Post by Finnish Gas on Feb 22, 2016 17:21:01 GMT
Potential hold-ups (with reasons) in the delivery of the UWE Stadium have been covered in other informative threads. It is now open to question whether UWE might be heading for a public relations disaster if differences at the negotiating table lead to them holding back the UWE Stadium project.
The investment opportunities that the project offers for South Gloucestershire, the Bristol Sub-Region and the wider community have previously been well documented (see below). South Gloucestershire Council, Charlotte Leslie, MP and her colleagues have all recognised the importance of the project.
Where are UWE now heading in terms of the Stadium project?
The extracts below highlight how committed the UWE have been to the project.
June 2011 - UWE welcomes stadium initiative
The University of the West of England welcomes the proposal for a new football stadium at the Frenchay Campus through a groundbreaking agreement with Bristol Rovers Football Club (BRFC) subject to planning permission.
The University has agreed to lease an area of land to BRFC that will create significant benefits for students, staff and the community.
The agreement represents a significant investment of approximately £60 million in first class facilities that bring added value to the city and the region. The stadium will be known as the ‘UWE Stadium'
................................
Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor of says, “UWE welcomes this exciting strategic agreement which will bring tremendous benefits to the University, students and the local community. The agreement makes UWE the first university campus with a 20,000 seat stadium in the UK putting it on a par with many International Universities, and we believe this will have long term value for everyone involved. The team at UWE and at BRFC have worked hard to forge an agreement that delivers real benefits to students and the wider South Gloucestershire community, as well as fulfilling the Club's aspirations and supporting the University's long term strategy. The development would bring much needed employment opportunities to our region as the Stadium is constructed as well as ongoing employment as the Stadium operates. Importantly the scheme is designed to deliver an identified need within South Gloucestershire's Spatial Planning Strategy”.
Source: info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/news.aspx?id=1983
December 2011 - Contracts signed for new Bristol Rovers stadium
Professor Steve West, vice-chancellor at UWE Bristol, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to take this initiative for Bristol and south Gloucestershire a step further to reality.
"At a time when belts are tightening it is good to see this ambition being realised with the investment and growth flowing into the region.
"The UWE stadium we hope will also allow the university to reach out to young people and our diverse communities across the region."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16155421
2012 - Planning Application Consultation
Q. Why a stadium as part of the University?
A. Over half of UWE’s students come from the Bristol region. The stadium offers the University a chance to provide enhanced facilities for its students. There are many school pupils in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire region who do not aspire to go to university. UWE sees the stadium as a way of connecting better with these potential students through sport and Bristol Rovers FC’s own education initiatives. The University invests heavily in its outreach activities with local schools and colleges.
Source: www.uwestadium.com/faq.php#a22
July 2014 - UWE won't rescue Bristol Rovers' stadium dreams if club fails to sell Memorial Ground
"If Bristol Rovers can't sell the Memorial Ground to Sainsbury's and can't find any other buyer then clearly they don't have the funding to be able to develop the stadium," he said.
"For UWE that would mean we then have however many acres of land to do something else with. It's as simple as that. Would I rather build a stadium than a faculty of business and law? Absolutely not. Our core business is education.
........
"We would be building the car park because we need the car park, which would happen to the serve the stadium when we are not using it."
But Mr West stressed he still expected the project to go ahead.
Source: www.bristolpost.co.uk/University-West-England-won-t-rescue-Bristol/story-22015352-detail/story.html
The investment opportunities that the project offers for South Gloucestershire, the Bristol Sub-Region and the wider community have previously been well documented (see below). South Gloucestershire Council, Charlotte Leslie, MP and her colleagues have all recognised the importance of the project.
Where are UWE now heading in terms of the Stadium project?
The extracts below highlight how committed the UWE have been to the project.
June 2011 - UWE welcomes stadium initiative
The University of the West of England welcomes the proposal for a new football stadium at the Frenchay Campus through a groundbreaking agreement with Bristol Rovers Football Club (BRFC) subject to planning permission.
The University has agreed to lease an area of land to BRFC that will create significant benefits for students, staff and the community.
The agreement represents a significant investment of approximately £60 million in first class facilities that bring added value to the city and the region. The stadium will be known as the ‘UWE Stadium'
................................
Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor of says, “UWE welcomes this exciting strategic agreement which will bring tremendous benefits to the University, students and the local community. The agreement makes UWE the first university campus with a 20,000 seat stadium in the UK putting it on a par with many International Universities, and we believe this will have long term value for everyone involved. The team at UWE and at BRFC have worked hard to forge an agreement that delivers real benefits to students and the wider South Gloucestershire community, as well as fulfilling the Club's aspirations and supporting the University's long term strategy. The development would bring much needed employment opportunities to our region as the Stadium is constructed as well as ongoing employment as the Stadium operates. Importantly the scheme is designed to deliver an identified need within South Gloucestershire's Spatial Planning Strategy”.
Source: info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/news.aspx?id=1983
December 2011 - Contracts signed for new Bristol Rovers stadium
Professor Steve West, vice-chancellor at UWE Bristol, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to take this initiative for Bristol and south Gloucestershire a step further to reality.
"At a time when belts are tightening it is good to see this ambition being realised with the investment and growth flowing into the region.
"The UWE stadium we hope will also allow the university to reach out to young people and our diverse communities across the region."
Source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16155421
2012 - Planning Application Consultation
Q. Why a stadium as part of the University?
A. Over half of UWE’s students come from the Bristol region. The stadium offers the University a chance to provide enhanced facilities for its students. There are many school pupils in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire region who do not aspire to go to university. UWE sees the stadium as a way of connecting better with these potential students through sport and Bristol Rovers FC’s own education initiatives. The University invests heavily in its outreach activities with local schools and colleges.
Source: www.uwestadium.com/faq.php#a22
July 2014 - UWE won't rescue Bristol Rovers' stadium dreams if club fails to sell Memorial Ground
"If Bristol Rovers can't sell the Memorial Ground to Sainsbury's and can't find any other buyer then clearly they don't have the funding to be able to develop the stadium," he said.
"For UWE that would mean we then have however many acres of land to do something else with. It's as simple as that. Would I rather build a stadium than a faculty of business and law? Absolutely not. Our core business is education.
........
"We would be building the car park because we need the car park, which would happen to the serve the stadium when we are not using it."
But Mr West stressed he still expected the project to go ahead.
Source: www.bristolpost.co.uk/University-West-England-won-t-rescue-Bristol/story-22015352-detail/story.html
