WOODLANDS! (5 Viewers)

Where's woodlands ? Sorry i'm from Rugby.

Is this the Powerleague place?

Alan Dugdales Moustache said:

Where's woodlands ? Sorry i'm from Rugby.

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Banner Lane/ Broad Lane, Eastern Green next to the old Massey Ferguson site. In a nice area, ideal for Tim's wish for stadium too.

Definitely a question to be asked of Fisher if he shows up for the Friday phone in.

Is it not for housing?

45 acres of prime building land ain't gona be cheap, sorry but can't see it, makes sense in many ways accept cost, who would pay for it, our owners have never shown any form when it comes to purchase and building anything, why would they change now?

I don't know where it is either. This would be instead of the Higgs and Ryton? Sounds ideal, they could use money from the sale of Ryton to pay (or put towards) the purchase price. Could be something positive for a change.

Nick said:

Is it not for housing?

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Taken from "Coventry Conservatives"........

Councillors are demanding answers today after Coventry City Council seemed to confirm that negotiations are taking place to sell land at the Woodlands Academy site. The surprise announcement was made in a memo sent to councillors regarding a review of polling stations.

With the closure of the school, the Council needs to find a new location for residents to vote at election time. Buried at the back of the document, the memo says; ‘Woodlands Academy: School closed and land in negotiations to be sold - Look for alternative location.’

The closure of the school was announced earlier this year and from September pupils will be attending Tile Hill Wood school. However, there’s understood to be a legal covenant requiring the site to be used for educational purposes. As such, councillors representing Woodlands Ward were hopeful that the site could be retained for educational use in the future.

Under Department for Education rules the site defers to the local authority two years after closure of the academy. Despite repeated requests from residents and councillors the Council has refused to declare its intentions on the future of the site.

Commenting on the situation, Cllr Peter Male said; ‘We’ve been asking the Council to clarify its plans for the site for months and officers have refused to give us any answers. Now, at the back of a seemingly innocuous memo about polling stations they’ve let the cat out of the bag. The Council needs to come clean about its intentions for this site and we’ll be asking for an immediate briefing to find out what officers know - using the Freedom of Information act if necessary.’

Fellow Woodlands Councillor, Cllr Gary Ridley said; ‘The current situation is unacceptable - We’d like to see education returned to the Woodlands Academy site at some point in the future. It should be a centre of learning for the community and I’d support any plans for a quality educational facility there. However, this memo specifies plans to sell off and develop the site. It feels like the Council has slammed the door closed on the prospect of education ever returning to this site, it’s appalling.’

wingy said:

There's quite a lot there already torch.

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What buildings and stuff? Do you think it's a realistic possibility?

It would be a great site with what is already there and the size of the area, just needs massive investment to get to a standard a professional club needs with progression in mind??? oh hold on...

W

wingy said:

There's quite a lot there already torch.

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Wingy
You up Cov next week for the Derby ?

What's this based on? Just Fisher saying it's been considered? He also followed it with "No Stone unturned"

He may have been talking to Declan on the SCG who is a manager at the centre,
All options should be considered

I'm pretty familiar with Woodlands and its surrounds, living near it and having attended the school. There are a few issues worth considering.

Some of the school building themselves are listed, and all of the green space around the buildings (the playing fields, basically), is classed as Green Belt. Additionally, Sport England might say something about losing the grass pitches on the site if the whole place were to be developed.

My guess is that the central part of the site will ultimately be developed for housing, and the majority of the grass pitches retained. I'm not sure about the reality of putting a stadium there, but there's scope for an academy of some sort if they could take over the substantial indoor gym too. However, I don't think the club has the money or will to do it, in truth.

Added to that is the fact that I wouldn't trust Cllr Maton as far as I could spit a rat - quite frankly, in my opinion his word isn't really worth much of anything at all, so don't build up any hopes from what he says.

wingy said:

Some quite bizarre events around this schools closure, allegedly down to demand bringing an end to single sex education for two schools while a new Finham mark 2 esconsed itself into the grim surroundings of an Industrial estate about a mile away, strange.

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The Finham Park 2 is weird, converted offices. Very strange place to put a school on that road.

It could be a great site and even the comment from the CCC about wanting it being open to the public would not put me off, in fact i would use it to the advantage of the club. I would have a public designated area with pitches and changing facilities but also have a public viewing pitch for open training days and u21 games. The club needs to engage the public, kids and any other potential customer get the players talking and meeting fans. Even put a ticket office there in a club shop its endless opportunity for a club that really wants to promote the club in the right light.

Unfortunately we don't have the desire foresight or people with the money to see past the next week.

wingy said:

How much??

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I think it would depend on the idea of how the club see's the potential. I think if it was me i would make it the best i could as the players and staff would spend more time there than anywhere else while working for the club. Better facility better standard of player and staff at all levels, i would be spending more than i needed too with the future always in mind.

If you own the area its a massive potential to create income form non playing days.

wingy said:

Some quite bizarre events around this schools closure, allegedly down to demand bringing an end to single sex education for two schools while a new Finham mark 2 esconsed itself into the grim surroundings of an Industrial estate about a mile away, strange.

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Anyway you stack it Wingy, I'd say that's it's a poor decision. Woodlands wasn't helped by converting to an Academy and then having pretty useless leadership, but it's a site that is purpose built for education. Finham Park 2 is an office block. Given the plans are to grow the city substantially on that side of town (and indeed it has grown already with the new Bannerbrook estate), I can't believe that the authorities have been so passive in allowing Woodlands to close permanently.

Is the indoor pitch full size?

All academies deliver AASE (Advanced Apprenticeship for Sporting Excellence) which is an NVQ level 3 qualification. Placing a CCFC academy on that site could get round any covenants.

wingy said:

So is it on economic, political bias /prejudice or cynism that leaves you in doubt duffer? :-(

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All of the above Wingy.

I don't think it's about politics (I'm notionally on the same side as the council fwiw) as much as the incomptence and short-termism of those in charge of the city. Much the same could be said of CCFC's currrent owners of course.

Whatever the council say, my belief is that they'd like the whole site to be developed for housing. However that wouldn't be particularly popular locally.

What we're probably seeing is here is the early build up to the usual pretence from the council, where they claim to listen to what people want only to go with what they wanted to do all along - imho, of course.

went to that school some great memories

duffer said:

All of the above Wingy.

I don't think it's about politics (I'm notionally on the same side as the council fwiw) as much as the incomptence and short-termism of those in charge of the city. Much the same could be said of CCFC's currrent owners of course.

Whatever the council say, my belief is that they'd like the whole site to be developed for housing. However that wouldn't be particularly popular locally.

What we're probably seeing is here is the early build up to the usual pretence from the council, where they claim to listen to what people want only to go with what they wanted to do all along - imho, of course.

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Well Maton wants to pave everything over that's for sure, some people think he is a complete knobhead.

duffer said:

All of the above Wingy.

I don't think it's about politics (I'm notionally on the same side as the council fwiw) as much as the incomptence and short-termism of those in charge of the city. Much the same could be said of CCFC's currrent owners of course.

Whatever the council say, my belief is that they'd like the whole site to be developed for housing. However that wouldn't be particularly popular locally.

What we're probably seeing is here is the early build up to the usual pretence from the council, where they claim to listen to what people want only to go with what they wanted to do all along - imho, of course.

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What about if they build it up as a CCFC Academy and then it isn't their fault it doesn't happen so it has to be used for housing?