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Plot-holders dig in over Latics stadium plans
Reporter: RICHARD HOOTON
Date online: 30 July 2009
FURIOUS plot-holders are preparing for a David and Goliath-style battle to save their allotments after vowing to fight Latics’ £20 million stadium plans.
Regulars at Broadway Allotments in Failsworth are angry at being kept in the dark over the proposed move. Now, plot-holders — mostly pensioners — have said they won’t be moved.
Athletic teamed up with Oldham Council to unveil plans to sell Boundary Park for family housing. Club chiefs see a 12,000-seater stadium with community sports facilities on a 30-acre site off Broadway as the only way forward for the ailing club.
The council has agreed to transfer allotment land and Lower Memorial Park for the League One club to build on, while Athletic have a deal in place to buy the neighbouring Lancaster Club.
Plans were initially kept under wraps until, according to the club and council, talks had been held with all parties. While allotment holders would be offered compensation and 20 new plots.
But a fortnight on, allotment holders say, apart from a brief phone call informing them of a Cabinet meeting, they have not been approached and promises to keep them informed have been broken.
They will oppose the planning application and will use the legal facilities of the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners to protest.
Allotments secretary Tracy Cunningham (46) has spent £1,000 on a new shed and greenhouse. She said: “We are vigorously and vehemently opposed to it. I’m absolutely furious over the lack of consultation and engagement. We are unanimous in our decision to put up a ‘David and Goliath’ fight to prevent the council and Oldham Athletic simply rolling in and destroying our site — a site which has been in constant use since 1942 and to this day has a waiting list and no vacant plots.
“We are not budging and are really angry. We are not going to quietly stand by and relinquish the site and, as we all live locally, the noise, traffic and disturbance associated with match days makes for a very unappealing prospect for those who will live in the shadow of the proposed new stadium.”
New leases for the land, once part of the Second World War Dig for Victory effort, should have been issued in April but were not.
Chairman Michael Fyson said: “We were promised 25-year leases to give us security. The next minute they turn around and say we have to go. They couldn’t care less about us.”
Wife Margaret Fyson (72) added: “We are pensioners so we don’t count any more.. It’s disrespectful. We inherited a wilderness and put a lot of effort in and this is a great disappointment.”
James Murray, who went without a holiday to invest £1,000 in a greenhouse and shed, said: “It’s disgraceful. I feel let down with the way they have handled everything without notifying anyone.”
The council’s suggestion to use land across the road has been dismissed as unsuitable.
Mrs Cunningham said: “It’s like a tip on Moston Brook. They can’t plonk us in the middle of nowhere with no vehicle access. Pensioners can’t just dig up trees that have been there for 30 years.”
After being alerted by the Chronicle, council chiefs yesterday contacted the allotment holders to set up a meeting.
Council chief executive Charlie Parker said the council and Latics are wholly committed to talking with residents and affected groups before detailed plans are drawn up.
He added: “We remain confident that the views of the Allotments Society and others will be fully reflected in any final proposals for the good of the whole community.”
Latics say the club is haemorrhaging money in a crumbling stadium and must move to become financially viable. They’re planning a public meeting to discuss the plans on a provisional date of August 10.
Comments
can they not just take up another hobby? bingo or sumthin? joking aside, its out of order the council havent discussed it with them beforehand when they say they have. but this is a plan far bigger than their precious allotments. take the compo, get the new allotment space and let the town move out of the darkages PLEASE
If Mr Parker & OAFC are committed to talking with affected groups and residents before plans are drawn up why have i not been contacted, i leave less then 800 meters from the proposed site and im involved in the junior football club, that dont know if they have a future or not. everybody is in the dark typical council/politics !!!
The club has clearly stated that you will be compensated and provided with new plots to grow your beloved veg, I don't see how there can be any form of sacred attachment to an allotment, especially if new facilities have been offered (your just being fussy). I am from Royton, I can walk to the ground in 2mins. The noise has never been a problem its never that loud anyway, and if anything its only once or maybe twice a week at best.
Failsworth should think themselves lucky a dual Carriageway is a luxury we don't have at the Royton end despite having the huge Elk Mill retail park to contend with 7 days a week.
If the ground doesn't get built do you think the land will stay as it is? No chance the council will have the land earmarked for something else, in fact you could do with a Tesco down that end of town.
I've got an idea - lets cancel the metrolink coming to the town, lets not regenerate any area that needs it, lets all slate the football and rugby club for having any sort of ambition to make a real step forward. Its clear the people of this town would rather put their efforts into moaning instead of moving forward. Meet the club, meet the council, have the discussions, then report on the outcome not speculate about 'what might happen'. Typical chron reporting
If the club is Haemorrhaging money at BP, why will it stop if it move's to Failsworth? Thank goodness the "3 amigo's" keep putting their hands in their pockets! However they are in business to make money and the only way this will happen is if BP is sold to a developer. Look into your crystal ball and in 5 years time Latics will be playing in a shiny new stadium in the Championship, BP will be covered in houses and Clayton Playing Fields will fulfill the councils dream, become a shopping centre.
Once again, the 'Chron doesn't reflect the full story.
Look here for more details.
http://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/page/NewsUpdate/0,,10337~1738116,00.html
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EDITOR: Officers contacted the allotment holders on July 29 only AFTER the Chronicle reporter had written the story about how angry the group were in not being kept up to date with the situation.
the chron has written modern day propaganda - I just hope the readers see through the negativity being published and see the bigger picture.This new stadium will be good for the town & the club.thats a fact.nothing else matters.
Do these people realize the monumental task of moving an allotment site,especially if your an old age pensioner and disabled.No amount of compensation can make up for that.Just because they are the older generation doesn't give you people the right to dismiss them out of hand,they have a right to have hobbies,just as Football fans have.Life doesn't start and finish with a leather ball you knoe
Brierleyofroyton wants to visit Failsworth sometime he might realize there's already a Tesco there.The land being offered to the allotment plotholders is an old tip with methane outlet pipes surrounding it,would he eat vegetables out of that ground,I think not,well don't expect others to accept it.How can OMBC grant the use of land to OAFC when it is already being occupied,to good effect,by other legitemate users.
The Allotments' Society currently has 15 plots on the Council-owned land which forms part of the proposed site. As part of negotiations with the local authority, Oldham Athletic agreed to provide financial compensation to the current allotment holders, plus 20 new plots on a larger site nearby, or within, that new development. Enough said, tyey are not moving to waterhead or uppermill, its a few hundred yards away at most.
stewartkeighton-don't think I was being specific when I said Tesco, it was a general use of words just to let people know that the council will always have some sort of plan to re-develop that area. Football club or no football club, can you really see the council bowing down to a small amount of people losing 15 plots? I do feel for the people that are set to loose these plots, but in my eyes you will all be generously compensated.
As i said before - have the meetings, then report on the outcome. Is anyone getting a little bit bored and frustrated with the Chron pouring poison into everyone's ears? Evvery story is "she said this, he said that, they did this they did that" Do you not understand that your creating issues for people to address, as opposed to letting people address them in the first instance? Its childrens stuff.
Have the allotment holders bothered to get intouch with Oldham Athletic or the Council about the plans? Communication works two-ways. No point burying your head in the sand when an issue affects you.
I'm guessing there's no further news at the moment to report, plans for the stadium haven't even been drawn up yet.
I hope all parties can work together to sort out a satisfactory outcome for the good of the town, the football club and people affected.
I know The Chron has to be even handed, but as a sponsor of Latics I would expect them to get the facts right before putting a story on the front page. Hope to see a correction tomorrow.
It seems that the allotment holders want to control land that does not belong to them. The little plot they rent is part of a significantly larger plot. This area could be used for almost anything at BAS and OMBC discretion. I don’t believe that OMBC intend to put them in a forest full of rubbish and say ‘sort that out’ Compensation and re-housing sounds reasonable. Everywhere in the borough was ONCE greenbelt. Where do the Failsworth Few think regeneration should have stopped over those year’s.
Yet again sadly Oldham shows itself as a bunch of short sighted people living in the past. Of course the allotment holders should receive respect BUT the Chron report tonight at odds with the clubs statement re communication. IF this is worthy of front page news in Oldham. God help us all.
15 plot holders v A Regeneration investment in the town with 5 extra plot holders to get plots they cant have now whats the problem exactly? So sad its not funny. The plot holders do not own the land they are tennants, live with it, if they would like a regular delivery of horse manure I will deliver it for free hows that for community spirit.
In reply to the sergent of course the plotholders have been in touch with,OMBC,Unity Partnership,OAFC,4 Councillors,Local MP,And the National Allotment Association all to of which to no avail,to date.The alloments at present have had year upon year of the fertility being built up,at considerable expense, moving would mean starting from scratch
All of the recent comments about the new stadium fail to accept the fact that until the plannng application is submitted the majority of the concerns are based on innuendo and speculation!
Charlie Parker tells us OAFC have agreed to provide 20 new plots on a larger site nearby,or within, the new development, but the Chron makes no mention of the "within the new development" alternative.
If agreement can’t be reached for the plot holders to move across the road, it looks as though they will be offered land within the new stadium site.
It's too early for fork and hoe rattling. Much better to wait to see what blossoms from the seeds of discussion.
I've read all your eroneous comments,not one of you know any facts whatsoever,so your making comments about something you have got NO knowledge about.The OLDHAM CHRONICLE has reported,in a factual way,the situation as it is,without any enhancements whatsoever.Theyr'e coverage has been 100% correct
The allotment folk are revolting! As a compromise, why don't we leave a 3 foot deep moat around the pitch, fill it with soil and grow some fine organic veg. When the ball goes dead it might need Dean Brill to keep an eye out for slugs and parasites. But note, winter gardening is susceptible to frost, so if we're not having undersoil heating, hardy veg such as parsnips and piquant rocket leaves should grow successfully.
i am not too sure about this these are businessmen running the club. Before anything is done they should come out and state boundary park will not be demolished sold until the new stadium is up and running...remember watersheddings and all the council promises ..years down the line what have we got a semi pro rugby team still with no ground ,dont let that happen to oafc
What is wrong with the editorial team at this paper? Constant negative, inaccurate reporting of Oldham Athletic's stadium plans. Do you not want the town and club to move forward?
The club and council have clearly stated that all stakeholders affected by the plans will be consulted.
You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves and have a long hard look at the quality of reporting in this paper.
Already a war of words has broken out. A new stadium is one thing but the club needs more fans - A lot more fans to pay the running costs. Fans shouting NIMBY and BULD A SUPERSTORE, BUIlD A TIP, BUILD A MOSQUE don't help. All they do is annoy current and ex fans and alarm people in Failsworth. No wonder people don't want the stadiuum there. That is not the way to draw support to the club. A lot of staunch fans have already left in disgust and won,t go back.
I live near Latics and we have been asked to decide whether we want parking permits because of the parking on match days, if they are moving why do we need them. What is really going on with Failsworth and Royton plans?
To Londonlatic what part of the Chronicle report does he find negative or inaccurate.The Chronicle has reported the position of OMBC,they have reported the position of OAFC,and now the position of the plotholders.The Chronicle has not put their own views forward just thye situation as it stands.Get some facts!!!!
Re The OLDHAM CHRONICLE has reported,in a factual way,the situation as it is,without any enhancements whatsoever.Theyr'e coverage has been 100% correct.
No it hasnt't. IF you care to read the statement.
For goodness sake Mistermooland. The move isnt going to happen a week next Saturday so parking permits may come in useful until the club actually moves somewhere.
To Mr Keighton it fails to reproduce the "WHOLE" statement therefore as you like facts the report in incomplete.
Old mancunian."A lot of staunch fans have already left in disgust and won,t go back." Who exactly and when as a game hasnt been played in Div1 since this began.
Over and over again I'm reading how the Chronicle has reported either negative or inaccurately.People refering to this statement or that statement,but not actually stating what they find inaccurate or negative,try backing up your opinions with facts or can't you
DisgruntledOldhamer- Fans have been leaving the club for a long time now, fed up with broken promises based on stadiums that the club cannot afford without either Trust land money, council money or somebody elses meoney except their own. We regularly had 11,000 fans which went down to about 7000 after sports park 2000 and now we're down to about 4-5000. They didn't all leave because of the football.
REf: "A lot of staunch fans have already left in disgust and won,t go back".
Well, they were not very staunch in the first place?
But the commentary from the Chron is hardly helping get more fans back into either the Rugby or Latics. shame on you.
Re comment 10411, I ask Stewart Keighton to read my comment 10380 for the Chronicle’s omission of a crucial part of Charlie Parker‘s statement.
Once discussions have been held the plot-holders may not want to over-water the proposals.
Re comments by Accrington Blue,,of course the allotment folk are revolting,they're not going to stand by and allow OAFC board or Council officials bully them off a Site which has been in operation for 67 (sixty seven) years,Tenacious lot these allotment folk.Remember most of them have survived a World War,many recessions,famine,flood and the good times,they've been there and done it all.......
Have Your Say
If this falls through, yet again, because of the 'Nimbys', Oldham can kiss goodbye to it's football club!
Yes, the trees have been there for for 30 years, the football club has been there for over 100 years!
Once again, Nimbyism stands in the way of progress and regeneration! Laughable!
By spike @ 30/07/2009 12:27:46