Osborne meeting with Kevin Foster MP and Cllr

[merse btpir]

I think Hayman's post has been in recognition/a trade off for his shares...

Whether he was in Australia or not is irrelevant; both he and Brian Palk diligently unearthed the Roberts methodology and brought it to attention that it was the Club funding his purchase of shares necessary to take control of the Club which was financial suicide of course.

I very much doubt that Palk has that great a value of shares in the Club, but his involvement and contribution as an unpaid working director was legendary over many years and I agree with you he should 'enjoy' the same status as Hayman and Bristow.

[Soupdragon]

Thought people might be interested in my take on a report back I’ve had from the briefing for councillors about TUFC/Nightingale Park etc. To me, there wasn’t much new there at all, except that it’s been the last THREE owners who’ve been after the freehold of Plainmoor. So far as I can work out, CO was told ‘no’ to significant Plainmoor development and pointed towards Nightingale Park, where such development is in line with the local neighbourhood plan. CO’s proposal was for a multi-use stadium; he added residential without any prior discussion with council/TDA.

It appears that the ‘plans’ shown at the recent Mayor’s forum were the first ‘tangible’ things anyone had seen. No-one at the council/TDA has seen any business plan: they’ve been told that the aspiration is for TUFC to be a sustainable ‘lower league/league 1/league 2 club’.

There were, of course, concerns raised by councillors (all councillors from the three wards around Plainmoor: Ellacombe, Wellswood, St Marychurch & Babbacombe were there, among others; no councillors from the Nightingale Park site ward were present). These concerns centred around an unwillingness for council staff to allocate any time to this until a business plan has been forthcoming; wanting to receive evidence that the catchment area would support such a development; wider town centre regeneration issues; and a general backstop of not allowing CO to stick houses everywhere as a basis for delivering any TUFC-led development.

I think one of the main issues is reputational. This council has already been ‘done over’ regarding other major developments, including Oldway, where a pie-in-the-sky proposal came to absolutely nothing and has cost local council tax-payers a huge amount of money for no return whatsoever (on this site, I don’t think there’s a need to repeat who the principal was in that proposed development). There’s a feeling among councillors that this must not happen again. Without wanting to be too harsh, I think that this council, both staff and elected members, have been seen as a bit green and able to have the wool pulled over their eyes over some developments in the past. I think they see that now and are determined not to be mugged again.

This is just my take; happy for it to be triangulated by others speaking to their own councillors and reporting back.

[TorquayDNA]

Thought people might be interested in my take on a report back I’ve had from the briefing for councillors about TUFC/Nightingale Park etc. To me, there wasn’t much new there at all, except that it’s been the last THREE owners who’ve been after the freehold of Plainmoor. So far as I can work out, CO was told ‘no’ to significant Plainmoor development and pointed towards Nightingale Park, where such development is in line with the local neighbourhood plan. CO’s proposal was for a multi-use stadium; he added residential without any prior discussion with council/TDA.

It appears that the ‘plans’ shown at the recent Mayor’s forum were the first ‘tangible’ things anyone had seen. No-one at the council/TDA has seen any business plan: they’ve been told that the aspiration is for TUFC to be a sustainable ‘lower league/league 1/league 2 club’.

There were, of course, concerns raised by councillors (all councillors from the three wards around Plainmoor: Ellacombe, Wellswood, St Marychurch & Babbacombe were there, among others; no councillors from the Nightingale Park site ward were present). These concerns centred around an unwillingness for council staff to allocate any time to this until a business plan has been forthcoming; wanting to receive evidence that the catchment area would support such a development; wider town centre regeneration issues; and a general backstop of not allowing CO to stick houses everywhere as a basis for delivering any TUFC-led development.

I think one of the main issues is reputational. This council has already been ‘done over’ regarding other major developments, including Oldway, where a pie-in-the-sky proposal came to absolutely nothing and has cost local council tax-payers a huge amount of money for no return whatsoever (on this site, I don’t think there’s a need to repeat who the principal was in that proposed development). There’s a feeling among councillors that this must not happen again. Without wanting to be too harsh, I think that this council, both staff and elected members, have been seen as a bit green and able to have the wool pulled over their eyes over some developments in the past. I think they see that now and are determined not to be mugged again.

This is just my take; happy for it to be triangulated by others speaking to their own councillors and reporting back.

Very interesting, thank you

[merse btpir]

That's a good resume of events last night Sue with your unique position enabling that to be presented this morning...

It all makes nonsense of Osborne's talk of a new home for the Club in 2020. Things move at snails' pace with local authorities and there is much more to the equation than simply saying 'yes, we'll build it'

There is a significant new addition to the Gaming International board recently; Thai businessman Phanuthep Brarypaul. Whether that is of any significance to Torquay United and it's future ownership remains open to conjecture but people have to be aware and remain aware that there is now almost £1 million injected into the Club by way of loans engineered by Clarke Osborne and that a day of reckoning will have to be faced.

[culmstockgull]

A few things to add to the ever growing melting pot, Our dear mayor Oliver, he, who at the moment makes the decisions and calls the shots is gone by next spring, Torbay Council has stated to all and sundry they are no longer capable of standing alone and according to a longstanding friend at DCC finance Torbay are actively trying to get County to come charging in and take them back, DCC will not consider this offer until Torbay declares its full financial exposure (debts) which they are at present reluctant to do, and secondly DCC get a cast iron guarantee from central government to cover any costs in such a take back of services and debts , Perhaps that is why meetings are becoming more frequent and possibly back door deals are being considered before Oliver goes or Torbay council goes to the wall.