Odsal Redevelopment, Council Finances, Council Services & The Private Sector

Wow.

 

One of the biggest ironies is that there could be a fairly new stadium at odsal now had Morrisons not led the objection to a new stadium being built with a tesco being one of the retail units built alongside it.

Was that during your time there Roger? @wetherbywhaler

 

Yes it was. I'm retired almost 15 years now and dealt with countless Planning issues in my time so the memory may be a bit hazy but not totally gone.
As I recall a Planning Application was made by a commercial Property Company for a redevelopment of the Stadium plus all sorts of other usess such as retail and it was widely speculated the store would be a Tesco Extra (big) which would replace the samller store on Halifax Road which they operated after buying Hillards in 1987.
Objections on competition grounds were usually frowned on but my Company objected on the grounds the site was not allocated for retail in what in those days was called the Bradford Unitary Development Plan which allocated what uses went where. There were many other objections on the same ground plus such as traffic. I can't recall the whole issues.
The Application was lodged sometime in 2000 and withdrawn in 2002, I think, when the developer realised there was no chance of success and without the commercial elements there was no chance of the stadium.
It wasn't just a Morrison objection, even the Council could not have gone against their approved Plan.
The site has never been allocated for any other use in any new Development Plans since. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the interesting response.

 

Appreciate the response, it does show how short sighted the council were (even if against their policy) , and if I'm being honest how petty Morrisons were given the Tesco was only really moving half a mile from its current base. As for the traffic, I'm always amused by people who move next to a stadium and complain about traffic.

Frustrating really looking back especially with where we could be now with a more modest redevelopment akin with other stadia and retail units built around that time.

 

I’m guessing the difference in traffic would be huge between a stadium used 20 times a year to a combined stadium and retail park including a bug Tesco.

 

The application would have failed anyway but Morrisons were a scapegoat the Council could blame.

 

Don't want to get into an arguement about an event 20 years ago but, with respect, I think you are missing the mechanics of the Planning system. The site was not allocated for the use the Application by Sterling Land anticipated, therefor it could never succeed and the Developer realised that and withdrew.
Local Plans and the like are reviewed periodically and in the last 20 years Bradford will have been no different. The review usually takes the form of a Public Inquiry at which those wanting changes can argue their point and attempt to get a new allocated use for a specific site. In the case of Odsal no representations for a new allocation were ever made. To me that simply indicates the futility of the original plan.
I have recently been involved with my Community group in a Planning Application for a Lidl store where I live. Again, despite apparently claimed huge public support the Application was rejected 9-0 by the Planning Panel as it was against the adopted Local Plan. That's how it works so to blame my old Company is a bit wide of the mark when it comes to Odsal.

 

We have a local plan and the village is less than 100 houses. A massive 6 home development , non “affordable”has had planning permission denied because it’s not in the said plan. All residents have a say in the construction of the local plan . Those sitting back and doing nothing can’t complain if they don’t participate .

 

There are now a number of additional councils on the verge because the Gov made them buy up land and properties for HS2 development work I read this week. Multiple councils were “forced” to borrow money to do as demanded. The government pulled the plug on any further HS2 spending , which left many councils high and dry with loans they have to pay back. Couple that with huge reductions in local government spending , especially heavy in Labour run areas , I can see many more, sadly.

 

Very interesting piece that Rod. A lot to question in the report, not just about government cuts but also about society in general. Lets not make this all about the conservatives curbing spending, i'd actually question what the hell the council were spending this extra cash they had years ago. And the cost of child placements going up from £3,600 to £6,000 in 2 years, the amount of children in care going up by 61% in 10 years, maybe its time serious questions were asked about people rather than systems? And this lot are gonna be let loose with £100s of millions for the 2025 city of culture? Anyway, my apologies for the thread drift, feel free to move my post, just don't send me a lengthy reason why if you do.

 

The Council are inept, but to be fair all the money for CoC 2025 is ring fenced and controlled by a separate Ltd Co set up for the event. Bradford Council will not get their mucky hands on any of it.

 

When I worked for the Council they had reserves of money which they must have used to fill the gaps. As you say massive increase in Children in Need and Children in Care. Nobody would listen to front line staff. Bradford Children’s Services at one time was the envy of most other cities. It had more experienced workers and had better outcomes but they refused to plan for the inevitable. They refused to pay social workers anymore so the Kirklees drain became a flood. It is very expensive paying agency staff. So here we are. Yes Government underfunding had its part to play. I felt great sadness when I read the report because a lot could and should have been avoided. I could go on but wrong place.

 

All spending departments are of the same ilk General, I wouldn't trust them with a tenner out of my wallet. Take the cost of a child placement, gone from £187,000 a year to £312,000 in two years according to that report. That's for one child a year, where they keeping these kids, the Savoy?
As it says in the report, a closing of a community asset such as a small leisure centre allows the care of just one child a year. About time we questioned where tax payers money actually goes.

 

I don't deny it had an effect Mrs O but I think fundamental questions need to be asked of how this money is actually spent. Putting into context, every penny of tax I pay in my life time won't pay for a child in care for one year. Someone somewhere is making a killing out of this. The system is corrupt to the core.

 

They systematically shut down all Bradford residential homes as they wanted them to be fostered. They were only to go out to specialists residential if it was appropriate. It wasn’t supposed to be used as the first port of call. Plus they are nearly all run by private companies!

 

You are not wrong. It can be very easy to put all the woes of Bradford Council down to underfunding.

 

Was it because it was put into private hands…. RT ?

“This consequent focus on markets and privatisation has been the biggest change within children's social care. From 2011-19, there was a 42% increase in the number of children looked after in private for-profit care.”

Sadly there is the answer, if that’s what Councils of all ilks have to put up with , along with Adult elderly care. I was reading recently it’s around £4k a MONTH to place an elderly person into private hands and it’s councils and us taxpayers who have to fund it if the adult has no assets.

We digress.