James Brent selling off Land

Argyle owner James Brent appears to be selling off part of the Plymouth Pavilions – six years after he promised to spend £83 million developing it.

And it emerged yesterday that Mr Brent has already sold the Pavilions car park to a hotel developer.

The Herald has seen a marketing brochure for the Pavilions – excluding the Music Arena, the Westcountry’s biggest entertainment venue – prepared by agents Lambert Smith Hampton.

The venue opened in 1991 and was an albatross around the city’s neck, costing the council £1.5 million a year in subsidy, not including paying off the £38 million it cost to build.

The city council handed over the keys and a “contribution” of £2 million to Mr Brent in 2012. A condition of the change of ownership was that he would keep the ice rink open until he had provided a new rink in the city.

The Pavilions is owned by Five Directions Limited, part of Mr Brent’s Akkeron Group. Tony Hopwood, project director at Akkeron, said yesterday: “Five Directions Limited has today commenced an exercise to explore options for the redevelopment of land at the Plymouth Pavilions site.

Much of the land on the site will become surplus once the ice operations have been relocated to the new Mayflower ice arena that is presently being developed at Higher Home Park. Any subsequent redevelopment of the Pavilions site will deliver investment into the Arena which Five Directions Limited is planning to retain ownership of.”

A Plymouth City Council spokesperson said: “The redevelopment of the Pavilions ice rink, former swimming pool and car park is included within the Plymouth Plan and a key part of the city’s vision for Millbay.

“It has always been the plan to provide a quality mixed-use residential and retail development on the site to open up this gateway from the city centre to the waterfront.

“The sale of the car park to a developer has already been agreed and a similar acquisition of the ice rink and swimming pool would mark a significant step forward in plans for this site and the wider regeneration of Millbay.

“Our agreement with Five Directions Limited stipulates that the ice rink will continue to operate during any redevelopment works and until the new ice rink opens at Home Park. This obligation would remain under any change of ownership.”

 Tim Jones, chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, said: “The Pavilions is a critical part of Plymouth’s leisure offering. There is a great expectation about its future.

“The site underpins the west end of Plymouth’s commercial economy.

“A secure and exciting future for it is something the business community will greatly welcome.

“It has been disappointing that it has taken some time for the project to emerge following the early proposals for the site.”

The Pavilions car park was sold last year to international property company Vastint.

Vastint is understood to be working with Marriott Hotels to develop one of its new brand of Moxy Hotels in the city.

The company is preparing to submit a planning application for a hotel on the car park in Bath Street.

Early designs, created by Scottish architects Keppie Design, go on show at the Council House in Plymouth City Centre on Monday.

The event is open to the public from 3pm to 8pm, and the architects are looking for feedback.

The marketing brochure for the Pavilions features artists’ impressions of the proposed boulevard that will link the Millbay waterfront with the West End of the city centre.

The boulevard as originally conceived in the Mackay Vision for Plymouth, will run alongside the Pavilions site – an attractive proposition for any developer.

Mr Brent has suffered a number of setbacks. Since 2014 his Akkeron Hotels Group has shrunk from 17 to five hotels. He has also lost the contract to redevelop Oldway Manor in Torquay, and is no longer the preferred bidder to redevelop the former Plymouth City Council’s Civic Centre headquarters.

However, the redevelopment of the Argyle grandstand and Higher Home Park have been moving ahead, with planning permission granted last year for an ice rink.


Taken off Brent Herald

Refreshingly complete and factual.

Except for the bit that says "the new Mayflower ice arena that is presently being developed at Higher Home Park".

I'll save Bees from saying it, why do we give away an asset that has cost £40m to a shyster like Brent? Shorely the council should sell the car park and should insert caveats/covenants on the deal. I have one on my current abode slapped on by no less than PCC which doesn't stop me building anything but should I do so PCC will recieve value on any development I build. Bit like a profit tax. I'll be amazed if the ice rink gets built.

Tony Hopwood.

One did hope for better from Labour, but look what Tudor did... £38 MILLION POUNDS VANISHED JUST LIKE THAT

Selling off land or selling players, its the same shit to wor Jimmy........... By the way how is the Mankover comming along is it finished yet? And can i buy a pint in the new supporters bar?

What an absolute pig's ear of a mess.
Little of the retail/entertainment/hotel thing will happen. There's only one game in town, and that is building obscene appartments/"student" pods, fuelling the ever increasing housing disaster. Homes for the 21st century modelled on Ceaucescu's wonderful architectural masterpeices throughout Bucharest that delivered such classic omnidepressing lifestyles.
A perfect example of corrupt land banking taking priority over a community's REAL needs and plans for a healthy life. It's all the rage up and down the country. In the 50s the profiteers built "walkways in the sky" and look what happened to them. Now they're building similar, but smaller, and not even the walkways.  Nothing but battery hen rent/maintenance profit points for the likes of Five Faces Ltd. We'll have no free range humans in this town. "Gardens ? what's a garden ? children don't need gardens"

Brent is nothing more than a land banker wanker.

akagreengull wrote:

Brent is nothing more than a wanker.

Corrected for you.......

Cheers Harve, good to meet you yesterday by the way.

Dingle wrote:

Tony Hopwood.

Seems to be a few of these PCC/Akkeron links.

Nick Tomlinson anyone? (another GAGWG'er)

just wonder how that selection process went?

akagreengull wrote:

Cheers Harve, good to meet you yesterday by the way.

Cheers I was last to leave well mullered by then

BBC1 wrote:

Dingle wrote:

Tony Hopwood.

Seems to be a few of these PCC/Akkeron links.

Nick Tomlinson anyone? (another GAGWG'er)

just wonder how that selection process went?

The ability to posh leg shag while pledging your undying love for all things Akky and the jobs a gooden!!

The Pavilion arena is the largest for miles around and should be one of the Ocean City's flagships. So when it ran into financial difficulties and PCC were looking to offload it, surely it would be passed on to someone with experience/passion for running a similar business. But no, out of nowhere charges Mr Brent, whose love of live music no doubt rivals his love of football. If he was prepared to take on a loss-making business, FFS didn't anyone (apart from Mr Hopwood) realise there was money to be made here? If I were a PCC taxpayer I'd be asking more questions, as I'm not my gripe is that my football team is tied up with all this shinanigans.

Another case Dingle of asking where's the money gone.

harvetheslayer wrote:

akagreengull wrote:

Cheers Harve, good to meet you yesterday by the way.

Cheers I was last to leave well mullered by then

what happened to the Pig did it get home safely harve pleasure to meet you GG as well

Don't know if anyone else heard this on the wonderful radio Devon at 0700 today, but on the hourly news it was announced that James Brent has put a portfolio on the property market listing surplus land at the Pavillions.
Guide price £6 MILLION according to radio Devon - nothing in the Daily rag.
Taken from BBC news this morning.

at
7:17
Parts of Plymouth Pavilions listed for possible sale

Neil Gallacher, Business & Industry Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

BBC
Parts of the Plymouth Pavilions have been listed for possible sale, it has been revealed.
Devon businessman James Brent, who was given the site by Plymouth City Council in 2012, has advertised the pavilions as a "development site" with a guide price of £6m.
He is not selling the Pavilions centrepiece - its music arena. He plans to keep and improve that area.
In 2012, the council, which could not afford to renovate the site, struck a deal with Mr Brent. The authority called the decision "a huge step forward" for the Pavilions and claimed £83m would be invested.
Tim Jones, from the South West Business Council, said he was "disappointed" the potential development had not happened before the site went on the market.
No-one we’ve spoken to is accusing Mr Brent of profiteering, even if this sale does go through, as it was costing the cash-strapped council more than £1.5m a year to keep the Pavilions going. Mr Brent has taken that burden on.
A spokesman for Mr Brent said the businessman was "just exploring options".

Well Tim Jones may not be accusing Brent of profiteering but anyone with a modicum of insight and intelligence can see what is going on.
WAKE UP PLYMOUTH

BRENT JUST GET OUT OF ARGYLE AND PLYMOUTH

I wonder who James Brent's spokesman was?

BBC1 wrote:

I wonder who James Brent's spokesman was?

?

Yes, this has been rumoured on here for some time although the price seems to have gone up from 5 to 6 million. I suspect there have been some glum and rueful faces all over the city, but little they can do about it now. I wouldn't trust Brent to clean my shoes. I suspect there will be more about turns on his proposals up at Central Park too.
"Nobody is accusing J Brent Esq of profiteering"
No ? he needs to get out more.

Did Tim Jones mention the money Mr Brent was given by PCC to take on the loss-making enterprise? Where has that money gone- sure as hell hasn't been used to improve the venue.

RegGreen wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

akagreengull wrote:

Cheers Harve, good to meet you yesterday by the way.

Cheers I was last to leave well mullered by then

what happened to the Pig did it get home safely harve pleasure to meet you GG as well

Yeah I've blown Porky up and mounted him the Carsie....  

As regards Brent on and on it goes. My bet is he is genuinely seriously pissing off a lot of people (outside of football) Karma is a right bastard as he'll likely find out at some point. They always but always come unstuck

harvetheslayer wrote:

RegGreen wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

akagreengull wrote:

Cheers Harve, good to meet you yesterday by the way.

Cheers I was last to leave well mullered by then

what happened to the Pig did it get home safely harve pleasure to meet you GG as well

Yeah I've blown Porky up and mounted him the Carsie....  

As regards Brent on and on it goes. My bet is he is genuinely seriously pissing off a lot of people (outside of football) Karma is a right bastard as he'll likely find out at some point. They always but always come unstuck

Yeh just look at Phillip Green, still a Sir, still got a super yacht at Monaco, still got his £500m he stole from the pensions, karma eh? If he'd stole £10,000 from the dole he'd be inside now. Trick is pick your victims well, Brent gets this.

akagreengull wrote:

Don't know if anyone else heard this on the wonderful radio Devon at 0700 today, but on the hourly news it was announced that James Brent has put a portfolio on the property market listing surplus land at the Pavillions.
Guide price £6 MILLION according to radio Devon - nothing in the Daily rag.
Taken from BBC news this morning.

at
7:17
Parts of Plymouth Pavilions listed for possible sale

Neil Gallacher, Business & Industry Correspondent
BBC Spotlight

BBC
Parts of the Plymouth Pavilions have been listed for possible sale, it has been revealed.
Devon businessman James Brent, who was given the site by Plymouth City Council in 2012, has advertised the pavilions as a "development site" with a guide price of £6m.
He is not selling the Pavilions centrepiece - its music arena. He plans to keep and improve that area.
In 2012, the council, which could not afford to renovate the site, struck a deal with Mr Brent. The authority called the decision "a huge step forward" for the Pavilions and claimed £83m would be invested.
Tim Jones, from the South West Business Council, said he was "disappointed" the potential development had not happened before the site went on the market.
No-one we’ve spoken to is accusing Mr Brent of profiteering, even if this sale does go through, as it was costing the cash-strapped council more than £1.5m a year to keep the Pavilions going. Mr Brent has taken that burden on.
A spokesman for Mr Brent said the businessman was "just exploring options".

Well Tim Jones may not be accusing Brent of profiteering but anyone with a modicum of insight and intelligence can see what is going on.
WAKE UP PLYMOUTH

BRENT JUST GET OUT OF ARGYLE AND PLYMOUTH

yeah I heard it greengull was a bit surprise radio Devon even flagged it up ! There only 6 years to late and not a mention of that Tony Hopwood character & the part he played in the carve up or even who he works for now strangely

Your'e obviously a early morning listener mate like me, stayed tuned to Spotlight tonight, reckon it might be on there.
If it is there may be some swearing in my house later.
Horrible little shyster, just wish he would get out of my football club.