The Infrastructure Projects

[ToryTom]

I have listened to Matt Davies interview on the Forest focus podcast with city councillor Steve Battlemuch.  I found some of his comments delusional. He describes the clubs relationship with the city council as a two way street mutually and equallly beneficial. On the one hand he cites the buisinesses in the city who benefit from the customers Forest attract on match days, and increased tourism from the publicity a premier league team creates and in return the club get a small shop in the city centre and a reception if we win anything or get promoted. That doesn’t sound too equal to me. On match days i spend at least £30 on parking, a few drinks before the match and something to eat. Sometimes it is more. If that is about average supporters must be spending at least £20 m a season around the ground and in the city. The football club is a massive asset to the city in its current location and the council should be doing more to support them than providing a poxy shop and a reception every blue moon. Financial problems or not they ought to give the club the land is on because them leaving will cost them considerably more.

The Council cannot just give its assets away to anyone. That land presently is publicly owned. It would be illegal for the Council to simply give a £10M freehold to a business of any description, irrespective of if its Nottingham Forest, Boots or anybody else.

Imagine being one of the council tax payers, currently struggling with finances who have just been hit with a massive council tax increase to then see the City Council just give away £10M to a multi million pound business!

Other councils provide cheap land for buisiness they want to invest in their area. Our City council massively benefits from Forest being located so close to the City. What does the football club get in return. Not very much. The football club leaving this site would hurt the City council and businesses in the area. They should breaking their necks to keep Forest located where they are. Losing the football club would cost the city a lot more than giving the land to them. It would make long term financial sense to the City council if it meant Forest staying where they are. Of course they will not do it. Councillors are going around saying the relationship is equally mutually beneficial. It is not.