Headlands
D Garlick - Liberal Democrat
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
As a lifelong NTFC supporter and Trust member I will have a personal of interest which I shall have to declare. Some candidates more closely associated with the Club will not be able to vote on related issues, speak on them or even be in the room whilst they are discussed but I hope that I shall be able to do all of those things.
If the Liberal Democrats take control of Northampton Borough Council at the elections on 3 May we will be giving the regeneration of our town a much higher priority than it has received up to now. Our plans are detailed in our manifesto. This can be found on our web site
www.northamptonlibdems.org.uk
We will look carefully to see if increasing the number of people working in the Planning Policy team would significantly improve the quality or speed of their work. However, much of the time taken in the overall process is for the government to check and validate NBC's plans so increasing staff might have limited effect.
We will have to ensure that the plans submitted are robust and high quality to ensure they are approved by government inspectors. Any rejection would add significant further delays and must be avoided.
Regardless of who is in control we will press for the Central and Sixfields Area Action Plans to be completed at the earliest possible opportunity and with no undue delay on the part of the Council.
We will not sign up to any empty or undeliverable promises that are designed to mislead or placate the Club or the fans and shall try to ensure that the Club and the fans are kept as fully informed as possible each and every step of the way.
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
Professional sport is very important. It provides a focus for local pride, a sense of identity and of community. If one or more of our professional teams is doing well it lifts the spirit of the town.
Clubs and their supporters are ambassadors for our town. The reputation of Northampton is affected positively or negatively by their actions, particularly at away games.
Professional sport also attracts a significant number of visitors to our town with the consequential economic benefits.
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
We will want to encourage any business that brings jobs, entertainment and other economic and social benefits to Northampton – including our professional sports clubs. We will work with the professional sports clubs to maximise the benefits of their community programmes and to realise the promotional benefits to the town and to the clubs of working together. We cannot and will not show favouritism to any club over other local businesses or landowners.
C Grethe - Labour
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
It is Labour’s clear policy to give league football every chance of success in Northampton. In this election we are putting forward policies that will give us a more prosperous and successful town after the wasted and failed years of a Tory led Council. Any successful town needs a successful league football club which has a secure future.
If elected on May 3rd our first priority would be given to establishing a strong working partnership with Northampton Town Football Club and its supporters. We would work with Cobblers in an open and honest way. It is a disgrace that the Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrat opposition have been unwilling to do this as they have kept the decision-making and planning process away from those most affected. We will change this negative approach by forming a partnership that would benefit all.
We fully recognise that the planning and development process can be complex. However, by the Council not showing stronger leadership, and at every turn attempting to divert the blame away from themselves, the process has not moved forward as it should have.
Labour is committed to providing strong and decisive leadership to accelerate the process. This commitment was demonstrated recently when I submitted a motion to full Council, with the approval of an officer from GOEM. If the motion had been debated and passed the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action Plan would have been given priority. The Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrats refused to debate let alone support our motion for reasons best know to themselves. If elected Labour will continue to pursue the terms of this motion.
For the Cobblers to have any chance of success then the local Council must give it every opportunity. The Labour Group on the Council have seen the Conservatives led by Tim Hadland hold the club back. When there did seem to be movement on this matter the Liberal Democrats decided at a critical time to call it in for further scrutiny. Indicating, in our view, a serious lack of commitment to the club and the citizens of Northampton.
Labour wants to see a successful league football club that can look forward and be confident that its future is secure. If Labour is elected we will work to achieve this.
G J Hawker - Conservative
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
I am a season ticket holder at Northampton Saints, so I fully understand the benefits of having amodern stadium with all the facilities that go with it.
It was not that long ago that the Saints were in a similar position, with a stadium in need of much modernisation playing in front of relatively small crowds.Since Frankilin's Gardens has been modernised and the capacity increased, we can now enjoy the sportwith wonderful facilities and regular crowds in excess of 13,000.
When the Cobblers moved from the County Ground, we all thought that Sixfields was the answer to all our hopesand wishes. Unfortunately, the modern game means that major sport clubs cannot survive purely on gate receipts.
They need corporate hospitality facilities and hotels bolted onto the ground, to help increase their revenue.Mr Cardoza has done a wonderful job so far but he desperately needs help in achieving his aims to complete the job.
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
A successful club, in any sport, helps to generate great feeling in the town. I was there on both occasionswhen we reached Wembley for the play-offs, along with 30,000 other supporters. I was also there on thatmemorable occasion(?) with my dad, when George Best scored his famous 6 goals for Manchester United.I also remember being in the Hotel End when we knocked Coventry City out of the FA Cup.
Great events like these stay in your mind for ever, as well as the slightly less glamorous games away to the likes of Lincoln City and Rochdale. Like most people in the town, I follow all our sports clubs, and it is about time that the football club was helped to achieve its aim of having a larger stadium with all the facilities that go with it. I am confident that the Cobblers could attract much larger crowds with a 15,000 to 20,000 stadium.If Milton Keynes think that they can do it, then I am sure we can, with our history of support and traditions.
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
If elected for the Headlands Ward in the forthcoming local elections, I will do everything to help speed up
the planning process for the Sixfields Stadium
L K Hutchings - Conservative - Response awaited
B Markham - Liberal Democrat - Response awaited
N J Turner - Labour
If elected what will you do to speed up the planning process to ensure the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action plan are given some urgency / priority?
What do you feel a professional football / sports team brings to a town / community?
What will you do to enact NBC’s policy of maintaining and helping professional league football in Northampton?
It is Labour’s clear policy to give league football every chance of success in Northampton. In this election we are putting forward policies that will give us a more prosperous and successful town after the wasted and failed years of a Tory led Council. Any successful town needs a successful league football club which has a secure future.
If elected on May 3rd our first priority would be given to establishing a strong working partnership with Northampton Town Football Club and its supporters. We would work with Cobblers in an open and honest way. It is a disgrace that the Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrat opposition have been unwilling to do this as they have kept the decision-making and planning process away from those most affected. We will change this negative approach by forming a partnership that would benefit all.
We fully recognise that the planning and development process can be complex. However, by the Council not showing stronger leadership, and at every turn attempting to divert the blame away from themselves, the process has not moved forward as it should have.
Labour is committed to providing strong and decisive leadership to accelerate the process. This commitment was demonstrated recently when I submitted a motion to full Council, with the approval of an officer from GOEM. If the motion had been debated and passed the Central Area Action Plan and Sixfields Area Action Plan would have been given priority. The Conservatives along with the Liberal Democrats refused to debate let alone support our motion for reasons best know to themselves. If elected Labour will continue to pursue the terms of this motion.
For the Cobblers to have any chance of success then the local Council must give it every opportunity. The Labour Group on the Council have seen the Conservatives led by Tim Hadland hold the club back. When there did seem to be movement on this matter the Liberal Democrats decided at a critical time to call it in for further scrutiny. Indicating, in our view, a serious lack of commitment to the club and the citizens of Northampton.
Labour wants to see a successful league football club that can look forward and be confident that its future is secure. If Labour is elected we will work to achieve this.
