Text at top (next game etc)

Next Game: Marine At Edgar Street On Saturday 9th November At 3.00pm

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Turner worried about Redevelopment of Edgar Street

In his weekly column in the Hereford Times, Graham Turner has expressed concern that the plans revealed last week by ESG Ltd will have a negative effect on the football ground.

"I had felt for some time that we would have had a planning application submitted by the turn of the year for at least one end of the ground," said the Hereford United chairman.

"I was optimistic that things were beginning to slot into place.

"For months, our partners, the Richardsons, were in discussions with at least one cinema group to incorporate a six-screen cinema at the Blackfriars End.

"Although we were not exactly encouraged by our discussions with the people responsible for the future of the Edgar Street Grid, it wasn't until about six weeks ago that we had an emphatic no' from them about our plans.

"We were told, through the Richardsons that, along with the cinema, a very large health and fitness group and a couple of hotel groups were very interested in joining us.

"You can now imagine our concern when realising that all our options were to be included in the cattle market site.

"I realise, of course, that the Edgar Street Grid board and developers are only concerned with maximising their prime site. However what it will do is leave us with few alternatives.

"My fear now is that the Richardsons, who have a number of projects on the go throughout Europe, will put the Edgar Street ground redevelopment on the back burner and adopt a wait-and-see attitude. That will leave us in a state of limbo.

"Herefordshire Council and the Edgar Street Grid board have been keen to keep the club in its present position because of the attraction of bringing people into the centre, particularly into the retail quarter.

"It is now a distinct possibility that the ground will continue to decay right into the midst of a quality development."