With Grimsby Town hoping to relocate to a new stadium off Peaks Parkway, director John Fenty explains why the site at Great Coates won't be considered again.
"THE Great Coates site just isn't economically viable for a project of this type."
The debate over whether the proposed location off Peaks Parkway is suitable for the Mariners' new stadium has led some to ask 'why not revisit the Great Coates proposal?' But not John Fenty.
The 125-acre site off the A180 looked set to be Town's new home a decade ago, but a series of planning issues, residents protests and eventually a lack of finance put paid to the project.
Now, Fenty insists the location is a total 'no go' largely thanks to two key planning conditions that would have to be met.
He told the Telegraph: "We lost £350,000 on the last planning process for Great Coates and basically it just isn't economically viable for a project of this type.
"There were something like 64 conditions attached to the planning consent there, and two of them were absolute job-stoppers.
"One required us to acquire a site equal to the development area – 125 acres – within 1.5km or 2km, meaning we had to buy two sites. The second site being for the purpose of overwintering birds, which does seem ridiculous but it was a condition that was attached."
In addition to a 12,000-seater stadium, sponsored by Conoco, the Great Coates project was due to include a 150,000 square foot retail park, 1,300 space car park, 700 space park and ride facility and new training pitches.
But Fenty insists that the potential cost of upgrading the nearby rail crossing almost makes it a non-starter.
"We were burdened with the concept of upgrading the crossing at Great Coates to a full crossing," he explained.
"We found that rather disturbing and opportunistic of the railway company because our research told us that the crossing regularly broke down and that people chicaned it on a regular basis, trying to beat the train.
"So, in our opinion, it was overdue an upgrade which should have been done before then.
"We took this presentation to the council in front of the railway board, and we explained how fewer trains actually passed at the times when we run an event – on a Saturday or a Tuesday night.
"And we were hugely disappointed when the condition was applied that we would have to fund the upgrade of that crossing – around £3-million.
"So having to acquire a 125-acre site additional to the site that we were going to build on and the railway crossing put paid to the project and makes it impossible – and that can't change through the planning process."
See Monday's Telegraph or visit grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport for John Fenty's views on why the Docks and Freeman Street don't fit the bill for a new stadium.
