Redevelopment shorts

[cables]

Weekly meetings take place with advisors.
Phase 1 under constant pressure due to increasing costs.
Current cost estimate £5m for Phase 1.
UR to fund over 80% of cost without assistance.
Going to tender in forthcoming weeks.
Builder to be appointed Mid-October.
Builder on site 5th January.
Building programme runs to Mid-August.
Phase 1 expected to generate up to £1m pa of new income.
Terrace capacity reduces to 1000 in January.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

I suppose you want £3 for that info?

[cables]

I suppose you want £3 for that info?

The info became available on Friday just before you were singing in the rain.

Moses suposes his toeses are roses
But Moses supposes erroneously
And Moses, he knowses his toeses aren't roses
As Moses supposes his toeses to be

As usual there is no charge for any information I pass on.

[Freebird]

This question may well get shot down in flames, but hey, i'll live dangerously. Are there any regulations restricting the building of more terracing at Ravenhill? I know it doesn't look too fancy on camera if the ground isn't full but if we want to increase capacity could we not terrace behind the posts at one end of the ground? Once the corporate boxes move will that area not be free? Surely that opens up the potential to a much increased capacity for big games with minimal maintenance required.

[Rooster]

The expensive portacabin job at the Aquinas end is also the disabled viewing area from the covered terrace below it. In the developement plans it was to be stage 4 of rebuild but was put on ice as that involves increase in numbers ...............

[Snipe Watson]

I’m quite sure we could terrace behind the posts, but we couldn’t allow any more people through the turnstiles. The ground will hold more people it’s just health and safety reg’s limit the capacity. I’ve been at games in the past where you couldn’t move. Ravenhill’s capacity is at its max and it will never be increased without a seismic shift in the planning regulations.

[Freebird]

At one stage were we not able to cram near 20,000 in there in the wake of '99? Is it just that H&S has gotten more oppressive since then?

[Snipe Watson]

Yes and it'll get worse until terraces are outlawed.

[cables]

I am a tad surprised that no one has picked up on the reduced(?) level of support from IRFU and Government as UR are having to fund more than 80% of the cost without assistance. This indicates that a ballpark figure of only £1m will be available from elsewhere.

This quote is from 21 June 2004:

Question 9. Is it likely that there will be any re-development of Ravenhill going ahead while we’re waiting for a decision on a National Stadium?

Answer. That had been our intention. We have a four phase model which was passed by our governing branch and we had intended to start Phase 1 during the 2004-05 season. The funding for it had two thirds of the money coming from the IRFU and a third from the government with a total cost of £3 million.

That states clearly £2m from the IRFU and £1m from Government. Are these sums of money no longer available?

Is there some explanation that I am missing?


BTW, got an ezine timed at 18:00 yesterday which had "Singing in the Rain" in it's title. Someone at UR must have read my post (above) to Grumps.

[Neil F]

Yes and it'll get worse until terraces are outlawed.

I don't believe that for a second - advances in various on-terrace and turnstile technologies mean that terraces are pretty much as safe as seating these days. If anything, I can see legislation slowly moving back towards allowing standing facilities where they are not currently allowed, as opposed to banning it where it currently is allowed.

[cables]

The tide against Terracing seemed to turn slightly just a few years back. I also note that Parc Y Scarlets and Thomond will both have some Terracing and they are the latest ML grounds to be built.

[ColinM]

Yep covered terracing is the way forward.

The only thing i have against it is my Mrs is quite short!

[Snipe Watson]

Hope you are right!

[pwrmoore]

The only thing i have against it is my Mrs is quite short!

That's hardly the Terracing's fault.

[cables]

Gloucester are proposing to increase the standing capacity of the shed from 4,500 to 6,000 with Hospitality Units above it.