New Stand

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

The intent is clearly there, I agree. But the plans, to date, haven't been deemed financially viable by the club.

I'm pretty sure that the board haven't sat there and said "No, we don't want a modern 4,000 seat stand". I'm sure that they've considered an array of options...but still, the main stand remains.

So....there is a million things we can throw on to a wish list, but what's the point of this debate?

Do we want a new stand? Yes.
Has the club found an affordable way of doing it? No.

What more is there to say?

We're speculating on the type of thing that might be good and within a feasible cost range.

[Circa 1887]

How much will tearing the main stand down and building a 4000 seat stand cost, then?

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

How much will tearing the main stand down and building a 4000 seat stand cost, then?

No idea, but I suspect more than we could afford if it was costed up tomorrow - hence Robin, Vickery, me and others talking about it as the maximum height of ambition that we can aim for.

Torquay's basic tiddler was almost £2mil** so I'd imagine around £12-15mil minimum for 4,000 stand with trimmings. It's what we should aspire to - I don't see any point building anything smaller or more basic and should wait until such a scenario is affordable, whether in conjunction with new houses/offices/small supermarket to serve that part of town/lottery winner or whatever.

I'd like to see the club design something and make a cost estimate to show ambition and stir up publicity - and it does not need to go any further than that until it's actually feasible to build, but I do not see it as an unachievable aim.

(** source: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/sou ... uay-united" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

If we were being unrealistic and pie-in-the-sky we'd be talking about a whole new stadium for £70mil etc which will never happen.

[Circa 1887]

How much will tearing the main stand down and building a 4000 seat stand cost, then?

No idea, but I suspect more than we could afford if it was costed up tomorrow - hence Robin, Vickery, me and others talking about it as the maximum height of ambition that we can aim for.

Torquay's basic tiddler was almost £2mil** so I'd imagine around £12-15mil minimum for 4,000 stand with trimmings. It's what we should aspire to - I don't see any point building anything smaller or more basic and should wait until such a scenario is affordable, whether in conjunction with new houses/offices/small supermarket to serve that part of town/lottery winner or whatever.

I'd like to see the club design something and make a cost estimate to show ambition and stir up publicity - and it does not need to go any further than that until it's actually feasible to build, but I do not see it as an unachievable aim.
(** source: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/sou ... uay-united" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

If we were being unrealistic and pie-in-the-sky we'd be talking about a whole new stadium for £70mil etc which will never happen.

That essentially happened with the racecourse plans.

£70M would be crazy, your right. But, I think £12M is also crazy for a club of our size. The In2Print cost a bit over £1M - and that was partly funded by grants.

I think we were looking at a new 3,000 seater stand last year, but there were heavy dependancies on acquiring land and attracting companies to rent office space. I'm not sure how big the market is for setting up office in Whaddon - but it's probably not huge.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

How much will tearing the main stand down and building a 4000 seat stand cost, then?

No idea, but I suspect more than we could afford if it was costed up tomorrow - hence Robin, Vickery, me and others talking about it as the maximum height of ambition that we can aim for.

Torquay's basic tiddler was almost £2mil** so I'd imagine around £12-15mil minimum for 4,000 stand with trimmings. It's what we should aspire to - I don't see any point building anything smaller or more basic and should wait until such a scenario is affordable, whether in conjunction with new houses/offices/small supermarket to serve that part of town/lottery winner or whatever.

I'd like to see the club design something and make a cost estimate to show ambition and stir up publicity - and it does not need to go any further than that until it's actually feasible to build, but I do not see it as an unachievable aim.
(** source: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/sou ... uay-united" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

If we were being unrealistic and pie-in-the-sky we'd be talking about a whole new stadium for £70mil etc which will never happen.

That essentially happened with the racecourse plans.

£70M would be crazy, your right. But, I think £12M is also crazy for a club of our size. The In2Print cost a bit over £1M - and that was partly funded by grants.

I think we were looking at a new 3,000 seater stand last year, but there were heavy dependancies on acquiring land and attracting companies to rent office space. I'm not sure how big the market is for setting up office in Whaddon - but it's probably not huge.

Yes, that is the crux. The only positive is that the end of Whaddon Road between the club and Prestbury Road isn't too bad, and Prestbury Road and Pittville Circus speak for themselves in terms of land values, so if done well there is potential for it to be a good site. If not luxury offices or apartments at least private sector student apartments with a little Sainsbury's and coffee shop. Or - you only need to look at a map for it to be fairly obvious a hotel (Premier Inn, Ibis whatever) on that site would have guaranteed 100% occupancy for one week every March.

[taxidave]

I think we were looking at a new 3,000 seater stand last year, but there were heavy dependancies on acquiring land and attracting companies to rent office space. I'm not sure how big the market is for setting up office in Whaddon - but it's probably not huge.

I seem to recall GCHQ had there HQ in East Whaddon not too long ago.

[Circa 1887]

East Whaddon....otherwise known as Oakley.

[taxidave]

East Whaddon....otherwise known as Oakley.

It may have been known as Oakley but it was no further from Clyde Crescent (for example) than the football ground is.

[Circa 1887]

You'll be saying our Stadium is in East Pitville next!

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

You'll be saying our Stadium is in East Pitville next!

No reason why not.

I used to think it was a godforsaken site, but a bit more looking around on the map and access points and it's got excellent potential.

In fact, if you bulldoze the prefabs on Cakebrdige Place you could have a new landscaped access to whatever development you have direct access from Prestbury Road there as well as via Whaddon Road, a stones throw from Central Cross in the park and close to the racecourse and the Town Centre.

[Circa 1887]

You'll be saying our Stadium is in East Pitville next!

No reason why not.
I used to think it was a godforsaken site, but a bit more looking around on the map and access points and it's got excellent potential.

In fact, if you bulldoze the prefabs on Cakebrdige Place you could have a new landscaped access to whatever development you have direct access from Prestbury Road there as well as via Whaddon Road, a stones throw from Central Cross in the park and close to the racecourse and the Town Centre.

You should've been an estate agent, with that spiel.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

You'll be saying our Stadium is in East Pitville next!

No reason why not.
I used to think it was a godforsaken site, but a bit more looking around on the map and access points and it's got excellent potential.

In fact, if you bulldoze the prefabs on Cakebrdige Place you could have a new landscaped access to whatever development you have direct access from Prestbury Road there as well as via Whaddon Road, a stones throw from Central Cross in the park and close to the racecourse and the Town Centre.

You should've been an estate agent, with that spiel.

An Ibis Hotel where the prefabs are now would be one of the most successful in town.

[Circa 1887]

...during race week. There are, however, 51 other weeks in the year.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

...during race week. There are, however, 51 other weeks in the year.

It'd be the closest budget hotel to Cleeve Hill and the Cotswold villages - plenty of parking for coaches of tourists in the CTFC/hotel car park.

Be a chance to keep more of the day-trippers who bus in from London and Birmingham, because the Cotswold abd town centre hotels are too expensive or with limited parking, in the area.

[MarkHalliwell]

Travelodge on Golden Valley,
Premier Inn on Lansdown Road by TGIs, and also at Cross Hands, Tewkesbury Road
Holiday Inn opposite the Brewery.
'Budget' hotels a-plenty

[Circa 1887]

Travelodge on Golden Valley,
Premier Inn on Lansdown Road by TGIs, and also at Cross Hands, Tewkesbury Road
Holiday Inn opposite the Brewery.
'Budget' hotels a-plenty

Not to mention Big Sleep and Thistle Hotel, too.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Travelodge on Golden Valley,
Premier Inn on Lansdown Road by TGIs, and also at Cross Hands, Tewkesbury Road
Holiday Inn opposite the Brewery.
'Budget' hotels a-plenty

Where did I say there was not? Read the statements I made...

Name one of those which is both a) closer to Cleeve Hill and Cotswold Villages and b) with as a good access and parking as is found at CTFC (notwithstanding that the site will be bigger once the prefabs go).

I said it'd be the most successful hotel, not the only hotel.

If one of those closes, that's business. But I doubt they will.

[Circa 1887]

Can't imagine a chain hotel having a major interest in that location. Proximity to the racecourse seems irrelevant when it's already within walking distance from town & free shuttle buses are laid on!

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Maybe you are right Circa. It's just one option to explore.

My whole excitement was reliant on bulldozing the prefabs so the hotel would be on Prestbury Road - the budget equivalent of Hotel on The Park a few hundred meters west - in my experience budget hotels often located a few hundred yards round the corner from the nice location people want to be near by.

After all, if a chain can succeed at the Golden Valley roundabout, with a lovely view of a couple of dual carriageways and the Hesters Way flats, nothing nearby except a KFC and B&Q, and miles away from the town centre and a good ale house, why could one not succeed five minutes away from Pittville Park and the Town Centre?

Get those bloody prefabs gone and Cakebridge Place dug up, get a couple of modern developments in, and you can guarantee the fox and hounds site will be developed too, and the nursing home development will make it look a little nicer and before you know it the bottom of Prestbury Road looks decent! Just needs a bit of vision.

Racecourse just one of several factors, but town centre proximity and shuttle bus mean nothing - I met plenty of racegoers who stay ion Worcester and Bristol due to every affordable bed in Cheltenham being booked.

[Circa 1887]

I think in the long term, binning the pre fabs is key. Then, the arrangements for that land will shape how viable development is - whether we lease from CBC, or a company buys it up and builds something, or whether CTFC has to buy the land outright...either way, I think it'll be a long time coming, I'm afraid.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

I think in the long term, binning the pre fabs is key. Then, the arrangements for that land will shape how viable development is - whether we lease from CBC, or a company buys it up and builds something, or whether CTFC has to buy the land outright...either way, I think it'll be a long time coming, I'm afraid.

Yeah, probably true.

[thetonga]

Where did I say there was not? Read the statements I made...

Name one of those which is both a) closer to Cleeve Hill and Cotswold Villages and b) with as a good access and parking as is found at CTFC (notwithstanding that the site will be bigger once the prefabs go).

I said it'd be the most successful hotel, not the only hotel.

If one of those closes, that's business. But I doubt they will.

Most successful hotel, is that a joke?! Granted there is good parking available but if the guests you would want to be attracting were using the parking, they would have cars and therefore be able to travel to those villages, which are out of walking distance, eradicating the benefits slight locational benefits. Also most buses go from Royal Well which is hardly accessible, as is the train station.

People visiting Cheltenham are here to visit Regency Cheltenham, for example Montpellier and the Pump Rooms. They want to be located to the centre of town, for example where the Holiday Inn is, not out in lets face it, one of the less attractive areas of town. The hotel market is Cheltenham is already very saturated, with many springing up in recent years. I often see a chap who is a manager of some form in the Holiday Inn, in the gym and he says that its hardly full every night. Granted it would do well raceweek but I do not feel that could make up for the other 51 weeks of the year as it doesn't have a great location in opposition to its competition.

The only way to really create a unique hotel that could do well all year round would be creating a radical design to mirror what Bolton have and create a hotel into the stand so certain rooms look out onto the pitch but I would imagine that isn't a viable option. On a side note, waking up in a bedroom overlooking the pitch at the Reebok is an amazing experience for any football fan who happens to be staying in Lancashire, would highly recommend! The bottom line is that a random low cost budget in Whaddon would really struggle.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Where did I say there was not? Read the statements I made...

Name one of those which is both a) closer to Cleeve Hill and Cotswold Villages and b) with as a good access and parking as is found at CTFC (notwithstanding that the site will be bigger once the prefabs go).

I said it'd be the most successful hotel, not the only hotel.

If one of those closes, that's business. But I doubt they will.

Most successful hotel, is that a joke?! Granted there is good parking available but if the guests you would want to be attracting were using the parking, they would have cars and therefore be able to travel to those villages, which are out of walking distance, eradicating the benefits slight locational benefits. Also most buses go from Royal Well which is hardly accessible, as is the train station.

People visiting Cheltenham are here to visit Regency Cheltenham, for example Montpellier and the Pump Rooms. They want to be located to the centre of town, for example where the Holiday Inn is, not out in lets face it, one of the less attractive areas of town. The hotel market is Cheltenham is already very saturated, with many springing up in recent years. I often see a chap who is a manager of some form in the Holiday Inn, in the gym and he says that its hardly full every night. Granted it would do well raceweek but I do not feel that could make up for the other 51 weeks of the year as it doesn't have a great location in opposition to its competition.

The only way to really create a unique hotel that could do well all year round would be creating a radical design to mirror what Bolton have and create a hotel into the stand so certain rooms look out onto the pitch but I would imagine that isn't a viable option. On a side note, waking up in a bedroom overlooking the pitch at the Reebok is an amazing experience for any football fan who happens to be staying in Lancashire, would highly recommend! The bottom line is that a random low cost budget in Whaddon would really struggle.

I remember when Dunally Street and Henrietta Street were dismissed as unattractive and down-and-out, which is where the Holiday Inn is - that area is as good as sign as any of what a few new buildings can do for people's perceptions if it's now deemed somewhere where people want to be!

Radical design is interesting though, another good idea and the Bolton set-up sounds pretty cool.

A nice looking house on the corner of Cakebridge might have a few objections though so maybe nothing is possible, ha.

[Fuller]

Northampton's latest grand plans -

http://www.constructionenquirer.com/201 ... um-revamp/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would be good to see something similar happening at Whaddon Road.

[Alf]

Travelodge on Golden Valley,
Premier Inn on Lansdown Road by TGIs, and also at Cross Hands, Tewkesbury Road
Holiday Inn opposite the Brewery.
'Budget' hotels a-plenty

Mr. Halliwell. Once again dissing a not unreasonable suggestion. You seem to fall into the category of posters who frequently look at the negative rather than the positive.
I would think the area would be ideal for an Ibis as they tend to look at cheap rather than expensive sites which the top end of town would invariably be.
Bear in mind also that, these days, there is more to Cheltenham than Race Week with numerous festivals throughout the year. Many stag and hen parties visit Cheltenham and a low budget Ibis in that location would be ideal for the High Street, where most of them visit.

[London Exile]

While a new main stand is needed and as much as I'd like to see something done, unfortunately finances dictate that we can't afford to spend several million on a new stand. I'd like to think that the club have investigated using partners such as hotels, social housing or student accommodation to get a new stand built and I assume is that the lack of progress is down to a lack of takers given the economic climate.
To be fair, however cramped the leg room might be, it still ticks all the boxes required for L1/L2 with the bar, corporate & meeting function rooms and decent player facilities.

If any work was to be carried out at whaddon road in the near future, I'd rather see something done to improve the Prestbury Road End which surely wouldn't cost too much (certainly nowhere near what the new main stand would cost) with a lick of red paint here and there to revive the main stand too.