18 May 2012

Dear Councillor A STADIUM FOR CORNWALL I, along with many others, was deeply disappointed by your action when you voted against the current plan for the proposed Stadium for Cornwall last week. The Cornish public has, once again, been ill-served by its elected representatives It seems to me that no great concern or investigation of the facts took place nor were any alternatives that could make progress towards providing a Stadium considered. The Cornish Pirates have had two successful seasons and their future will be severely blighted if they do not have use of a decent ground would you deny them this? The appearance was that Councillors took their pre-conceived views into the chamber and were unable to open their minds to the advantages that a Stadium would provide, nor did they take into account the views of most of the Cornish population who want such a development nor even bother to table suggestion to investigate further ways the Stadium project could progress. Just last night in a few hours a Twitter account supporting a Stadium attracted almost 900 followers some small measure of the strength of feeling in the Duchy! The Council has also been presented with a petition of some 11,000 signatures in support of the project, and with online support now numbers some 16,000. Why are you not taking into account the views of supporters? As I understand it the main objection to the proposal was that there were concerns that the Cornwall Council should not be used (even in default) as main, or substantial, funder for the project. Why were alternatives not considered? Why was not a motion tabled to set up a committee to look more closely at the project and establish the full and correct facts and investigate all sources of possible funding? It would appear from talking with other supporters that not all Councillors were in receipt of the full facts as they presently exist. After a quick search of the Council website, (it is difficult to navigate and find information on CC funding and grants!), I found that support of some 8 million was given to Newquay Airport and last year some 14.5 million was passed to

[Recipient Name] May 19, 2012 Page 2 The Heartlands Project and 4 million to the Tate. These are not inconsequential amounts. These are funded, presumably, because of their economic effects on Cornwall. (The latter two I would suggest have a lower economic input, per invested, into the Duchy than a Stadium!) I worked for many years at Hall for Cornwall and can remember the niggardly attitude of both Carrick and Cornwall County Council during the gestation period. No funding was forthcoming from CCC! (In fact they and Carrick were content for the site to be used as a shopping mall!) In the end it was built with EU and National Lottery funding, local personal and business fundraising and some charitable foundation funds and with local people power!. Although the Hall went through a difficult period in 2002/3 it was eventually supported by CCC and the Arts Council and now is an award winning venue providing top rate professional entertainment as well as a venue for the use of local performers and groups. It has been estimated that for the small grant provided by CC the input into the local economy is some ten to fifteen times this amount. It is truly ironic that in a week when we have your Stadium decision we have also witnessed the great interest in the Olympic Torch so surely Cornwall Council should follow on this interest in sport by providing a first class sporting facility. Just recently I visited the Leeds Rhinos Ground at Headingley which could give some idea how a Cornwall Stadium could operate. (Have any Councellors visited other professional grounds?) This has the corporate and entertaining suites which can be hired out for functions, a hotel and it has links with Leeds Metropolitan University as a venue for their sports courses - all generating revenue and providing jobs. I see also that The City of York Council are working in partnership with York City Football Club (YCFC) and City of York Athletic Club to provide a Community Stadium and a county standard athletics facility for the people of York. Here is an authority which understands the needs of their community and is working to provide the facilities they need. Can you not study their efforts and do the same for Cornwall? If the Stadium was used along the lines of above as well as community uses and also for gigs and concerts then we would have a venue to be proud of and a generator to the Cornwall economy. Why can you not support this? As mentioned above the Hall for Cornwall was funded from many sources surely Cornwall Council should be investigating funding sources for a Stadium, ie Lottery Funds, The Sports Council and other charitable foundations as well as a professional fundraising or share scheme? Is there still Olympic Legacy funding

[Recipient Name] May 19, 2012 Page 3 available? Why did you not propose this course of action or at least propose to investigate it? I am pleased to see that the shambles created by Cornwall Council is now being taken up on the National stage. One example is the article this week in The Telegraph on 16 May, under the heading Disgrace if Cornwall denied a Premiership-standard stadium and Pirates miss out on promotion because of it. See link - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/9269408/Disgrace-ifCornwall-denied-a-Premiership-standard-stadium-and-Pirates-miss-out-onpromotion-because-of-it.html We also have Phil Vickery, Cornwalls most capped England rugby player, has called on the Cornwall Council to rethink their decision not to help finance the construction of a 10,000-capacity stadium for the Cornish Pirates that is capable of staging Premiership rugby. See The Telegraph website. Once again, Cornwall Council is in danger of being a laughing stock (remember the new logo, credit card/silk ties, agency staff, consultant fees fiascos, etc etc!) and will be accused of not supporting the people it is supposed to serve whilst wasting money unnecessarily. I urge you to rethink your views about a Cornish Stadium and realize the benefits a Stadium would provide for Cornwall and do all you can to urge the Cabinet to look at the question in detail, consider all options including those of funding and do all you can to push for a decent facility in this the year of the London Olympics. I look forward to an acknowledgement of this letter with, hopefully, confirmation of your support for a Stadium. If you feel unable to support such a scheme then it would be good if you could share your reasons with me. Regards