Reds New Home Given Council Go Ahead

Councillors have given the go ahead for a £26 million community stadium at Barton. Salford City Council has formed a joint venture company with Peel to develop and deliver the stadium – the largest single investment in sport in the city for decades.

It will be a centre for a range of community activities and also home to Salford City Reds, who will play there with a licence to use it.

It is to be built in time for the start of the 2012 rugby Super League season and work to prepare the land for development has already started on site.

Salford City Council today approved the plans which show a maximum capacity of 20,000, built-in offices, player facilities, hospitality boxes, concessions and community resources.

There will be two community outdoor sports pitches – one grass and one artificial pitch – and a new access route to the stadium via Liverpool Road.

An outline application for around 21,000 square metres of non-food retail, which will help to fund the development, was also approved in principle as part of the proposals.

The Secretary of State will now be asked to formally approve the plans. The Secretary of State has previously approved the principle of a 20,000 capacity stadium and retail on this site.

Development of the stadium will be phased with retail units added later.

Construction of the new stadium is expected to start in November.

Once the stadium is built it will be managed by the council-Peel joint venture company.

Stadium Build To Begin In November

A detailed planning application for the new £26 million community stadium at Barton will go to Salford planners next week (Thursday, August 19).

Salford City Council has formed a joint venture company with Peel to deliver the stadium, which is the largest single investment in sport in the city for decades.

It will be a centre for a range of community activities and also home to Salford City Reds and is to be built in time for the start of the 2012 rugby Super League season.

It is a new home for the Reds at the start of another Super League season and will provide many state-of-the-art facilities for the community.

I’m pleased that work has started to prepare the land for the new stadium and this is the next step toward making this scheme a reality for the people of Salford.

Work to prepare the land for development started on site in May, funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

The planning application is for a new stadium with a maximum capacity of 20,000, built-in offices, player facilities, hospitality boxes, concessions and community resources.

It will have two outdoor sports pitches – one grass and one artificial pitch – and a new access route to the stadium via Liverpool Road.

An outline application for around 21,000 square metres of non-food retail is also be submitted to the council’s planning panel on the same day.

Development of the stadium will be phased with retail units added later.

After work to prepare the site is completed, construction of the new stadium will start in November.

Once the stadium is built it will be managed by the joint venture company with the Reds having a licence to use it.

Leader of Salford City Council Cllr John Merry said: “The new stadium is an important asset for the city, economically and culturally.

“It is a new home for the Reds at the start of another Super League season and will provide many state-of-the-art facilities for the community.

“I’m pleased that work has started to prepare the land for the new stadium and this is the next step toward making this scheme a reality for the people of Salford.”

Salford City Reds Chairman John Wilkinson said:

“This is a special time when our new home becomes a reality.  The November build commencement date will show commitment that we will be there for Super League 2012 Season.

“We have worked very closely with the City of Salford and Peel Holdings and we would like to say thank you for their ongoing support in bringing this fine project forward for the people of Salford.”

Countdown to £26 Million Stadium

The countdown has begun for Salford’s £26 million community stadium – the largest single investment in sport in the city for decades – as work officially starts on site.

Salford City Council has formed a joint venture company with Peel to deliver the 15-000 capacity stadium – which will be home to the Reds – by December 2011.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is funding the £4 million cost of preparing the Barton site for development and joined the joint venture partners at a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony today (Tuesday, May 18)

After the ground is prepared, construction of the new stadium will start in October. Development of the site will be phased, with retail units added later.

Salford council and Peel have pooled their land-holdings to create a single, 70-acre super-site. Detailed proposals for the development are to be considered by council planners in August.

A delivery date of December 2011 has been agreed for the stadium in order to boost the Reds’ bid for a new Super League licence earlier in the year – and to be ready for the 2012 Super League season.

The joint venture company would manage the stadium, with the Reds having a licence to use it.

As well as a grant from the NWDA, funding for the site’s regeneration will come in a loan from the city council to the joint venture company to pay for the construction work and new infrastructure.

In the business case for the new stadium, the loan will be repaid by selling the developed land to retail tenants and with income from people and clubs using the facility, including ticket sales, car parking, advertising, and conference and banqueting venue hire.

Salford City Council leader, Cllr John Merry said: “Today’s ground-breaking is another milestone in Salford’s regeneration and marks the next stage in our journey toward a new sports stadium for the city.

“The partnership we’ve created will deliver an important cultural – and economic – asset for the city and gives residents a no-cost stake in that success.

“I look forward to our stadium’s completion – and to welcoming the Super League Reds to it in February 2012!”

Mike Butterworth, property director at Peel said: “The stadium is a long held ambition of both the club and the council to have a new sporting venue and we are pleased to play our part in helping to bring this to fruition.

“This is the start of a major redevelopment of this corner of Salford and we look forward to seeing the exciting transformation in the coming years.”

Steve Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “It is excellent that work is progressing on a project which will bring considerable social and economic benefits to Salford.

“The new stadium will bring 45 acres of derelict brownfield land back into productive use for the community, provide a new venue for events which will benefit the visitor economy and create new jobs.”

Chairman of Salford City Reds, John Wilkinson OBE said: “Today is a landmark event in the history of the Salford Rugby Club and certainly one of the most momentous I can remember throughout my long involvement with the Reds.

“It is the beginning of the end of one of the toughest journeys the club has ever been on, and we are fortunate to have such fantastic partners as the city of Salford and Peel to provide a superb new stadium that will benefit all the people of the city, their Rugby Club and Super League – we look forward to working with them to ensure a successful new venue that everyone in Salford will be rightly proud of.”

Reds Get Stadium Green Light

The multi-million pound community sports complex for Salford has been kicked off by councillors. Salford City Council’s cabinet has today approved plans to form a joint venture company with Peel Holdings to deliver a 15,000-seat community stadium, which will be home to Salford City Reds.

The £26 million project will transform land at Barton, with Peel and the city council pooling their land-holdings to create a single, 70-acre super-site. Outline planning permission for the land had already been granted for a stadium and retail use.

Detailed plans are expected to be submitted by the end of May.

This announcement removes any lingering doubts surrounding the project, and confirms that Salford City Reds will be competing in a brand new stadium by the end of next year (2011)

Salford City Reds CEO, David Tarry said:

“This decision is a major boost not just for the club, but also for the City of Salford and Super League who are both totally committed to a desire for a strong, competitive franchise in our region. This announcement removes any lingering doubts surrounding the project, and confirms that Salford City Reds will be competing in a brand new stadium by the end of next year (2011) – a timeframe which will fit in perfectly with our bid for a Super League licence for 2012-2015.

“The regeneration and advancement of our city is moving at great speed, and the announcement of a top class sporting facility for Salford’s professional club fills the only significant gap remaining in the city’s portfolio of leading attractions. A city the size and prominence of Salford deserves a top class sporting arena for its residents and we are grateful for the vision the City Council has shown in recognising the importance of sport in the region.”

A delivery date of December 2011 has been agreed for the stadium in order to meet the necessary deadlines for the Reds’ bid to renew their Super League licence from February 2012. The joint venture company would manage the stadium, with the Reds having a licence to use it.

Funding will include a grant from the North West Development Agency to prepare the land for development and a loan from the city council to the joint venture company to pay for the construction work and new infrastructure. The business case for the development shows loans being repaid by the sale of the developed land to retail tenants and with income from people and clubs using the facility, including ticket sales, car parking, advertising, and conference and banqueting venue hire.

Tarry continued:

“There can be no doubt that the City of Salford have chosen exceptionally well in deciding to partner with such a leading developer as Peel Holdings to deliver the quality stadium that is required, and we look forward to being able reveal more details of the project as we progress over the coming weeks and months.

“This marks the end of a 12 year journey and the start of a bright new future for the Reds. Both the club and supporters have worked tirelessly together for this moment and we thank them for their endlessly loyal support throughout difficult times.

The actual work starts here on the most important development in the club’s history and we look forward, together with our partners, to delivering a vibrant and successful new era for sport in the city.”

Work to prepare the site for development is expected to start as soon as next month, once the legal agreements to bind the joint venture company have been signed. Phased development of the site would then start from October this year.

Salford City Council leader, Cllr John Merry said: “This development would be another landmark of Salford’s regeneration, adding to an already impressive line-up nearby of the Lowry and MediaCityUK.

“The partnership approach we’re adopting also means the city will be part-owner of a major sporting and community asset. Sport is a big business these days and making suitable, state-of-the-art facilities available for a successful club will bring economic benefits to the city. Our plan is about supporting sport in Salford and I believe it is the right thing to do.”

Salford Community Stadium Update – Feb 2010

Salford City Council this week issued an update regarding the Reds’ new stadium at Barton. This is a tremendous boost for the club and its loyal supporters as we embark on the 2010 Super League campaign with our long term future assured We look forward to working with our partners to create a first class sporting and community venue in the City of Salford that the whole region can utilise and be proud of.

The statement from Salford City Council is shown in full below:

Salford City Council and Peel Holdings are working together and propose creating a joint venture company to deliver a 15,000-seat community stadium which will be able to be used by a variety of community groups, sports clubs and other public and private sector bodies, as well as being the venue where Salford City Reds will play.

A business case has already been produced by consultants, which demonstrates that the proposal is viable and capable of being delivered.
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The projected delivery date for the stadium is late 2011, to be ready for the 2012 RFL season which starts in February 2012.

The new stadium has outline planning permission and an application has been submitted by Peel Land (Red City) Ltd on the behalf of the JVC partners to extend the timescale for that permission. A decision on this is expected towards the end of March 2010

Remediation works will need to be carried out on the site before any building work can take place. Permission for that work has been granted and work is expected to start on remediation in late March/early April 2010

A detailed planning application for the whole development site is expected shortly.

Chairman Speaks About Stadium Progress

The Reds today utilised their usual pre-match press conference to speak about the progress on the new stadium development at Barton and the current situation with Salford City College. After the press conference we taped an exclusive interview with Reds’ Chairman, John Wilkinson, OBE to clarify things still further.

To see the full interview with John Wilkinson on RedPlanetTV, click the video link below.

httpvh://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hIhODw2ST80

June Stadium Update

Further to today’s scheduled meeting of the development team (Salford City Reds, City of Salford, Salford City College and Peel Holdings) regarding the proposed Reds’ stadium development, high on the agenda was the recent announcement that LSC investment has not been allocated to the project in this round of funding.

The outcome of the meeting was very positive, mapping out all of the options that the team now have available to them, to ensure the delivery of the stadium within the required time frames.

After the meeting, Peter Crompton, Principal of Salford City College said:
“LSC funding is not and never has been the only way of funding our interest in the stadium development.

“The college has other options available to it and these are continuing to be explored by the development team.

“We are very positive about our role in the development of this essential acquisition for the college, the people and the City of Salford.”

All partners in the development remain in a very positive mood despite the setbacks we have had to face from time to time.  Confidence in the delivery of the development within the timeframe remains high due to the quality and strength of the development team partners.
Reds’ Chairman, John Wilkinson said:

“We have the land, we have planning permission and we have a very supportive and highly qualified team working this project through and it will be delivered.

“The people of the City of Salford deserve a high quality stadium along with one of the best college facilities in the country, and that is what we will give them.

“We ask fans to continue to support and trust the club, in what is a highly complex development as we endeavour to deliver what is every fans dream.”

April Stadium Update

In January Salford City Reds gave details of a partnership with the newly formed Salford City College – an amalgamation of the Further Education colleges within the city. The new College is looking to reassess its facilities and the stadium site was identified as their main priority.

Issues have since arisen nationally with the capital funding provided by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and these issues are currently being worked through with the LSC as a matter of high priority. Currently the LSC are reassessing the national projects that they can deliver and the criteria on which the funding can be released
The Reds, Salford City College and stadium developer, Peel Holdings are of the opinion that the development and capital funding for Salford City College will prove to be very high on the agenda once this assessment been finalised.

Salford City Reds are working very closely with all of our partners to ensure that the Club are able to continue the development within our timeframes.

Reds: CEO David Tarry said: “The Stadium will happen and if, ultimately, the college are unable to take advantage of that opportunity, then we still have our Main Partners – the City of Salford, who remain totally committed to the scheme, and Peel Holdings – one of the leading developers in the country, along with a landmark site that already has Planning Permission for stadium and retail use and we look forward to introducing Super League to the whole Manchester region.”

City College To Be Stadium Catalyst

Salford City Reds is delighted to announce that its stadium development partner, Peel Holdings are now working very closely with the newly formed Salford City College, with a view to them becoming the main catalyst in pushing forward the new City of Salford Stadium.

Salford City College was born on 1st January 2009 following the merger of Eccles, Pendleton and Salford Colleges.  Its mission is to ‘inspire people to create opportunities and enrich lives through learning’.

A key part of this development will be the creation of new centres in accessible and attractive environments and the new Salford City Reds Stadium offers an exciting opportunity to create a superb college in what will be an iconic building.

Salford City College Principal, Peter Crompton said:

“This partnership development between the Reds and the college is part of the ongoing evolution between education and sport in the city of Salford.  The development of a college at the Salford City Reds Stadium is part of the £100 million proposed investment in further education in Salford, under consideration by regional and national funding providers.”

The stadium’s position means students attending the college sited there will enjoy both excellent transport links and access to a range of first class facilities linked to the neighbouring Trafford Centre.

Commenting on the new developments, Reds CEO David Tarry said:

“We are delighted to be working with Salford City College, with whom the club has had a good working relationship in the past.  This represents a great opportunity for education within the city to establish a far higher profile, working with its professional sports club as a key partner.”

Early Christmas Present for Fans as Stadium Moves Closer

There is exciting news on the Reds’ new stadium project as the green light has now been given by the administrators Begbies Traynor for the land to be placed back in the club’s control after the conclusion of the voluntary administration process of Red City Developments.

With the position regarding Red City now finalised, control of the development land has now passed to Peel Holdings – the club’s preferred developer partner who will now proceed to finalise the project in readiness for work on the stadium to commence. The new revised scheme and plans for the City’s showpiece circa £30m stadium will be announced as early as possible in the New Year.

The Reds are due to move into their new home in 2010 and with the might of Peel Holdings and the City of Salford now firmly behind them are keen to stress that the development is very much alive, despite several hold-ups and the current credit crunch.

Reds’ Chairman John Wilkinson said, “This is great news for the club and its fans and means we can now continue with our exciting plans. The Club, The City and Peel Holdings have stated that our new home will be among the best in the country, and we will not falter in any way to compromise on that quality simply to speed things up.

We are grateful to our developer partners Peel Holdings who have certainly gone the extra mile to deliver the land bank back into the development. Peel has shown a great commitment and energy to the development and we are indebted to them for their help during this crucial period.

We are in hard times and while we acknowledge that the development is certainly taking a great deal of time and effort to finalise, it will get off the ground albeit later than we would have liked.

Peel Holdings are now tasked with delivering the stadium as our preferred developer, and both the Club and the City of Salford are excited by the prospect having seen their commitment, energy and ability at first hand.

Peel Holdings are among the premier developers in the country and we are working very closely with them, having received commitment from them at the highest possible level.

I do understand the frustrations of our loyal fans who are suffering through this with us but they must be patient a little while longer and continue to trust us to do the right thing – we will deliver.”

Peel Holdings Property Director Mike Butterworth said, “This development is now in the safe hands of Peel Holdings, we look forward to and are committed to delivering the quality stadium that the City, the Club and their supporters deserve.

Whilst it has been a long drawn out process for all concerned, we are now finally in a position to move forward and create a deliverable vision that will meet and exceed the expectations of all parties.”

Salford City Reds urged their fans to snap up their 2009 Season Ticket before the Christmas Eve deadline to claim their free team shirt and book their place in what is set to be a historic season at The Willows.
Reds CEO, David Tarry added: “Today’s news will be a great boost for our supporters who have waited long and patiently for this project to begin in earnest.

With Peel controlling the development I feel that we are now in a position to make things happen, and all of this at a time of global economic turmoil. Peel’s continued support for such a significant landmark development even during such difficult times for the construction industry confirms their genuine commitment to the delivery of this project on time“.

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