Requests for information

Please use this thread to ask any factual questions about the planned design of the stadium that may be helpful to our discussions.

What will be the capacity of the different ends after the redevelopment? (Esp re: the Bristol End / Bath End away capacity debate)

How will the fit out of the stadium be financed? Will we be looking for a lot of the work to be done by volunteers to keep costs down?

Will we be re-using all the existing furniture for bars lounges offices etc? Has any space planning been done to see how it fits?

Will the roof of the poplar side be replaced as it will be an eyesore when the redevelopment takes place.

Would we need separate planning permission to cover the Bath End?

tovid wrote:How will the fit out of the stadium be financed? Will we be looking for a lot of the work to be done by volunteers to keep costs down?

I was wondering about this. On the various threads there are suggestions about covering the ends of the ground, filling in part of the Popular Side terracing when the pitch is raised etc and there will need to be changes to the Bath end, so it would be useful to know how much of this the developer is going to contribute to and how much the club will be expected to fund.

1. What is the proposed elevation of the pitch when it is levelled - is it really 33.5m as indicated in the proposed site plan submitted to the council? (This is 30cm higher than the current highest point).

2. Is there any visual representation available of how the Pop Side terracing would be affected? (I seem to recall seeing something at a consultation event, but it's not in the planning application docs)

OliverH wrote:Please use this thread to ask any factual questions about the planned design of the stadium that may be helpful to our discussions.

I had assumed from this that the 'discussions' were those to be held at next Thursday's meeting. However Oliver has requested that where possible they are answered by the club on this thread so that everyone can see and discuss them.

As SLO I'm happy to do what I can in this respect. Some of the questions will need to be referred to others who have been closer to the process so I'll aim to post what I can in response some time over the weekend. That only applies to those questions which have already been asked - I'm afraid that further ones may have to wait until the meeting for an answer.

Will we be using the existing floodlights or will there be lights on the new stand roof?

Before attempting to answer the questions which were posted last week I'd just point out that numbers 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 9 below are related to planning decisions. It is design decisions which this consultation is concerned with. With respect it's worth bearing this in mind when posting further questions on here or raising them at the meeting.

1) What will be the capacity of the different ends after the redevelopment? (Esp re: the Bristol End / Bath End away capacity debate)

Bristol End – 1219. Bath End – 840

Note that the current capacity of the Bath End is approx 300.  The capacity should be increased as it will have barriers in the proposed design.  The Bristol End capacity remains largely unaffected.

2) How will the fit out of the stadium be financed? Will we be looking for a lot of the work to be done by volunteers to keep costs down?

Stadium fit out costs are the responsibility of the Club.  Using volunteers could help reduce costs.   We will be looking at sponsorship options (e.g. a brewery to fit the bar out?) where possible and fund raising.  We will be able to estimate the fit out costs once planning permission is finalised.

3) On the various threads there are suggestions about covering the ends of the ground, filling in part of the Popular Side terracing when the pitch is raised etc and there will need to be changes to the Bath end, so it would be useful to know how much of this the developer is going to contribute to and how much the club will be expected to fund.

Covering the ends of the ground is not included in the redevelopment plans.

In Greenacres costplan there is a budget to do works to the rest of the ground.

Re the pitch, Greenacre's work will fund the levelling/straightening to a defined level, BCFC will then fund the build up from that level and laying the ‘carpet’.

Re the rest of the works to the ground, we believe that Greenacre will fund alterations to perimeter walls and the new Bath End. But we think any alterations to the other terraces if/when that happens would be linked to BCFC's finances.

Increasing the capacity of the Popular Side is related to having more safety rails, possibly using those relocated from the current north stand which will be removed. We think that would be a BCFC task as well.

There will inevitably be other areas of the works – within the new building - which will be for BCFC to deliver and they may call on volunteers but these will not be during the building contract unless the volunteer is a professionally qualified contractor who is doing this work as part of their ‘day-job’ and will be entering into a contract with the contractor or BCFC. We don't believe there is any formal agreement between BCFC and Greenacre on who does what yet.



4) Will we be re-using all the existing furniture for bars lounges offices etc? Has any space planning been done to see how it fits?

All furniture (from the lounges and the bars) will be considered for re-use.  

Re. space planning, there has been some very detailed work done on the respective space allocations  in both the current and proposed facilities.  In general there is more usable space in the proposed stadium design.  

Personally I think this is an area where supporters have a vested interest and can have influence over decisions still to be made. For example what fittings and furniture would you like to see in the bar areas? How would you like to see them decorated?

But bear in mind that the main advantage of the new design is that it is more usable (rentable) on non-match days (i.e. most of the time).  This is embedded in the future business model and is the cornerstone to ensuring the club's sustainability (which was the supporters' No 1 priority when surveyed).  So the focus is on how the furniture / facilities make the building a source of revenue whilst still retaining the character of a football club's home.

5) Will the roof of the poplar side be replaced as it will be an eyesore when the redevelopment takes place.

The replacing of the Popular Side roof is not part of the partial redevelopment of the ground.

6) Would we need separate planning permission to cover the Bath End?

Yes

7) What is the proposed elevation of the pitch when it is levelled - is it really 33.5m as indicated in the proposed site plan submitted to the council? (This is 30cm higher than the current highest point).

Yes, that level is correct. The current plans propose that the pitch is levelled at its current highest point - the corner of the Bristol End and Popular Side.

We assume the level is linked to the amount of spoil that is coming from the dig and the area to spread it over. The more you can distribute here, the cheaper it is in not having to cart it away, less truck movements through the village and better for the planning approval.

8 Is there any visual representation available of how the Pop Side terracing would be affected? (I seem to recall seeing something at a consultation event, but it's not in the planning application docs)

We don't think you were imagining it and if it can be tracked down we'll make it available again.

9) Will we be using the existing floodlights or will there be lights on the new stand roof?

Existing ones.


I hope that this helps with the supporter consultation process. I'm afraid it's unlikely that I'll be able to field follow up questions to these responses or further ones in the coming days. My thanks to those closely involved in the planning and design process for their assistance!

Thanks to Martin for the answers he has given above.

I think people need to be realistic and realise there is not going to be a large pot of money to carry out a refurbishment of the whole ground. I do agree that the roof on the popular side is going to look even more tatty and out of place if a new stand is built on the other side.
At the moment the cladding on the family stand and the existing main stand is in a better state than the popular side. I don't know if it would be possible to re use this to replace some of the popular side roof, presumably it will just be tipped otherwise. Perhaps this is worth investigating.

Thanks Steve. I'll pass on your suggestion.

I had a quick response from the Club's 'expert' re Steve's suggestion. This certainly comes under the stated aim to recycle where possible but please bear in mind that the budget for the redevelopment does not include an operation like this. Other things to consider include the ease with which the cladding could be removed intact and would it be in a suitable condition for re-use? And would there be enough salvaged to reroof the whole Pop Side?

Another thought. Will the dug outs be the see through polycarbonate ones? Presumably they will need to be because of the pitch levelling.

Do we have an artist's impression of looking ground level at the popular side. I guess it might look a bit odd as the further you go towards the bath end therell be a gradually wider flat area and a gradually narrowing terraced area with a big gap between it and the pitch: but also the height of the roof will get smaller on the left like it's out of kilter with the pitch?

You are right regarding the terracing. The people who stand at the back on the Bath side of the tea bar will not have such an imperious view of the pitch.

But the roof is level so the pitch will be the same height relative to the pitch all the way along. Currently the roof is much higher above the pitch at the Bath end and players have to give it an extra hoof to get the ball into the Freeview gardens.

Dodgycarpet wrote:Do we have an artist's impression of looking ground level at the popular side. I guess it might look a bit odd as the further you go towards the bath end therell be a gradually wider flat area and a gradually narrowing terraced area with a big gap between it and the pitch: but also the height of the roof will get smaller on the left like it's out of kilter with the pitch?

Sorry, we don't have that - just the bird's eye view drawing.

We should though!