at a cost of £35m, we are building a park in the town center for £25m.
albion says...
11:27am Wed 19 Jan 11