Stafford Castle to be sold!

flossietoo

Well-Known Forumite
There is undoubtedly more footfall in Scaffoldshire Place. Crucially, the new building provides eco toilets and is fully accessible to the disabled.

The castle includes a hill. This is wildly impractical and not DDA compliant.

A new, modern, fit for purpose castle could take up some space in the oversize monument to the county council's inflated idea of its own importance. It might also stop some of the echoes in the emptiness.

Importantly, such a move would also free-up an elevated site for housing, which would mean that, for once, we wouldn't have to build new homes on flood meadows.

The annual Shakespeare festival could still take place, in one of the committee rooms.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Surely you can have the row boats on Sainsburys car park ;)

You would probably get a ticket - http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....ord-car-park/story-20511639-detail/story.html ...

5746266-large.jpg
 

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
I've put an offer in on the castle, £17k and a kick in the teeth to every Stafford town resident*



*each persons date for said teeth kicking is to be established at a later date, the CC will let you all know.
 

1JKz

Well-Known Forumite
I've just been asked if i can up my bid from £17k to £17, 000.01 and they'll throw the Shire Hall Gallery in also.

I can then leave the building to rot a little (their words not mine) for, erm, let's say 4 years and the next lot that get voted in, will buy it back from me at approx. £750,000 ...each!

My company that will fund the venture, can be found at StaffordSavings.con
 

Ecker

Well-Known Forumite
There is undoubtedly more footfall in Scaffoldshire Place. Crucially, the new building provides eco toilets and is fully accessible to the disabled.

The castle includes a hill. This is wildly impractical and not DDA compliant.

A new, modern, fit for purpose castle could take up some space in the oversize monument to the county council's inflated idea of its own importance. It might also stop some of the echoes in the emptiness.

Importantly, such a move would also free-up an elevated site for housing, which would mean that, for once, we wouldn't have to build new homes on flood meadows.

The annual Shakespeare festival could still take place, in one of the committee rooms.

Comedy of Errors ??
 

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
Is Shakespeare in doubt next year?
Next year probably not (in doubt, that is), though subsequent years i would reckon most definitely.
Dude, that is old news - almost an entire year of other things being new has passed since that was.

Things have very much gathered apace since then - i understand that there are numerous parties(8 so i'm told) still interested in taking over the 'Leisure 'n' Culture' 'portfolio'. To be more expansive, this means all parks - bar Victoria and, somewhat strangely, Wildwood - leisure centres (inc.Stone), the Gatehouse, and the three heritage sites (Castle, High House & Izaak's gaffe).

"How does this 'future-proof' these services?" i hear you cry. Well that in itself is interesting.

The remit to take on these services has essentially been put out to tender, but only 'charitable trusts' have been offered to apply. From the start it was indicated that all of the ^aforementioned 'amenities' had to be taken on as a 'job lot', if you will, and there would be no 'cherry-picking' of what may be, commercially, seen as the good, bad, or ugly bits.

"I thought you said this was going to interesting!" i hear you cry. Well 'kin 'ell, i'm getting there as quickly as i can.

The interesting part is that the Borough Council stipulates, as part of the whole 'taking all of ^those things as essentially a going concern', that they will retain a hand in the 'strategic' direction of those said things.

"Why on Earth is that even remotely interesting?" i hear you cry.

Well, if we go back a couple of questions, we might wonder how this 'future-proofs' "theatre and sports centres"? We might also wonder why the parks and heritage sites,part and parcel of the 'package' deal, seem to be undeserving of any mention whatsoever.

The Borough Council will not wish to be seen to be 'cutting' services, even those abrogated to others. Maintaining a 'strategic' influence on what the new 'trust' can, and can't, do gives them an unusual amount of leverage in the subsequent operational direction of whoever 'wins' this dubious bounty.

But the 'winner' will have many serious considerations to face. They will face them amidst very difficult circumstances.The more interesting question will be...


... is Shakespeare in doubt the year after next?
 
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