Villa Park Redevelopment

[dave.woodhall]

If they don’t trust the waiting list data - how about seeing if people will put money down?

I certainly would. I’m not sure how fair that would be, but it would be a way of judging it.

But they trust it when it comes to Season Ticket Renewal time, when the prices go up and we are being threatened with being replaced by one of the 30k on the waiting list.

I've said it before and I'll say it now. Charge a £50 refundable deposit and the numbers on the list would vanish quicker than a Small Heath crowd being confronted by a bar of soap.

[VillaTim]

Not that I want to give them ideas , but some other Prem clubs charge an annual fee to be on the ST waiting list .

[Risso]

Is it just me that baulks at the suggestion of 'just clearing the houses away l' behind the Witton Lane?

I get your point but it wouldn't be like that. AVFC could afford to compensate people handsomely and I think they would take the offer. We could offer vastly over the going rate for a terraced house in those streets and it might cost the club in the region of 5 million quid which is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

What if they don't want to go?

CPOs I guess.

So force them out when they don't want to move, just so a few people can watch a football match. Charming.

I didn't say I was for it or against it, just that it's what could happen. It's only public bodies who can apply for one, and there has to be a compelling public interest case. So if it was argued that the redevelopment of Villa Park would lead to lots of jobs and have a big positive effect on the local area, then the council might consider it. In the event that a CPO was granted, if anybody didn't want to sell, then I believe that CPOs pay 10% above market value, with all legal and removal costs paid.

But as I say, I don't think it's what they're planning, so the good citizens of Witton Lane can enjoy their homes for as long as they like.

[VillaTim]

10% premium isn't much is it for all that aggravation and upheaval. Let's hope it never happens. (It would be the houses on Holte Road affected)

[Percy McCarthy]

Is it just me that baulks at the suggestion of 'just clearing the houses away l' behind the Witton Lane?

I get your point but it wouldn't be like that. AVFC could afford to compensate people handsomely and I think they would take the offer. We could offer vastly over the going rate for a terraced house in those streets and it might cost the club in the region of 5 million quid which is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

What if they don't want to go?

CPOs I guess.

So force them out when they don't want to move, just so a few people can watch a football match. Charming.

I assume no-one's asked whether the people who would be affected would actually want to move. If it is part of the plan then maybe find out who'd be willing to leave.

A while back one poster here said they had a friend living behind Witton Lane who was hoping to be bought out eventually. I imagine there will be those who have the opposite sentiments, though.

Yep, my mate Joe, lives in Village Road.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Interesting - how far other clubs have had to move from their old grounds

https://x.com/zonal_marking/status/1743179843636695434?s=46&t=fPyiXcae7CCzHj_x8UdphA

[Dante Lavelli]

The 5k extra season tickets being filled by people that buy tickets anyway is valid but shouldn’t be a reason to abandon expansion.

Having scope to attract GA+ fans from other demographics should be the part of the plan. Tourists, locals schools, sports clubs should be allocated tickets so the cumulative fan base grows.

The 200 ticker thing is clearly nonsense.

[HolteL4]

If they don’t trust the waiting list data - how about seeing if people will put money down?

I certainly would. I’m not sure how fair that would be, but it would be a way of judging it.

But they trust it when it comes to Season Ticket Renewal time, when the prices go up and we are being threatened with being replaced by one of the 30k on the waiting list.

I've said it before and I'll say it now. Charge a £50 refundable deposit and the numbers on the list would vanish quicker than a Small Heath crowd being confronted by a bar of soap.

Couldn't agree more, do that and then you have concrete evidence that the ones on the waiting list are serious and the decision to knock the north stand down is worth it

[Gareth]

If they don’t trust the waiting list data - how about seeing if people will put money down?

I certainly would. I’m not sure how fair that would be, but it would be a way of judging it.

But they trust it when it comes to Season Ticket Renewal time, when the prices go up and we are being threatened with being replaced by one of the 30k on the waiting list.

I've said it before and I'll say it now. Charge a £50 refundable deposit and the numbers on the list would vanish quicker than a Small Heath crowd being confronted by a bar of soap.

100% this, would savage the list and also get those that truly want the tickets (a number of who are on here) into a better place on the list

[The Man With A Stick]

I'm at around 7,000 on the list and would buy one today.  Think there's probably a few on the list who wouldn't commit but I'm 100% certain they'd fill the new North if they built it and the club know that too.

Maybe the new plan isn't to rebuild the whole thing, as only half the ground isn't fit for purpose, so they're planning to build a wraparound stand to replace the North and Witton?  Something similar to the layout at Newcastle.  That would obviously mean buying up all that property, etc so would explain the recent investment.

[Dante Lavelli]

The club like the list, they don’t want to get rid of it. It’s a bigger tool to prevent people from giving up their current season tickets than it is organising future allocations.

People must keep their ST to avoid being sent to the back of the queue.

[Drummond]

Is it just me that baulks at the suggestion of 'just clearing the houses away l' behind the Witton Lane?

I get your point but it wouldn't be like that. AVFC could afford to compensate people handsomely and I think they would take the offer. We could offer vastly over the going rate for a terraced house in those streets and it might cost the club in the region of 5 million quid which is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

What if they don't want to go?

CPOs I guess.

So force them out when they don't want to move, just so a few people can watch a football match. Charming.

How do you know they wouldn't want 110% of the asking price of their home?

You generally don't need a CPO if people are happy to leave their home.

[Chris Harte]

People must keep their ST to avoid being sent to the back of the queue.

That's a point. If you don't renew, do you go to the back of the queue? There maybe a hundred and one reasons why someone doesn't renew. Being pushed to the back just seems wrong.

As for charging people to be on the list, it's a good idea but I'd limit it to adults only. That way under 16s, as presumably non-earners, don't get charged but it would be simple enough for the club to identify adults versus kids and have an idea of how much potential growth there is. Having identified how many kids there are on the list would help identify how much they need to expand family friendly facilities. The kids, of course, being the future of our support.

[Drummond]

Is it just me that baulks at the suggestion of 'just clearing the houses away l' behind the Witton Lane?

I get your point but it wouldn't be like that. AVFC could afford to compensate people handsomely and I think they would take the offer. We could offer vastly over the going rate for a terraced house in those streets and it might cost the club in the region of 5 million quid which is peanuts in the grand scheme of things.

What if they don't want to go?

CPOs I guess.

So force them out when they don't want to move, just so a few people can watch a football match. Charming.

I didn't say I was for it or against it, just that it's what could happen. It's only public bodies who can apply for one, and there has to be a compelling public interest case. So if it was argued that the redevelopment of Villa Park would lead to lots of jobs and have a big positive effect on the local area, then the council might consider it. In the event that a CPO was granted, if anybody didn't want to sell, then I believe that CPOs pay 10% above market value, with all legal and removal costs paid.

But as I say, I don't think it's what they're planning, so the good citizens of Witton Lane can enjoy their homes for as long as they like.

I know you didn't. But the CPO thing just feels wrong to me.

If the Villa were to approach all the houses that were potentially affected and asked them the question, suggesting a 50% increase in property value, it might work. However, then you're left with the next row of houses, who previously had houses next to them, now having a great big football ground etc. next to them, and so on.

[Neil Hawkes]

Without attracting too much vitriol, would you prefer:
New North stand to increase to 50,000; OR
A newly located Villa park, with capacity 60,000 (min)?

I want us to stay where we are, but if it is unfeasible for expansion purposes, then I would reluctantly accept relocation.