As part of their commitment to keep supporters informed with quarterly updates, the team working on the Lionel Road project for Brentford Football Club has provided the following progress report:
Project website launched
The project now has its own website www.brentfordcommunitystadium.com.
This is designed to provide a focal point for public communications with news updates and information as the project progresses.
Information currently on the site includes the results of the consultation with supporters and the stadium architect’s responses to it.
Monthly stakeholder meetings
A series of monthly meetings are being held with invited local stakeholders, including local councillors from Brentford and Chiswick, representatives from residents groups and other relevant organisations. This is known as the Lionel Road Liaison Group.
Notes of the Lionel Road Liaison Group meetings appear on the project website, together with copies of presentations that have been made to the group meetings.
Donald Kerr appointed as a director of Lionel Road subsidiary company
The Board of Bees United has appointed Donald Kerr as an unpaid non-executive member of the Board of Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Ltd.
Donald, who was elected by members to the Board of Bees United in November 2007, has recently retired from a career in advertising and is a passionate believer in the need for effective communications with supporters and the local community in general.
Summer Fairs
During the course of the summer the Lionel Road team – with Donald at the forefront – has been active in manning stalls at a number of local summer fairs in order to explain the initial plans for the new stadium and associated development to residents including those in Brentford, Chiswick, St Margaret’s and Kew. Again more information on these activities can be found on the project website.
Design progress
The latest information from Brentford’s stadium project manager, Brian Burgess, is that the first stage of the feasibility design study has now been completed by AFL Architects and the team are reviewing an updated cost estimate from the project quantity surveyors. Brian has said “In the current economic and financial climate it will be necessary to scrutinise the plans very carefully to make the stadium as cost effective as possible and to ensure that the whole project can be financially viable in the challenging housing market that we are facing for the foreseeable future. We must not underestimate how difficult this will be to meet our aspiration of having the stadium open in summer 2012 in time to be used as a pre-games training camp for a visiting Olympic team but everyone is working hard to see if this can be achieved.”
Background information
In order to create specific responsibility for this project the Brentford FC Ltd Board has set up a subsidiary company called Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Ltd, which has two shareholders:
- Brentford FC Ltd with a 99% interest
- Brentford Football Community Society Ltd (Bees United) with 1 ‘golden’ share, giving certain veto rights over the actions of Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Limited. In particular this golden share, which represents 1% of the issued share capital, gives Bees United the right to a veto over any issue or transfer of shares, the disposal of assets over a material level, the use of land for any purpose other than that of a sports stadium, the charging of assets, the implementation of any liquidation proceedings and the payment of any dividends. In addition Bees United have the right to appoint a minimum of one director to the board of Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Limited.
The directors of the company are Greg Dyke (Chairman), Brian Burgess, Chris Gammon (Company Secretary), Mike Power and Donald Kerr.