A new driving range.
Any chances it will be covered/floodlit?
A new driving range.
Wow! If that is the genuine opinion of LDC then that represents quite some turnaround by the council and the chair, actually admitting that the Amex is 'iconic' and 'deserves something more special' to complement it. In the medium/long term that is good news for the hotel, just means it needs to be redesigned to be more in keeping with the sheer gorgeousness of the stadium.
Well, let's not forget their history was to hang their case on any angle to object that they could think of. Bat / Car collisions etc.
So any reason for objection just serves the overall strategy of objecting really.
Why?
One - it's not in her constituency
Two - she's not on the council - she's an MP
Three - the negotiations for the hotel started while the Green Party still led the council, and therefore were happy for the council to be partners in this project (insofar as they are the landowners)
Four - the council is not Green-led any more
Five - she totally approves of, and loves the stadium, and is a big supporter of AITC and what it seeks to achieve. Therefore it's not being an enormous leap of the imagination that a much-needed hotel and cancer-treating unit would be very much welcomed
Six - the recommendation to refuse is made by officers, not councillors. The largest number of councillors represent the Labour Party.
Oh come on....
Oh come on....
Bearing in mind only the second sentence in number five in that list is an opinion, and the rest are facts, what first-hand evidence do you have to back up your original claim? Can you cite anything Caroline Lucas has said that is anti-Albion?
It's a shame the beautiful curved lines of the Amex are not reflected in this dull block design. Hopefully the hotel itself is not the issue and planners just want a better design. I have to say I agree.
For what it's worth, the long term plans of both Universities make will make the hotel project profitable in my opinion. I expect both institutions to invest millions and millions over the next 5-10 years. Ideas mooted for the Brighton site are particularly exciting; the University now has new leadership which will make it happen. I'm hoping this model is followed at Falmer:
http://loughboroughsport.com
What's the problem?
It's a hotel...and it looks like a hotel.
What do they expect?
Sydney Opera House?
The hanging Gardens of Babylon?
The Argus have only just picked up the story from NSC now.
However, they include this bit too: "The council has received independent advice from Crosthwaites Leisure Property Specialists who believe the development cost of a mid-range hotel makes it unviable and therefore requires the club’s subsidiary company The Community Stadium to build it at a loss."