Cricket club loan to come with strings; SPORT: WCCC will have to meet extra conditions before pounds 20m is handed over.Byline: Paul Dale COUNCIL leaders have reaf- firmed their intention to lend Warwickshire County Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. pounds 20 million for ground improvements at Edgbaston - but the city cabinet attached new conditions that have to be met. The club has been asked to provide further information proving it can afford to repay the 30-year loan and must "fully justify" its proposal to build permanent floodlights. A detailed business case will have to be approved by the WCCC WCCC Westmoreland County Community College WCCC Working Connections Child Care WCCC World Computer Chess Championship WCCC Wayne County Community College (Michigan) WCCC Warren County Community College board and detailed planning permission planning permission Noun formal permission granted by a local authority for the construction, alteration, or change of use of a building planning permission n → licencia de obras obtained before the loan is granted. Cabinet members said they wanted to be satisfied that "meaningful consultation" had taken place between the club, local councillors and residents about a range of issues, including floodlighting, car parking and crowd management. The conditions were accompanied by an admission from council leader Mike Whitby Mike Whitby is a Conservative Party politician and current leader of Birmingham City Council, a post he has held since June 2004. He is one of three Conservative councillors representing the Harborne ward in the west of the city. that the issue had not been dealt with particularly well. More than 2,000 residents signed petitions and letters protesting at the scale of the ground improvement plan.. Sparkbrook Labour MP Roger Godsiff, speaking in the House of Commons House of Commons: see Parliament. , accused the club of misrepresenting the truth by claiming that Edgbaston would be unable to stage international cricket without the installation of permanent floodlighting. The council was caught on the hop by the publication recently of a con- fidential auditors' report stating there was a "high risk" that the club would fail to hit the income targets necessary to repay the loan on time. The cabinet was also heavily criticised for approving the loan in principle before outline planning permission was given. Coun Whitby (Con Harborne) said: "Lessons have definitely been learned. Consultation has to mean consultation." He said everyone he had spoken to recognised the importance to Birmingham of Test cricket but the concerns of people living close to the ground had to be addressed. WCCC chief executive Colin Povey said he was confident the assurances the cabinet sought about ability to repay the loan could be given. The improvements are on schedule to be completed by 2011. OUR SAY: PAGE 16 |
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