Richard
Please see the attached record of the Council decision relating to Plymouth Argyle, the terms of the lease on the stadium and the terms of the acquisition of the Higher Home Park land
http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgo ... Id%3D49807
You will see that your statement is totally inaccurate as the extract below from the attached Council minute demonstrates
"An an offer received from the administrator’s preferred purchasers of Plymouth Argyle Football Company Limited, to sell Home Park stadium to the Council, and on the terms following which, the Council would lease the ground back to the club;
indicating that the prospective purchasers also wished to amend the covenants the Council had on adjoining land at Higher Home Park (currently owned by the football club) to align them to the Area Action Plan uses to enable the land to be used to support the future development of the football club. In addition the Council was asked to remove an option the Council had to purchase part of Higher Home Park. The value of that covenant amendment and loss of option is £425,000"
Since the acquisition of the HHP land by what was then Green Pilgrim (now PAFC Lt.) the land has been purchased by James Brent / Richard Holliday and another. The £465,000, which was the full market value of the land has now been paid separately to PAFC Ltd.
You will also know that payment cannot be made to obtain a planning permission, not least when some of the landownership is publicly owned. Any payments made by through a s106 agreement have to 'fairly and reasonably relate' to the planning requirements of the proposal.
I have said all along that the City Council hold the key to the development. As you have correctly pointed out there will have to be an additional rationalisation of land ownership between PCC and Akkeron but that is totally separate from any planning considerations as any planning application will be determined on the planning merits of the proposal in accordance with PCC adopted planning policy.