Why exactly is the club so involved ?
Who are Liberty Trust ?
What is the future of the training ground ?
What is the future of the club ?
we can't be kept in the dark forever.
Developers that are submitting a planning application for a new state-of-the-art training complex in Kent are doing so with Charlton's full backing.
Writing in his Valley Review column for Saturday's match against Sheffield Wednesday, Addicks chief executive Peter Varney revealed the club had been in discussions with United States-based Liberty Trust for the last 12 months.
The firm is currently developing a site at Kings Hill, Kent, for housing and business unit use alongside the county council.
And over the next fortnight, two planning applications will be submitted to the council with the Addicks' support.
Said Varney: "The first relates to the construction of a new sporting complex as part of Liberty Trust's obligation to provide community sporting facilities. It is hoped this complex will be operated by a partnership of the club and the Charlton Community Trust.
"The second application relates to the construction of a new state-of-the-art training complex on the former Heath Farm site."
He added: "It's important to secure the necessary planning consents before outlining our plans in further detail, but we look forward to a long and successful partnership with Liberty Trust."
maybe it's just that they feel they can flog off Sparrows Lane for housing and get a all singing all dancing purpose built facility for a fraction of the cost. Could be something more sinister though. However, I trust the Board and they wouldn't sail us down the river or do anything that they didn't feel was on a benefit to the Club (did appoint Dowie though !!).
there is of course a great irony with the things Charlton get linked with;
A bank before it gets bought out
A sports shop chain before it goes bust
A computer firm that got bought out
A Spanish property company before the Spanish property market goes belly up
And now a US property group when the US is gripped in its worst ever sub-prime scenario
It makes things much more attractive to a buyer. Loads of prime land in SE London, new training base already sorted and in place... Be interesting to see if Liberty trust would be one of the companies intrested in being part of a bid for CAFC
I don't think a new training complex would be a bad thing at all, but with our current situation how ready are they going to be to make it an "all singing all dancing" as quoted earlier. We're not guaranteed promotion by all means, so will they scrimp and save, or will they make a Premiership standard complex. Is it the right time is all i'm asking?
Sparrows Lane is already a Premier standard complex, no doubt about that. It would have to be something, very, very impressive to improve on what we already have.
I'm more interested in the wider angle. If the training ground is moved out of South East London into Kent, it then opens up the argument on The Valley....
Ps. The club would of known fully that by putting out the statement about these new training complexes, it would raise questions regarding Sparrows Lane. But not including a line stating that the future of Sparrows Lane is unlikely to change, leads me to suspect that there could be more in it...
Why do the players need an all singing all dancing training ground? - surely all they need are a couple of jumpers and a football pitch - they can bring their own boots/trainers.
[cite]Posted By: AFKA Bartram[/cite]Sparrows Lane is already a Premier standard complex, no doubt about that. It would have to be something, very, very impressive to improve on what we already have.
I'm more interested in the wider angle. If the training ground is moved out of South East London into Kent, it then opens up the argument on The Valley....
Ps. The club would of known fully that by putting out the statement about these new training complexes, it would raise questions regarding Sparrows Lane. But not including a line stating that the future of Sparrows Lane is unlikely to change, leads me to suspect that there could be more in it...
Sparrows Lane isn't as good other London Premier League clubs grounds, the gym area is tiny in comparison, it doesn't have the room for a lot of the sports medicine stuff that most new grounds have, and these are the basics now.
Other London clubs have their training grounds outside London too, Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal, so it's no big deal being just outside the M25.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=560080&Y=147080&A=Y&Z=5 I can't see how you can have a training ground over an hour away from the Valley.
Where you train and where you play are two different matters. The team just pitch up and play at the Valley once every other week.
If Sparrows Lane can be sold and a new state of the art training centre built with money left over then surely it has to be good business. As long as the numbers add up I don't see any problems.
There was an approved planning application in 2005, for 4 sports pitches at Heath Farm. The applicant being none other than Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd. Here are a few links to that application
The site the above application mentions, is "Land At Heath Farm North Of Teston Road Wateringbury Maidstone Kent", which is just to the east of Kings Hill, much closer to the M20 than Tonbridge....
Cheers Medders, I saw that but missed the Liberty bit and discounted it because its old and near Maidstone rather than Tonbridge. I still thnik it is a bit too far out, but better than Sheppey or Tonrbidge.
Seemed funny Reg putting that bit in his programme notes just above the bit telling people to ignore what they read in the press about the takeover/sell-off rumours. All very strange.
[cite]Posted By: Medders[/cite]Too far from where though? ?
from the heart of the club i would suggest.
Our roots are firmly entrenched in South East London, not Maidstone.
Surely our heart is the Valley? Does it really matter where the training ground is? If it's closer to an area where the players and management live, would that not be beneficial to the club?
Comments
Why exactly is the club so involved ?
Who are Liberty Trust ?
What is the future of the training ground ?
What is the future of the club ?
we can't be kept in the dark forever.
Developers that are submitting a planning application for a new state-of-the-art training complex in Kent are doing so with Charlton's full backing.
Writing in his Valley Review column for Saturday's match against Sheffield Wednesday, Addicks chief executive Peter Varney revealed the club had been in discussions with United States-based Liberty Trust for the last 12 months.
The firm is currently developing a site at Kings Hill, Kent, for housing and business unit use alongside the county council.
And over the next fortnight, two planning applications will be submitted to the council with the Addicks' support.
Said Varney: "The first relates to the construction of a new sporting complex as part of Liberty Trust's obligation to provide community sporting facilities. It is hoped this complex will be operated by a partnership of the club and the Charlton Community Trust.
"The second application relates to the construction of a new state-of-the-art training complex on the former Heath Farm site."
He added: "It's important to secure the necessary planning consents before outlining our plans in further detail, but we look forward to a long and successful partnership with Liberty Trust."
http://www.cafc.co.uk/newsview.ink?nid=31186
A bank before it gets bought out
A sports shop chain before it goes bust
A computer firm that got bought out
A Spanish property company before the Spanish property market goes belly up
And now a US property group when the US is gripped in its worst ever sub-prime scenario
http://www.libertyproperty.com/about.asp
I'm more interested in the wider angle. If the training ground is moved out of South East London into Kent, it then opens up the argument on The Valley....
Ps. The club would of known fully that by putting out the statement about these new training complexes, it would raise questions regarding Sparrows Lane. But not including a line stating that the future of Sparrows Lane is unlikely to change, leads me to suspect that there could be more in it...
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap.dll?G2M?X=593500&Y=167500&A=Y&Z=5
Sparrows Lane isn't as good other London Premier League clubs grounds, the gym area is tiny in comparison, it doesn't have the room for a lot of the sports medicine stuff that most new grounds have, and these are the basics now.
Other London clubs have their training grounds outside London too, Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal, so it's no big deal being just outside the M25.
Heath Farm were the training ground would be is near Tonbridge
bloody horrible journey as well from Charlton/London etc especially with all of the current roadworks.
transport system SHOULD be 10 times better when all of the new slip roads/overpasses are sorted though.
Nowhere near sheppey my friend. Not a bad run up the M20 to Chaqrlton either
I can't see how you can have a training ground over an hour away from the Valley.
Unless
If Sparrows Lane can be sold and a new state of the art training centre built with money left over then surely it has to be good business. As long as the numbers add up I don't see any problems.
The only Kings Hill (Kent) on streetmap is in Sheppey, and there isn't a Heath Farm near Tonbridge.
....................
I've no idea where Heath Farm is but Kings Hill is West Malling, near the M20 and handy for our forthcoming adventures in Europe.
A couple of seconds googling would have told you that...
I'm currently trying to confirm where Heath Farm is, but I know there's one just outside Ashford in Kent....
There was an approved planning application in 2005, for 4 sports pitches at Heath Farm. The applicant being none other than Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd. Here are a few links to that application
Planning list
Map
Planning doc
Map
from the heart of the club i would suggest.
Our roots are firmly entrenched in South East London, not Maidstone.
Surely our heart is the Valley? Does it really matter where the training ground is? If it's closer to an area where the players and management live, would that not be beneficial to the club?