oldway update

Our chairman is a complete embarrassment to the club and the city of Plymouth. He pleads poverty yet shovels money into a protracted high profile legal battle with Torbay council. He should do the decent thing and move aside and let someone with the wherewithal to save the historic building, an utter disgrace from start to finish.

First stage in £8m court wrangle over Oldway Mansion


Company owned by Plymouth Argyle's chairman meets council in court over £8million bill


A company owned by the chairman of Plymouth Argyle has appeared in court over an £8million bill relating to a south Devon development.

Legal teams representing Torbay Council and the developers of Oldway Mansion in Paignton have met in court to contest an £8million claim for damages caused by delays in the multi-million pound building project.

The claim has been brought by Oldway Mansion Ltd against Torbay Council.

Oldway Mansion Ltd is part of James Brent's company Akkeron. Mr Brent the chairman of Plymouth Argyle.

The two sides met at the county court in Bristol last week in the first stage of the damages proceedings. The actual detail of what was discussed has not been made public.

A Torbay Council spokesman said: "It was an application hearing relating to the issue of costs. Proceedings are still ongoing and it would be inappropriate to make any further comments at this stage."

Oldway Mansion Ltd, a company set up by the Akkeron Group, says the action has been taken because it still wants to start its proposed housing and four-star luxury hotel development at the historic Paignton estate.

The council denies the allegations and has previously said it will 'robustly' defend its position. Akkeron took on plans to develop Oldway from Urban Splash in August 2010 and signed a binding contract in September 2012.

There have been no signs of any progress on the scheme to build houses in the grounds and convert the mansion and outbuildings into a luxury hotel.

The company has previously issued a statement to say it seeks 'to draw down leases on Oldway and commence the regeneration of the mansion and its conversion into a four-star hotel'.

"It also seeks, among other things, damages for delay, damages for alleged breaches of the agreement, including preventing the company from performing certain maintenance obligations, interest and costs."

No cash, no stand, no Oldway mansion, no far post club, no wonder some fans are disaffected.

Good luck to Torbay Council and the local taxpayers, let hope their successful in wanting whats best for local people, against the serial non developer.

If this is true, do you think Mr Brent have the resources to pay the legal cost?


Grant_Wood | July 03 2016, 9:53AM

What a crazy council we do have. Strange bedfellows indeed they choose to do business with especially after our illustrious mayor threw out the eminently solvent McAlpine group in a fit of pique and five years on and nothing started. I can't see why the court case is subject to secrecy as apparently it is only to establish whether the claiment is good for the costs if their plea fails. Looking at the history of Brent and his dealings in Plymouth and serially liquidated businesses and plans I fear the worst.

Tgwu wrote:

If this is true, do you think Mr Brent have the resources to pay the legal cost?


Grant_Wood  |  July 03 2016, 9:53AM

What a crazy council we do have. Strange bedfellows indeed they choose to do business with especially after our illustrious mayor threw out the eminently solvent McAlpine group in a fit of pique  and five years on and nothing started. I can't see why the court case is subject to secrecy as apparently it is only to establish whether the claiment is good for the costs if their plea fails. Looking at the history of Brent and his dealings in Plymouth and serially liquidated businesses and plans I fear the worst.

I have no doubts that he personally has ample funds.

Oldway Mansion project faces new cash shock

ALMOST half of a fund established to help pay for the Oldway Mansion restoration and hotel project has already been used before any work has started, it has been revealed.

Torbay planners are being asked to delay yet again any decision on proposed changes to the programme for the scheme for a luxury hotel and spa, with 101 houses in the grounds and new indoor bowling club.

Part of the project funding came from the sale of the site of former Fernham nursing home at Oldway for residential flats.

A report to planners next Monday will discuss the scheme which is already two-and-a-half years behind schedule.

It says £1.3million of the £2.1million fund from the sale of Fernham — held in a separate account — has already been spent on 'fees'.

This is despite initial projections that only £1.2million in total was needed to cover fees for the entire project, says the report.

It also says the viability of the scheme has changed since the contract was signed in September 2012.

There was now concern that more new build may be required on the site to meet the rising costs of renovations.

The planners asked for the financial assessment for the scheme to be updated.

The original proposals were to sell off sites for 101 houses to a third-party developer.

That cash would have paid for work to the listed buildings to be carried out quickly.

It was concluded that together with the increased cost of refurbishment, the original financial proposal 'is no longer fundable on normal commercial terms', says the report.

The development management committee, which agreed in March to give would-be developers Akkeron a further two months to come up with a viable scheme, is now being asked to look at different financial options.

Akkeron's preferred option is to delay building the new indoor bowling club until after the first houses are built and make a payment to the council, rather than building the bowling club themselves.

The site of the first set of 24 houses would then be disposed of to a third-party developer.

The report says this would significantly shorten the timetable for restoring the historic buildings by creating an earlier and additional injection of capital to fund more of the restoration and conversion works up front.

"This might enable the works on the historic buildings to be complete within two years," says the report.

The options are being examined by Historic England.

Meanwhile, legal teams representing Torbay Council and Akkeron have met in court on the first stage of an £8million claim against the council for damages for delays in the multi-million pound scheme.

The claim has been brought by Oldway Mansion Ltd, set up by Akkeron to oversee the project, against Torbay Council.

It was an application hearing relating to the issue of costs.

DE1 - Design                            July 2016                Site Address
DE3 - Development Amenity                                      Oldway Mansion
DE5 - Domestic extensions                                        Torquay Road
Page 12                                                                 Paignton
Application Number                                                  Devon
CN/2015/0081 &                                                      TQ3 2TY
CN/2015/0100    
     
                                             
                                     
                                     
Case Officer  Mrs Ruth Robinson
Ward Preston

UPDATE REPORT

Introduction

This report updates the Development Management Committee on the progress
made to secure a new development programme, that itself results in repair and
refurbishment of the listed buildings on site through delivery of enabling development.

As previously advised, and as referred to in this report, there is an ongoing legal
dispute between the Council - as landowner - and Akkeron. That is being dealt
with separately from the Council's role as Local Planning Authority.

The Council, as Local Planning Authority, must make a decision on this application on the
planning merits of the proposal. However, until the legal issues between the
Council and Akkeron are resolved, there is no prospect of work being undertaken
by Akkeron on site. Consequently, Development Management Committee
should not feel obliged to make a quick decision on this application in order to
ensure repair / protective works to the listed buildings are undertaken in the near
future.

There is a lot more to read, to much to copy here. It is 19 pages long.

Go to

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Click on Agenda report pack  schroll down to Agenda Item 7

Graham Clark might come in here and put in a edited run down of the main points from this long report

You have a pm Alan

Did anyone read the full report?

Yes I did.

Oldway continues to rot and renovation costs rise............

A mansion too far for the non building Grandstander.

PatDunne wrote:

Yes I did.

Oldway continues to rot and renovation costs rise............

A mansion too far for the non building Grandstander.  

Most of the  money they recieved from land sales to be spent on the mansion has been use on fees

quote

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Tgwu wrote:

PatDunne wrote:

Yes I did.

Oldway continues to rot and renovation costs rise............

A mansion too far for the non building Grandstander.  

Most of the  money they recieved from land sales to be spent on the mansion has been use on fees

quote

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Wouldn't it be wonderful to know were those fess went.........................

A CALL has gone out for the 'missing' funds for Oldway Mansion to be restored.

The Friends of Oldway group has reacted with 'deep concern' to news that the £1.4million has been used from the £2.1million capital receipt obtained for the project by the sale of land at Fernham for building the Singer Court sheltered housing complex.

It comes as planners noted progress on proposed changes to the development programme for converting Oldway Mansion into a luxury hotel and the 101 homes proposed in the ground. A report to the development management committee stated that the money had already been spent on 'fees'.

Torbay Council and would-be developers Akkeron are currently in legal dispute.

Friends chairman Paul Hawthorne said: "Everyone will naturally be deeply concerned at this news reported in the Herald Express last week. We have been repeatedly informed by all parties that these funds were 'ring-fenced' for the restoration of Oldway, and that these would always be available to restore the mansion in any eventuality.

"Everyone's understanding was this money would only be spent on restoring the buildings, and it was being safeguarded and watched over. The missing funds must be reinstated and these funds used for their promised role — this money by itself would go a long way to getting Oldway back on its feet, and would certainly make the buildings' future secure.

"The original scheme already allowed for as much building as was possible within Oldway without undermining these historic gardens and listed buildings. We cannot simply go back and say we have to build more now because the process has dragged on for so long and funds destined for restoration have been spent elsewhere.

"A lot of building has already gone in at Fernham, and there is simply nowhere else to build on the Oldway site, so another solution will need to be found — and we sincerely hope Historic England will reinforce this message when they report."

Mr Hawthorne added: "The world has moved on since this project was first conceived, and we urge all parties to consider what options instead of building are available to fund restoration and regeneration projects such as this.

"The Heritage Lottery's Heritage Enterprise Scheme is one such fund that has already helped other similar large buildings be restored to hotel use by giving grants that fund the 'conservation deficit' that currently in the Oldway scheme is paid for by building housing. So taking advantage of a scheme such as this would be a way of potentially removing the need for any further building at Oldway at all.

"We have all waited far too long now for a solution at Oldway, and we appeal to everyone to settle their differences swiftly and allow Oldway to finally start on its path to restoration - one that is so terribly overdue."

To contact the Friends email [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] or by telephone on 01803 863475.

Oh dear,  £1.4 million spent on 'fees'

Clearly this geezer is the most devious shyster ever to wear the Chairmans badge in Argyles History

What a toxic brand Brent/Akkeron has become. The gullibility of individuals and organisations eager to do business with the guy is frankly astonishing.

just been an article on Spotlight.
The development contract has been cancelled.

House of cards?

One more of his plans have gone down the drain

Oldway Mansion still has a future says ex-MP

The news that the deal is off for the regeneration of Oldway Mansion as a hotel and houses has been brought a mixed response.

The would-be developers Akkeron Group and Torbay Council jointly confirmed this afternoon that they had not been able to reach agreement on a way forward.

It has been welcomed by former Bay MP Adrian Sanders who with Lib Dems has been campaigning for a community use for the mansion and its many outbuildings

In January they presented a petition signed by more the 1,700 resident to Mayor Gordon Oliver to 'Give Oldway Mansion back to the people'.

Mr Sanders said of the announcement: "This is excellent news so long as the Mayor doesn't simply put up another 'For Sale' sign and start another nine years of uncertainty.

"We now have the chance to bring back community and commercial activities to the estate and Mansion and if the Council were to go down a community ownership route access grant funding not available to local authorities."

Paul Hawthorne,chairman of the Friends of Oldway said: "All of us who care so strongly about Oldway and its current state will have mixed emotions about this news.

"On the one hand we have a great feeling of frustration that some nine years of hopes, patience and waiting have come to nothing.

"The condition of the buildings has deteriorated year after year, and we have looked on helplessly in expectation of a start to restoration work that has not come. At the same time many will feel a palpable sense of relief that the news blackout and impasse we have all had to live with has seemingly come to an end, and hope that a new process to find a solution to restoring Oldway can begin.

"Oldway is the gem in Torbay's crown, and it is now certainly the building most urgently needing Torbay Council to provide the means and strategy to restore it for all of us. Fixing Oldway is long, long overdue and can wait no longer. It is important to realise too that the world has changed considerably since the original project was created in 2007, and the Friends of Oldway will strive for a new updated solution to be found that requires no further building of housing within Oldway's grounds."

Herald Express

Brent should be ashamed........

PatDunne wrote:

Brent should be ashamed........

Not with is thick skin and deep pockets

MORE NEWS from Torbay


BREAKING: Developers pull out of Oldway Mansion project

Oldway Mansion

THE Oldway Mansion developers have pulled out, it was confirmed today.

In a joint statement, Oldway Mansion Ltd, set up by James Brent's Akkeron Group to convert the mansion into a luxury hotel and build houses in its grounds, say they want to update residents.

It comes after Oldway Mansion Ltd lodged a claim for £8million from Torbay Council in Bristol County Court over the long drawn out regeneration project which was first launched some eight years ago.

The statement reads: "Whilst the parties have not been able to reach agreement on the specifics of the dispute, they are agreed that it is time to put differences aside for the benefit of the Mansion.

"The parties have therefore agreed to end the current court proceedings and terminate the development agreement. (Did he have the money)

"Although it has been agreed not to discuss the termination arrangements in any further detail, both parties wish to confirm that the development agreement premium, in addition to the deposit, was paid in full to the council by Oldway Mansion Ltd to be used for the benefit of the Mansion, that no compensation was paid by either party, and that the survey and environmental information procured by Oldway Mansion Ltd using the capital receipt from the sale of Fernham is being provided to the council for future use.

"The council confirms that the proceeds from the sale of Fernham have been used for purposes connected with the proposed development of the Mansion. There will be no other comment from the parties in respect of the settlement agreement.

"The council will now work hard to develop an alternative solution which ensures the long term protection of the Oldway Estate and Mansion, and will shortly engage with the local community and relevant partners in this.

One for GG to answer because Oldway thread will be gone.

Could he lose the Pavilion? has he got a time limit to build the new development and move the ice ring?

It's

Believe his only obligation is to provide "continuous ice". He shouldn't be able to make a move on Pavilions without Another rink being provided. As there isn't a Planning application for either don't hold your breath.

Whadda guy, the 'fees' have run dry so rather than dip into his own stash the court proceedings have been conveniently dropped. Of course the fine gentleman's only concern is the condition of the mansion and for the local residents. Trying to extract positive spin from a horrible situation is becoming a bit of a speciality with the reluctant bidder/builder, like with last weeks ministand non-story

I wonder if at some point in the future we see a sum of money offered to PCC in lieu of providing an ice rink, after all the ice rink is sited just where 'Brunel Boulevard' is routed......