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Brickendonbury Sports Complex – British local authority says “No”

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Malaysia’s Application To Set Up HPTC In Brickendonbury Rejected

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) — The East Herts Council Development Control Committee has rejected the Malaysian government’s application to set up a High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) at the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) in Brickendonbury, Britain.

The National Sports Institute director-general, Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, said the decision was made at the council meeting in Bishops Startford, Herts, on Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Malaysia).

“With the decision, we now have to prepare a report to be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Sports headed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for their guidance on the next course of action,” he said in a statement.

Dr Ramlan, who attended the hearing, said: “We can either appeal, submit a fresh application, which will be a faster process, or not to pursue the matter at all. All of which depends on the pending decision by the Cabinet Committee.”

He said the council committee, chaired by R. Gilbert, saw 13 of the 19 councillors rejecting the application.

The only councillor, K.A. Barners, who spoke in support of the application, had abstained.

Dr Ramlan said NSC’s consultant, John Whittaker of White Young Green Planning, was allowed to speak for three minutes to convince the council to either approve or defer their early decision.

However, the nine objections by case officer, Tim Hagyard, in his report for the application to be rejected “clearly influenced the councillors,” he said.

“Among recommendations for the rejection came from reports from the Historical Society, Biological Centre, Development Planning Unit and Brickendon Liberty Parish,” Dr Ramlan said.

In their rejection, he said, the councillors were concerned over the absence of future plans to develop the HPTC, and the limited facilities built in the first phase of the plan.

“Although the committee was drawn to the positive feedback and support from Sport England’s senior planning manager, Roy Warren, on the application, they (the committee) felt they have to reject the application at that stage,” he said. The 16ha TARRC, owned by the Malaysian Rubber Board, is in Hertfordshire, East London, just 24km from the London 2012 Olympics Games Village.

Among facilities available at TARRC are a football field, swimming pool, cricket pitch, canteen, hostel, laboratory, meeting rooms and office.

Dr Ramlan said recently the proposal to develop the TARRC into a HPTC was submitted to the East Herts Council in June and a series of meetings were held by ministry officials with the councillors.

He had expected the HPTC to be operational by early next year after the 10 million pounds (RM67.22 million) renovation project, approved by the Cabinet Committee on Sports, was completed.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had said the HPTC would serve as a transit centre for Malaysian athletes before competing in Europe.

Malaysian Under-16 football squad are among sportsmen who had a chance to stay at the TARRC in May during their friendly stint with Arsenal U-16 team.

— BERNAMA

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47 Replies to “Brickendonbury Sports Complex – British local authority says “No””

  2. Think about it. In England, good old England, that spectred isle, their local councils are ELECTED. And they do such a good job when it comes to changing the use of land.

    Malaysia has appointed councils. And see how they run. Like three blind mice.

  10. The British have done a massive favour to ordinary Malaysians by saving public money…..but alas….Malaysia’s political crooks will find another way to siphon it off…….are you sure we did the right thing by asking independance from the British????

  15. hahaha…..good news man!!
    but…..after BN wins again within 2 months, Bodohwi will have another new plan: to build the HPTC in the space!!! guess how much it will cost us? RM 10 trillions….and you guys better be prepared to pay RM30/litre for your petrol!!

  16. “…..“inappropriate development within a green belt”, ……….demolition of curtilage buildings……

    The council also held that the proposed development contradicts the established pattern and architectural standards and landscape of Brickendonbury.

    However, its main consideration is that Brickendonbury houses heritage-listed buildings on a green belt and any development would be against the national planning policy.

    ……..”

    http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=19981

    In Bolehland, it would have been a done deal long, long ago but in good ole mother England it’s a different story. The people there DO care about the environment and about proposed development.

    In Bolehland, there would have been bulldozers and FRUs; who would care about green lungs, eco-system, country planning and the like. That’s why Bolehland is so messed up. Bodoh!

  17. 2 million pounds just for three minutes’ presentation!!!!

    Equals 11111.1111 pounds per seconds x 6.90174

    Rm 76,686 per seconds. Big time con, Azlina. Could you use that money to repaint the Bukit Jalil Stadium.

    Your weekly sport magazine that was supposed to bring great enhancement to the local sports are publishing stale news and large colour pictures of the EPL stars. Heard you got Rm500,000.00 per issue from the government.

    Now, it is compensation time. The cabinet would work out a compensation amount to indemnify the parties involved.

    10 million pound was proposed for the building funds, so the 20million pounds would be compensated to the parties involved for not building. Remember ‘The Scenic Bridge’ that wasn’t tragic at all.

  18. “If there was any doubt that the prime minister is more worried about political power than political rights, it was washed away with his defense of police actions against the marchers,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Badawi’s remark was as good as saying outright that he condoned violence against political critics. He should rectify this impression by immediately calling for a Royal Commission to independently examine the facts.”
    http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/11/15/malays17345.htm

  19. HPTC????? Why spend all those consulting fees to convince the East Herts Council Development Control Committee when ordinary Malaysians are so unconvinced & many suspect this project is wasteful & another possible ‘example’ of ‘cronyism’ & ‘siphoning of funds’.

    Firstly, there isn’t even one HPTC in MAlaysia for Malayisans. Why spend almost RM70 million thousands of miles away in a foreign land?

    Secondly, what are the other provisions for cost escalations & overruns as had happened in almost every other MALAYSIAN public project. The variation clauses have such huge gaps any chimpanzee, monkey and other tailed or non-tailed primate could have scrambled through!

    Thirdly, what about provisions for forex gyrations and losses? Someone said RM is due for some correction as we are so heavily trade-dependent especially on the US.

    Fourthly, with the slow down in the US and even a possible recession (if it is not already begun), the risks to the Malaysian economy is quite apparent. Of course, our Malaysian Finance Minister, Nor, denies any impact. He seems to think the Malaysian economy is like the ‘Titanic’, invulnerable. The rest is history. But what does Nor know about macroeconomics? I’d rather trust Anwar Ibrahim grasp of international economics and finance. As for the first Finance Minister, Pak LAh, I would think his only opinion is to give half an answer of all that his SIL cares to explain to him. The other half, PM Pak Lah would either not understand or be unale to explain even if he did.

    So, NAjib & Azlina should just forget it. Besides, with the GE coming so soon, who knows if both of you will win at all! I pray to GOD daily that both of u will lose yr deposits in the GE.

  22. There was an interesting feature on al Jazeera last night on corruption in Nigeria.

    An estimate of $360billion (US$?) was given as being siphoned out of the country since 1960 due to corruption.

    It showed many Nigerians are in poverty though Nigeria is rich in oil.
    Anyone done a proper audit on all the failed projects and negotiated tenders to come up with a figure for Malaysia since 1971?

    But there is only a LITTLE Corruption here, you argue!

  24. “Why spend almost RM70 million thousands of miles away in a foreign land?” ENDANGERED HORNBILL

    The answer is in the question. RM70 million spent on some shady project in some foreign land. What better way to spend tax payers’ money and not be accountable for it. Another cash cow for UMNO to milk away had it gone through.

  25. To have the HPTC where TARRC stands in Brickendonbury is some political big wig’s unilateral wet dream that has to be achieved at all costs notwithstanding many Malaysians’ reservations about its wastage of public money and pointlessness of the proposition based on hubris alone rather than practical considerations.

    The Malaysian side will use a proposed arms deal with Britain as leverage to persuade British planners and administrators to agree to the Malaysian govt’s proposal to HPTC notwithstanding its situation in historic parkland within the Green Belt in East Herts.

    UMNOputras just cannot understand why the use of money and power as leverage cannot help them get their way in UK as it could be done here. They even got Sports England to support their case.

    But they forget, the support of Sports UK, British planners, politicians and administrators notwithstanding, it is the rights of the common folks in Brickendonbury represented by their municipal councillors that are under pressure here and in England these rights have been jealously guarded not only by the vigilant citizenry themselves but by and large by the Judges of England as well should the matter come to test when these rights are overridden or trespassed by British politicians.

    And thats why also the issue of independence of judiciary is so important has come to the fore here in the wake of the lingam video clip!

    The 13 of the 19 East Herts municipal councilors have decided that they could not see the balance of reasons why the Malaysian proposal should be prioritized to override objections from at least 10 organisations and individuals concerned with green belt environmental and ecological considerations, questionable benefits to the local community as against the loss of heritage buildings and intrusive lighting contrary to the established pattern and architectural standards and landscape of Brickendonbury.

    Ultimately we have been challenged by the common folks of in Brickendonbury in our premises that power and money will prevail over everything.

    Likely our fellows here would persist by way of appeal, fresh application, further leverage on power and upping ante on use more money to challenge the Brits whether their priorities on environment (green belt) aesthetic, cultural & heritage considerations can withstand the assault of money and power. If necessary someone will go there and “talk money” ala Malaysian Boleh style with the councilors after a fresh appeal and application based on token amendments have been made.

    See what wins at the end of the day. It is a contention between the moral fibres of Brits here and UMNOputras here. It is a contest between corruption of power and money versus the upholding else of intangible character dearer such as environment, heritage and rights of common people.

    Our thinking here (practical or cynical as you would have it) is that their rightuousness – under the veneer – cannot really be higher, and that ultimately leverage of money and power will triumph, given the universality of the frailties of human character.

    I hope the Brits prove us wrong!

  28. These UMNOputras must have been rueing their luck..so near yet so far..having seen their pound sterling slipping away…this came at the wrong time because GE is round the corner..election needs money and more money what..otherwise…how to win???

  29. We do have a HPTC – just use the National Service camps – Got all the right stuff for it and training in really hot weather is much much better as your body work hard. Good trainers from the Army. If they are not interested, well, we could turn those camps into mini England by decking it all out with Air-Conditions down to -2 deg. for our people to do training.

    That is why those African running are good….they training in one of the harshest environment

  34. UK, thank you for the rejection and saving some Malaysian’s public money. I am sure the project is not practical at all and will end up in waste just like some many cases before.

    Government can no longer afford to subsidise toll & fuel. Fine. But how much monies have been spent on:

    -compensation on crook bridge
    -compensation on PKFZ
    -leaking in parliament, jalan duta court’s building etc
    -RM4.5 million building in Perak
    -Malaysian space traveller
    – You may further add on to this list (it is not exhausted)

    Rakyat is suffering in the wake of high cost of living and yet so much public monies have been wasted without accountability.

  35. First of all it was really stupid of them (sports ministry) to go for UK land. They should hv known they are not easily bought off by money.

    They should hv probably gone for an African country where money to them is worshipped. Ministers and officials are corrupted just like them and operate on the same wavelength.

  36. You know why they have not announced anything on the second Penang bridge ? The costs have spiralled out of control, and they don’t know how to tell the rakyat. They are still planning on announcing the resumption of the double-tracking rail project, which is now DOUBLE the original cost when they pretended to scrap it.

    Then we will also be seeing the new contracts for military helicopters. They are also changing the entire ambulance fleet. Soon they will award the concession to tax you and I for breathing fresh air.

  38. “Dr Ramlan said NSC’s consultant, John Whittaker of White Young Green Planning, was allowed to speak for three minutes to convince the council to either approve or defer their early decision.”

    Three minutes!!! Minus the paper shuffling time and the throat clearing, I don’t think the consultant even have time left to turn on his laptop for the power point presentation.

    What is the purpose of Dr Ramlan highlighting this point? As an excuse why they failed to get approval; meaning thier consultant were not given enough time to persuade the East Herts council? The council was being polite by sending you a message. They have decided and no need to waste time. They know the real reasons for the proposal to set up the HPTC and they do not want to be party to such disgusting practices.

    Now what next? Blow up those council members who voted against the motion with C4, bribe the new incoming ones and if that fails, set up the HPTC in Russia or Baikonur so that our “space participants” can have some local company.

  39. This is the kind of project that wastes a lot of money.
    The Cabinet should have limited the proposal study to a max of say RM200k and let the promoters take the risk.

    Now RM2m has been spent for a resounding NO and there is talk of a new bid. We should just cut the loss and spend more money on local playing fields.

    RM2m would keep a soccer pitch going for how many years?
    Or perhaps 20 fields in different towns in Malaysia for 10 years.

    Do we really have so much surplus funds for such grandiose schemes?

    It is time to take stock of the war on corruption.
    http://malaysiawatch3.blogspot.com/2007/11/malaysias-hunt-for-corrupt-projects.html

  40. The ministers probably forgot that summer olympics is held in the summer. Students in schools and universities will be on vacation and facilities in schools and universities are available for rent if any team needs a place to acclimatise. That is what other teams are doing, which is cheaper than trying to convert the Research Center to a Sports Center. Also, what to do with the place after the Olympics? It would probably be a decade before another olympics would go to Europe. Why waste money to maintain the place that would be used sparingly except giving the ministers a reason to visit UK to “inspect” the place?
    Isn’t there a Malay saying that “If you cannot dance, don’t blame the floor”? So, don’t blame a lack of facilities or the climate for the lack of achievement.

  41. “If you cannot dance, don’t blame the floor” has become “If you cannot dance, take out your wallet”. Malaysia has neither spacecraft nor launch pad, but with $$$ can get an overgrown monkey into space!

  42. It is baffling that the govt is wondering why our universities are so bad when they have been busy trying to convert a research facility into a sports center.
    Singapore has research centers in the US to expose their students and people to US technical expertise.
    Malaysia has this research center and has no idea what to do with it.

  43. There is a gross lack of commercial and financial competency in decision makings.

    The public funds and taxpayers money are limited…..this type of nonesense must stop immediately and someone must take full responsibility – future generations will suffer from current generation’s greed, mistakes and irresponsibility.

  44. TQ very much for EHCDCC to turn down the Proposed HPTC
    of Malaysia!! The Thieves try to steal more money from the
    country by siphoning out money to England in this way…!!

    Also A Thousand TQ to Dr. Thierry Rommel for helping to
    voice out the Unfair New NEP for UMNOputras. Biased and
    Racial decisions have been made to benefit only the Malay
    Bumiputras, letting All the Minority Groups to spoonfeed All
    the Malay Majority Group!!! Don’t You feel ashame of what
    You Malay Bumiputras are doing right now??!!

    Dr.Thierry Rommel is a Great Man as he cannot see any
    injustice happen in this country called Malay-sia!!

    Long Live Dr. Thierry Rommel!!

  45. This is just one of many examples why the quality of life for ALL Malaysians (except for you-know-who who currently walks the corridors of power) have steadily and progressively “gone down the drain” every year for the last 50 years. I sometimes wonder if Malaysians would have been better off not being independent from the Brits!

    Old Observer.

  47. “Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said had said the HPTC would serve as a transit centre for Malaysian athletes before competing in Europe.”

    Kalah tak apa, style mesti mau ada! How typical, this is exactly like the Angkasawan case, keyword – transit!

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