The new pavilion

I went and watched some of the last day of the match between Warwickshire & Sussex in the county championship today (which the Bears won not long after lunch). It was my first trip to Edgbaston since the opening of the new pavilion (though that was only Wednesday i believe). Very impressive it is too!

The old pavilion had been a crumbling disgrace to be honest so the amazing new facility just looks like it has come out of a new dimension. I really like the walkway under the pavilion which you travel through to get to your seat, its very futuristic and sci-fi like. Hey well i have an overactive imagination.

Whats happening on the pitch is very impressive too as Warwickshire racked up another win, they are in with a shout of the county championship which will be a great way to top off one of the most important years in the club's history.

Let the cricket season begin!

I currently have a lobster face for the first time this year after watching some cricket at Edgbaston cricket ground, the home of Warwickshire.

Although the season started a few weeks ago today's game - a CB40 game against Leicestershire was the first home game and also the first chance i have to see the new pavilion.

It looks fabulous, though its not quite finished yet. They aim to finish it by June i think, it looks nearly there anyway. The new permanent floodlights look amazing and rather off-worldly too.

As to the game itself well i only stayed for the Warwickshire innings, actually i never stay longer than an innings or session due to my incredibly short attention span, but it was great entertainment. The Bears scored heavily with plenty of DLF Maximums or 6s if you prefer. I am now following the conclusion of the game on Cricinfo. Sometimes that is the best way to watch cricket. You are less likely to get sunburn anyway. Photos from the Warwickshire innings are here.

Aldi at the Home Of Cricket

"Plans for a budget supermarket store to be built next to Edgbaston Cricket Ground has been approved despite complaints from some residents that it will lower the tone of the area.

As well as worries over traffic congestion, particularly on busy Test Match days, residents turned their noses up at the Aldi scheme, saying that the cut price grocer did not fit in the area and would drive down house prices..."

Ohhh get them! The real rich shop at places like Aldi and Lidl all the time.

Homes to be demolished

The council is to ask the government to approve a compulsory purchase order so Warwickshire can buy 12 properties on the Pershore Road which will be demolished to make way for the new ground development. Some properties have already been bought by the club. It has been suggested that the gardens may be used for overflow car parking during big matches because of some spaces being taken up by building work. Carrots and onions today Fiestas and Jaguars tomorrow.

Behind the scenes

Just back from Members' Nets and very enjoyable morning it was too. The temporary facilities for next 1 and a half seasons were interesting. You can see some pics i took here or see below for a few.

Development given green light

The ground redevelopment has been given the green light to proceed, which is just as well because the old pavilion and members areas have already been demolished. By the Summer of 2011 the shiny new ground should be completed, well lets hope so anyway. Capacity will be increased to 25,000, a figure which Sorrey are also aspiring for and which they say puts them in pole position to pick up an IPL tie-up. The Bears (or Super Kings) must be on the second row i would have thought. 6 county chiefs are in India desperate for deals, is Mr Povey one of them?

Development progress

Demolition of the old pavilion and member facilities continues. Of course if the residents are successful in their last ditch appeal against the redevelopment then that could be difficult. Maybe set up some patio furniture and tents perhaps. Phil Britt is keeping a photographic record of the mayhem.

Demolition underway

The demolition of the old pavilion and other buildings continues, the official site includes some interesting photos including the removal of the old bell tower which it is hoped can be included in the new development somehow (but surely that must already all be planned?)

Gentlemen start your bulldozers

A legal challenge by residents to the ground redevelopment has failed when they were unable to secure a judicial review. Work can now begin finally next month though the residents do have 7 days to decide if they want to appeal.

Its the final challenge... da da daaa da da da da da daaa

(That is supposed to be a play on the Europe song, doesn't quite work in text).

"Tuesday December 15 is D-Day for Warwickshire as they wait anxiously to discover whether they will be able to start work on their new £30 million pavilion at Edgbaston.

A local residents’ group has mounted a legal challenge claiming that Birmingham City Council did not follow the correct legal process when they granted Warwickshire planning permission for the project during the summer..."

Council approves loan for redevelopment

Birmingham City Council have approved a £20 million loan to the club for their redevelopment. Well approved as long as any legal challenges are overcome. If a judicial review into the planning permission goes against the club then the loan is off and... well lets not go into that right now.

Bears accused of "disingenous cant"

Warwickshire County Cricket Club have been accused by the Cannon Hill Neighbourhood Forum of hoodwinking the Council with "disingenous cant". I must admit i thought "cant" was a mis-spelt swear word* at first but cant means "insincere, esp. conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety" or perhaps more likely/sinisterly "the private language of the underworld".

The forum are trying to overturn the planning permission given to the club for their ground redevelopment. They accuse the club of backtracking on it's promises. The council meanwhile are expected to approve a £20 million loan today.

* so i went to a run-down war-zone inner-city comprehensive, so what?!

MP demands retractable floodlights

Sparkbrook’s Labour MP, Roger Godsiff, thinks the floodlights at Edgbaston 2.0 will be a blot on the landscape (hold on, arn't we talking about Birmingham not the Lake District?) and says the council should only support the ground expansion if the floodlights are made retractable. The MP says as the club is seeking the council's support for the loan it will need the council should use this as leverage to force retractable lights.

Gentlemen start your bulldozers

The Edgbaston ground redevelopment has passed it's final hurdle with the new Communities secretary John Denham deciding not to hold an inquiry into the scheme. Maybe the reshuffle did the club good in that the new minister wanted to clear his backlog or it would have been passed anyway. Building work is now expected to begin before the end of the season.

The protesters will fight on

Yesterday Warwickshire were finally granted planning permission for their much needed redevelopment though apparently the final decision is with the minister Hazel Blears. Protesters against the development say they will appeal directly to the minister. The battle goes on. But lets hope this declaration that the "battle goes on" is as empty as when Admiral Karl Dönitz said it in the last days of WW2 after he had succeeded Hitler as leader of the Third Reich (and the Reich basically consisted of a thin strip of land between massive allied armies).

P-Day

Today is the big day, Planning Day. Lets hope the club gets the planning permission to redevelop the ground and retain international cricket at Edgbaston where cricket has been played for a long long time (and this chap has seen much of it) but the fight has become personal. Though at least there is a plan B now even if it is rather problematical.


Come on put this dump out of it's misery! Anyway planning meeting begins at 11am. Fingers crossed.

Update 11:49
From the Warks twitter:
Warwickshire's plans are approved at a meeting of the B'ham Planning Dept.

Update 11:53
The Official website have confirmed it. Obviously had the press release ready (and no doubt one for if the decision went wrong).

Sent to Coventry?

The planning committee will reconsider Warwickshire's planning application for it's ground redevelopment on Thursday but this time there is a genuine fall-back option... in Coventry. Coventry council have offered a new home to the club next to the Ricoh Arena as part of their on-going £9 billion redevelopment. Its a good option to be honest even though as a Brummie is pains me to say so, the club wouldn't be saddled with debt, the new ground would have much better transport links and actually would be physically in Warwickshire County again.

Whether Edgbaston could be retained as a secondary venue for domestic cricket only is unknown. The CEO says no but but that may be part of his bluster to try and get the planning go-ahead. There is a lot invested in Edgbaston including the indoor cricket centre so it wouldn't be a slam-dunk to just sell the ground if they did move international games to Coventry.

Of course if Edgbaston was sold one wonders what would be built in it's place. Something nice and quiet like a 24/7 Tesco perhaps?

Bears deny Edgbaston will be used for pop concerts

Campaigners against the redevelopment of Edgbaston say they fear the granting of planning permission to permanent floodlights will mean the stadium can be used as a venue for concerts by popular beat combos. However the club have denied this and pointed out the conditions of the planning application which say the floodlights can only be used for cricket and only for 15 days a year (does this include pop singers during games though, like the "entertainment" mid-way in the T20 finals day?)

A club spokesman said "There is absolutely no intention to have pop concerts or concerts of any kind. It is completely and utterly untrue to suggest otherwise." We wouldn't want the outfield ruined anyway by cavorting young people.

Meanwhile the politics behind the fight to get or resist planning permission is detailed here.

Council Strategic Director of Regeneration "steps out from the shadows"

In a slightly sinister sounding move the Birmingham Council strategic director of regeneration Clive Dutton has "stepped out from the shadows" and has taken control of the council end of the Bear's bid to get planning permission for it's ground redevelopment, a move which could indicate the council have real fears that it will not be granted. It was Dutton who e-mailed MPs and councillors about the amended and scaled down redevelopment plans. Dutton could put the case for granting permission when the application is next considered.

"Clive Dutton is paid a huge amount of money to oversee regeneration in Birmingham. He is about to earn his corn." Indeed.

There are two ways you can read this, 1) the top man is getting behind it to make sure the planning permission is granted 2) the council are getting desperate as they think it won't be.

Bears amend ground redevelopment plans... kinda

Warwickshire have "scaled back" their redevelopment plans in an attempt to placate protesters and obtain the vital planning permission next month. Hotel and leisure space has been cut back but residents appear unimpressed saying the changes are insignificant and do not address the key concerns about traffic, noise and the floodlights (its hard to see how these could be addressed and still redevelop a sporting venue to be honest but anyway).

The club were also accused of continuing to not consult with the protesters though they said they will form a liaison group with local residents.

Meanwhile on the pitch things are slightly brighter. HAM made 379ao, in reply Warks are 224-4 with Troughton reaching his century in the last over of the day before stumps.