Sunday 26 January 2014

Hopes for a Stadium

The enthusiasm and support for a stadium for Cornwall is still very evident and like most other people I support that vision. The latest announcement from INOX of another 35 acre proposed development to the west of Langarth holds out the possibility of a privately funded stadium.

Whilst the planning issues will need to be dealt with in the proper manner (and the method of dealing with the traffic issues would be my primary concern) I have a natural caution about the financial and legal guarantees that would be needed. Unfortunately we have been here before. It would be cruel in the extreme to raise hopes based on closed door meetings and undeliverable promises.

I have to question whether we would simply get a contribution to a stadium instead of money for roads, school places and other infrastructure which is normally a part of the planning process. Who is behind INOX? Many people are bound to ask why we should expect something for nothing from them?

No doubt INOX will make the details clear in due course and I hope my caution is unfounded. However, we have been disappointed in the past by unrealistic commercial ambitions and flakey business plans - it must not happen again.

1 comment:

  1. Why should we not expect to get something for nothing from INOX? We get plenty of "nothing" for "a lot" from the Council - best not to judge others by Cornwall Council standards.

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