Wycombe District Council puts aside £140k for Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps stadium plans
11:40am Thursday 11th February 2010 in
UPDATED AT 4.05pm.
COUNCIL chiefs have earmarked £140,000 next year to find a new home for Wycombe Wanderers and London Wasps.
The Wycombe District Council cash is for ‘feasibility’ study work in the 12 months from April.
The council has caused further controversy as it intends to invest in the building of the facility.
Newly released figures also show £80,000 feasibility cash was put aside this year, 2009/10 with £140,000 for next year, 2010/11.
The council earlier said it ‘cannot say’ how much of the £80,000 had been spent.
Yet this afternoon spokesman Sue Robinson said: “We have made a provision of £80,000 to be spent this financial year on commercial feasibility work and anticipate this will be used.”
She said she anticipated a further £140,000 would be spent next year.
She added: “However, at this stage we are not providing month by month expenditure figures to the local press.”
A total £500,000 has been earmarked for studies in the coming years and ‘will be dependent on whether or not the project goes ahead’ she said.
“The stadium, as local people will appreciate, represents a very major undertaking for the town, the district and its community and a lot of preparatory and research work has to go on in order for the council to make an informed and well founded decision, one way or the other, about whether it will invest in such a major project.”
Wycombe Air Park in Booker is being touted as the ideal location for the stadium.
Booker Common and Woods Protection Society this week met council leader Lesley Clarke to discuss concerns over the plan.
Spokesman Hedley Luxton said he was ‘not re-assured’.
He said: “We have a cash-strapped council putting money into what is essentially a private enterprise for no benefit to Wycombe at all.”
He said the development would cause traffic headaches as other sporting facilities and possible housing and a hotel are planned.
Mr Luxton said: “I don’t think the people in Booker see any need for it whatsoever.”
The organisation are seeking members’ views and Mr Luxton said none had so far supported the plan.
The council has said it will sell land to pay for its investment, which would bring it a cash return once up and running.
It would massively benefit residents as extra facilities such as cricket, hockey and indoor sports are planned for the site, they say.
It would also keep rugby giants Wasps in the town, bosses argue. Owner Steve Hayes has warned the club could leave if a bigger stadium is not found.
Click the link below for more stories on the scheme. See tomorrow’s Bucks Free Press for your letters about the plan.
Comments(28)
DeepThinker
says...
12:41pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Craig....
says...
12:53pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Anyway, let me make sure I've got this straight:
The open-air pool has been closed due to lack of funds. The council are spending public money on a feasibility study (an epic waste of time and money in any case) to look at forcing the Air Park to close and replacing it with a private stadium which will be funded with public money?
And whilst this is going on Steve Hayes is holding the town to ransom?
Is that about right?
If so, what the **** is going on?!?
yog
says...
12:58pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Why should our money be used for his toy?
The Conservatives are funded by a millionaire who refuses to disclose his full tax status. Is it any wonder then that they give our money away to Millionaires.
What does the Conservative candidate from Oxfordshire say about this?
Does he support WDC in closing community facilities and giving away funds to a Millionaire?
Why does he not speak up for the residents of Wycombe?
Postpone the project and use the cash on community facilities for Wycombe instead.
J B Blackett
says...
1:17pm Thu 11 Feb 10
yog wrote:........
Why can't the millionaire Hayes pay it himself?
Why should our money be used for his toy?
The Conservatives are funded by a millionaire who refuses to disclose his full tax status. Is it any wonder then that they give our money away to Millionaires.
What does the Conservative candidate from Oxfordshire say about this?
Does he support WDC in closing community facilities and giving away funds to a Millionaire?
Why does he not speak up for the residents of Wycombe?
Postpone the project and use the cash on community facilities for Wycombe instead.
That's right. Yet another anti-democratic stuff-the-council-ta
x payers arrogant move by this uncaring wastrel inept council.
.
It's intolerable - they certainly look after their own (rich) friends / cronies / speculators. Don't forget there are several out-of-area and property developers sitting as council members.
.
They are a load of deceitful cheats and liars (and yet curiously stupid at the same time) - allegedly There must be a single phrase (besides ******* of ****) to describe them.
.
It's certainly not in any way democratic - more like a corrupt third world dictatorship and all that goes with that sort of regime.
wayneo
says...
1:36pm Thu 11 Feb 10
wayneo
says...
1:39pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Documents seen by the Bucks Free Press show Wycombe Wanderers MD Steve Hayes bought council leader Lesley Clarke a silver frame featuring a picture of himself for Christmas 2008.
He also sent her a Harrods hamper worth £160 and invited her to fireworks at his Chorleywood home last year.
The council could spend up to £250,000 on a feasibility study to determine the future of Adams Park stadium, also home to London Wasps rugby club, owned by Mr Hayes.
This could see the stadium moved to Wycombe Air Park.
The register of hospitality and gifts shows Cllr Clarke was invited to five games, which some declarations show included drinks and lunch.
And Mr Hayes paid for two lunches at four-star Marlow hotels Danesfield House and Compleat Angler in 2006 and 2008.
Councillors have to declare any gifts or hospitality over £25 and these are open to the public.
There is no suggestion that gifts and hospitality were made to or did influence council decisions."
I'll make the suggestion then!
readerabc
says...
2:15pm Thu 11 Feb 10
let WWFC/Wasps pay for a new stadium if they want one
dont waste my taxes on a minority interest sport with overpaid players
use the money to provide essential services
stop selling off our council assets
Slimster
says...
2:32pm Thu 11 Feb 10
DaveG
says...
2:41pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Why is our money being used to fund a millionaire's toy that brings very little, if any, benefit to High Wycombe.
They can't even be bothered to change their name to Wycombe Wasps for fear of putting off the London fans. Let's leave the football where it is at Adams Park and tell the rugby-watching, Barbour-wearing Londoners to fund their own stadium and go and play with their funny-shaped balls in London.
DeepThinker
says...
3:12pm Thu 11 Feb 10
DaveG wrote:Agree wholeheartedly.
This whole episode smells worse than a councillor's jock-strap. Why is our money being used to fund a millionaire's toy that brings very little, if any, benefit to High Wycombe. They can't even be bothered to change their name to Wycombe Wasps for fear of putting off the London fans. Let's leave the football where it is at Adams Park and tell the rugby-watching, Barbour-wearing Londoners to fund their own stadium and go and play with their funny-shaped balls in London.
.
Maybe the wonderful Steven could get his rugby club to play in Hayes in Middlesex (nearer to "London"). That way they could be called the "Hayes Wasps" and he could pretend that the Hayes bit referred to him.
true blue
says...
3:46pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Curlycurly
says...
3:51pm Thu 11 Feb 10
J B Blackett
says...
3:53pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Oh for Hayes a jolly bad smell oh !.
.
For Hayes a jolly bad smell oh !.
.
For Hayes a jolly bad smell oh !.
.
For Hayes a jolly bad smell oh !.
.
And So Say All Of Us !
towncryer
says...
3:54pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Slimster wrote:Only guys capable of taking tories out in Wycombe appear to be the Lib Dems
OK, I've had enough. Who do we need to vote for to get rid at the next election? Who is a strong candidiate worth voting for?
They have some good councillors and a parliamentary candidate who is in touch with the residents of High Wycombe on issues that matter !!!
Check them out !!!
Slimster
says...
4:38pm Thu 11 Feb 10
towncryer wrote:Thanks, will do so. I am not interested in what party they stand for at this level, it has no effect of Gordon Clown and his cronies anyway.
Slimster wrote:Only guys capable of taking tories out in Wycombe appear to be the Lib Dems
OK, I've had enough. Who do we need to vote for to get rid at the next election? Who is a strong candidiate worth voting for?
They have some good councillors and a parliamentary candidate who is in touch with the residents of High Wycombe on issues that matter !!!
Check them out !!!
hondo
says...
4:45pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Otherwise our rates will go up again next year to pay more lawyers.
Come on elections!
You must agree, however, that someone has great PR; photos with big Laurence D for the Sports for Heroes campaign and pictures of HIS teams in WDC offices.
When London Wasps follow West Ham to the Olympic stadium in 30 months time, will he want his photos back??
Slimster
says...
5:20pm Thu 11 Feb 10
billsheppard
says...
5:33pm Thu 11 Feb 10
The people of Wycombe are quite rightly disgusted that council tax goes up, services get slashed and shady characters like Hayes stand to pocket their share of the public purse, all on the pretext that we have to keep a London rugby club (laughably described by a councillor as being an 'integral part of the town's history') in the town.
HAYES OUT - TORIES OUT
wayneo
says...
6:28pm Thu 11 Feb 10
billsheppard wrote:Well said, I wonder how much Adams' Park is worth now, since it was taken out of the green belt in 2008? The accounts are still showing it as being worth its greenbelt value of 6.7 million, I bet it's more now, wonder whether this little fact was divulged to shareholders and supporters prior to allowing a change of the constitution.
I'm a big WWFC fan, and I can't see this benefitting the football club in any way whatsoever. Not would we play at a quarter full bowl, we would relinquish ownership of Adams Park, miss out on the rent Wasps pay us, and pay Hayes's stadium company rent. Though that's rather trivial compared to the flagrant misuse of public money subsidising Hayes's property development plans in the Booker area, and the local Tory Party seemingly desperate to bend over backwards to give one of their own a rather big favour. The people of Wycombe are quite rightly disgusted that council tax goes up, services get slashed and shady characters like Hayes stand to pocket their share of the public purse, all on the pretext that we have to keep a London rugby club (laughably described by a councillor as being an 'integral part of the town's history') in the town. HAYES OUT - TORIES OUT
Interestingly enough, Lesley Clarke had lunch with Mr Hayes at the Compleat Angler in 2006, it was in 2006 that the 'Council' recommended that Adams' park be brought out of the green belt.
J B Blackett
says...
8:32pm Thu 11 Feb 10
sportsturf
says...
9:32pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Wanda Brown
says...
10:25pm Thu 11 Feb 10
Slimster wrote:You would have to vote for the stongest Party oppositon and that is Labour, otherwise it's a wasted vote. I think there will be a massive turn out in the WD area this year. I don't really care who gets in as long as it's not this corrupt, arrogant bunch. I too have had enough. Lesley Clarke is the most arrogant female I have ever met in my life.
OK, I've had enough. Who do we need to vote for to get rid at the next election? Who is a strong candidiate worth voting for?
Wanda Brown
says...
10:28pm Thu 11 Feb 10
towncryer wrote:Will do, thanks for that.
Slimster wrote: OK, I've had enough. Who do we need to vote for to get rid at the next election? Who is a strong candidiate worth voting for?Only guys capable of taking tories out in Wycombe appear to be the Lib Dems They have some good councillors and a parliamentary candidate who is in touch with the residents of High Wycombe on issues that matter !!! Check them out !!!
Wanda Brown
says...
10:32pm Thu 11 Feb 10
billsheppard wrote:Is Hayes the chap who is going to devlop Handy Cross with Hotel and office blocks IF they manage to get the track moved to Hazlemere?! No wonder Lesley Clarke looked so smug with her cronies at a meeting with had with her about moving the track. Oh by the way, it doesn't need to move at all. BCC only want enough land for a coachway, they have enough land there now and it doesn't have to be on that site, it can go on the other side. Corrupt and disgusting all of them. Roll on the elections. Bye bye Lesley, bye bye.
I'm a big WWFC fan, and I can't see this benefitting the football club in any way whatsoever. Not would we play at a quarter full bowl, we would relinquish ownership of Adams Park, miss out on the rent Wasps pay us, and pay Hayes's stadium company rent. Though that's rather trivial compared to the flagrant misuse of public money subsidising Hayes's property development plans in the Booker area, and the local Tory Party seemingly desperate to bend over backwards to give one of their own a rather big favour. The people of Wycombe are quite rightly disgusted that council tax goes up, services get slashed and shady characters like Hayes stand to pocket their share of the public purse, all on the pretext that we have to keep a London rugby club (laughably described by a councillor as being an 'integral part of the town's history') in the town. HAYES OUT - TORIES OUT
stephan
says...
8:16am Fri 12 Feb 10
hondo
says...
11:58am Fri 12 Feb 10
Council seem unaware that a perfectly adequate cricket pitch has been abandoned in the past five years as a result of which the local commoners have had to club together to protect and maintain the ground.
Where, you ask?
That's right. Booker common.
While the residents of Booker are trying to save their environment, the council seems intent on destroying it.
Might I also refer here to the proposed Waste Transfer station being dumped on Booker? Together with the disastrously expensive and inadequate composting plant. Another story.
Simply - if you want to make big mistakes, hide them at Booker.
stephan
says...
5:10pm Sat 20 Feb 10
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ferrellcat says...
12:32pm Thu 11 Feb 10