Brent emotionally blackmails Council - Club Statement

what chance do you think this is softening the way for the cinema to become student housing in a revamped planning application to PCC - along the lines of your decision making has lost us the cinema how about you let us build this instead

I suspect that the lack of actual, real, tangible progress on HHP lies at the heart of PCC's apparent change of priority here. Whatever spin might be put on events it can hardly be denied that PCC has been extremely accomodating where James Brent and his plans are concerned. From the very get go PCC's £1.6m funded the exit from administration and from there on it's been like the goose that can't stop laying golden eggs: rate rebates, rent holidays, subsidies, favourable contracts willingly signed and commercial loans proffered. PCC has virtually bent over backwards to help and has bent backwards repeatedly too.

The problem here is despire all of that there has been no delivery at all from Brent's side and with local elections not far away they'd dearly love to be able to point at something literally and metaphorically concrete and claim "we did that!" and they can't. All they can point at is wave after wave of financial and practical support for which all they have in return is a vague promise that something might, eventually happen.

I'm not sure of the legalities here but how could PCC actually do anything other than what they have done regarding Bretonside? British Land are simply following accepted criteria for their scheme and all PCC can do is assess their proposal on planning grounds (much as they did with HHP). After that it's legal procedure and market forces that'll see either one, both or neither built. How could PCC stand in the way of the Bretonside even if it wanted to?

Which brings us back to Home Park. We can count ourselves fortunate that James Brent is so smitten by the Argyle bug that he is unlikely to want to spitefully sink the club he has come to love so dearly, which he has turned around from being a loss-making business into one about to break even and has settled the potentially disastrous balloon payment issue. On top of all of that his investment just might be about to bear fruit and the team looks as if it is about to achieve on the pitch.

The fly in the ointment is the grandstand but then again it has been for about 20 years now. On that front nothing, despite all the changes, has changed. The question here is really who should be responsible for it? As owner of the stadium surely PCC has primary responsibility but PAFC, owned by James Brent of course, would materially gain in a substantial way from enhanced asset-value. It's only fair that PAFC/Brent should contribute too.

The way forward seems, to me, to be quite obvious: build a new grandstand with the ice rink built into it. That way PCC gets what it wants and Argyle gets what it needs. All of the infrastructure needed by people attending the ice rink would be identical to that needed by football goers. The ice rink would fit into the vision of Argyle and the Life Centre as a destination for active leisure activities. The land is sitting there just begging for it all to happen. It would impinge on the park in no way whatsoever. Everybody wins. Why isn't everybody banging this particular drum? Why can't it work?

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

I suspect that the lack of actual, real, tangible progress on HHP lies at the heart of PCC's apparent change of priority here. Whatever spin might be put on events it can hardly be denied that PCC has been extremely accomodating where James Brent and his plans are concerned. From the very get go PCC's £1.6m funded the exit from administration and from there on it's been like the goose that can't stop laying golden eggs: rate rebates, rent holidays, subsidies, favourable contracts willingly signed and commercial loans proffered. PCC has virtually bent over backwards to help and has bent backwards repeatedly too.

The problem here is despire all of that there has been no delivery at all from Brent's side and with local elections not far away they'd dearly love to be able to point at something literally and metaphorically concrete and claim "we did that!" and they can't. All they can point at is wave after wave of financial and practical support for which all they have in return is a vague promise that something might, eventually happen.

I'm not sure of the legalities here but how could PCC actually do anything other than what they have done regarding Bretonside? British Land are simply following accepted criteria for their scheme and all PCC can do is assess their proposal on planning grounds (much as they did with HHP). After that it's legal procedure and market forces that'll see either one, both or neither built. How could PCC stand in the way of the Bretonside even if it wanted to?

Which brings us back to Home Park. We can count ourselves fortunate that James Brent is so smitten by the Argyle bug that he is unlikely to want to spitefully sink the club he has come to love so dearly, which he has turned around from being a loss-making business into one about to break even and has settled the potentially disastrous balloon payment issue. On top of all of that his investment just might be about to bear fruit and the team looks as if it is about to achieve on the pitch.

The fly in the ointment is the grandstand but then again it has been for about 20 years now. On that front nothing, despite all the changes, has changed. The question here is really who should be responsible for it? As owner of the stadium surely PCC has primary responsibility but PAFC, owned by James Brent of course, would materially gain in a substantial way from enhanced asset-value. It's only fair that PAFC/Brent should contribute too.

The way forward seems, to me, to be quite obvious: build a new grandstand with the ice rink built into it. That way PCC gets what it wants and Argyle gets what it needs. All of the infrastructure needed by people attending the ice rink would be identical to that needed by football goers. The ice rink would fit into the vision of Argyle and the Life Centre as a destination for active leisure activities. The land is sitting there just begging for it all to happen. It would impinge on the park in no way whatsoever. Everybody wins. Why isn't everybody banging this particular drum? Why can't it work?

It all boils down to money in the final analysis, i suppose. No doubt your ideas are absolutely possible in a material sense but, with reference to a line earlier in your post about PAFC/Brent contributing to any proposed development, is there a shred of evidence anywhere that Mr Brent in his guise as PAFC owner would be able to do that? Just thinking about the unfinished project at Oldway Manor, the Civic centre proposals, indeed HHP itself. Frankly,the status of those projects would seem to suggest that he wouldn't. Wider issues would then come into play of course if that indeed was the case-would PCC be prepared or be able to pay in entireity for new facilities? Is there anyone else who may be able to take things by the scruff of the neck and see it through to a satisfactory conclusion? Don't know but one thing is for sure, this is so typical of the half arsed,impoverished and incompetent "leadership" that has stopped the club making any substantial long term progress in it's history. Makes you want to puke.

James doesn't want to 'put in' he wants to take out, why do you think he so 'reluctantly' saved us?
So he could make money!

Of course Brent wants PCC to invest as much as possible in a new grandstand - he has a contract with PCC that enables him to buy back the freehold which he has stated on several occasions he would like to exercise. Any uplift in the asset value of the freehold as result of PCC money is only going to benefit him not PCC.

Rather have an old grandstand for now and a new owner who can deliver.

Hitch wrote:

Of course Brent wants PCC to invest as much as possible in a new grandstand - he has a contract with PCC that enables him to buy back the freehold which he has stated on several occasions he would like to exercise. Any uplift in the asset value of the freehold as result of PCC money is only going to benefit him not PCC.

As I said the primary responsibility must sit with PCC because it is their stadium but it is only fair that Brent/PAFC (for the reasons you give) contribute too. It needn't necessarily even mean Brent stumping up the money upfront but could be levied over years, decades even, against the club.

I'm sure sensible, mature adults could come to some agreement over terms just as soon as each gets what it wants.

Obviously the conflict here is what is best for Argyle might not be best for Brent and vice versa. Brent needs to decide if he wants to be a football club owner or a property developer because right now he appears to be reluctant to be the former and obsessed with being the latter and there's no hope of Argyle getting what it needs from there.

It would appear that the Clubs intention of becoming self reliant and self funding relies upon help and funding from a third party . Ironic really .

All the Presidents Men wrote:

Pathetic, child - like behaviour from Argyle, why has it taken so long for the penny to drop that, omg, there is another development elsewhere?

So village.

I thought we were expecting to be told some exciting news re - the build any time soon???

Speccy is a busted flush, a chancer who has milked his last freebie in Plymouth!

Porky playing the crowd, now wants 25k seats?
One minute he's speccys mate and has inside info, the next "i know nothing" is getting rather boring.

Postey, posting ultimatums, what a cnut, who the hell does he think he is, fecking mug seller!

The Pres, well, once a sell-out, actually if you're as good and skilled as you say you are, re-read your CV matey and see if you can do a Gerry Robinson style fix on this lot then!

Chickens coming home to roost on this turkey,rather  appropiate for this time of year!

Great post Bhey, made i larf

Just remembered - wasn't it always stated that the keys to the Pavilions (and the accompanying £2million) were handed over to Brent for redevelopment with two conditions:

1. Build a new Ice Rink somewhere in the City
2. Build a new Grandstand for Argyle.

or did I dream that?

Damon.Lenszner wrote:

Just remembered - wasn't it always stated that the keys to the Pavilions (and the accompanying £2million) were handed over to Brent for redevelopment with two conditions:

1. Build a new Ice Rink somewhere in the City
2. Build a new Grandstand for Argyle.

or did I dream that?

Is the full contract(s) that Brent has with PCC a matter of public record or available under the FOI Act - it must be surely?

Damon.Lenszner wrote:

Just remembered - wasn't it always stated that the keys to the Pavilions (and the accompanying £2million) were handed over to Brent for redevelopment with two conditions:

1. Build a new Ice Rink somewhere in the City
2. Build a new Grandstand for Argyle.

or did I dream that?

Only the Ice Rink according to anything I've read.

OK - my bad - the Grandstand must be built if HHP is built -

Q29. Confirm that there is no contractual requirement, as part of the original purchase of the Higher Home Park land and the lease of Home Park with the Council, to build a grandstand on the land leased from the Council.

There is an obligation to build a new grandstand if we proceed with the development. The new grandstand was to have a minimum of 3,800 seats (i.e. c.1,000 fewer than we have proposed) and there is no obligation to provide additional facilities. The cost of merely complying with our contractual obligations would have been roughly one third of the anticipated cost of the new grandstand.

Some of the responses are really funny now:
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Even the Freemasons couldnt help Brent out

All I hope is this is the beginning of a new dawn for PAFC. Maybe the long endless night of the past 6 or so years is finally coming to an end. And my self imposed exile from the club can end at last.

In the not too distant future maybe I'll take in a match followed by an evening at the flicks in Bretonside

Freathy wrote:

All I hope is this is the beginning of a new dawn for PAFC.  Maybe the long endless night of the past 6 or so years is finally coming to an end.  And my self imposed exile from the club can end at last.

In the not too distant future maybe I'll take in a match followed by an evening at the flicks in Bretonside

FFS ! Go for a walk along Freathy beach and sort yourself out man.

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BBC lying again with its reporting of news.. Bigger grandstand indeed lol

More like the BBC being fed deliberate misinformation via the web of deceit and self interest, currently enshrouding the club.

Bigger grandstand?????? You mean I pay for the BBC to print any old crap?

Well I might just have the BBC report that my multi million pound bank balance and ten inch penis need reducing - don't all rush at once ladies.

What an appalling failure the Brent regime is for the community. Experts in receiving hand-outs, freebies and sweeteners, making promises and delivering absolutely nothing. I feel another Private Eye moment coming on.

I see that British Land are providing a new walkway t connect the city centre with the waterfront, maybe Brenty can out do them with his Millbay grand boulevard? Lol, when is that due to be started?

Scrap the fecking new grandstand, FFS, Revamp the old girl that is there now, get the seats in again on the Mayflower terracing, fill in the corners - that'll do for the next 50 years. Voila!! Capacity back to somewhere it should be for our current league situation. 400-600k!! I'm sure Brent can afford that out of his own pocket.

Then he can feck off. I'm sick of this perennial merry-go-round of a clucterfuck of a plan for the/a new grandstand. Either that or scrap the whole fecking shebang.

Argyle FC of Plymouth, anyone?

James Brent should just sell the club and then bugger off (i think he can no-longer take the club and the team any further that what he has. I thank him for his efforts and coming in when he did, but it is time to move on now and let someone else have a crack). The Council are said to be building the Grandstand anyway ?.

Let's get an owner who loves football, who understands football and who would like to take Argyle that step further.

Person Of Interest wrote:

Scrap the fecking new grandstand, FFS, Revamp the old girl that is there now, get the seats in again on the Mayflower terracing, fill in the corners - that'll do for the next 50 years. Voila!! Capacity back to somewhere it should be for our current league situation. 400-600k!! I'm sure Brent can afford that out of his own pocket.

Then he can feck off. I'm sick of this perennial merry-go-round of a clucterfuck of a plan for the/a new grandstand. Either that or scrap the whole fecking shebang.

Argyle FC of Plymouth, anyone?

Who knows. Perhaps one day in the not-so-far off future.

Iggy wrote:

I see that British Land are providing a new walkway t connect the city centre with the waterfront, maybe Brenty can out do them with his Millbay grand boulevard? Lol, when is that due to be started?

He against the boulevard, as he Want's the road to stay along side the Pavilion