Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Mitchell reveals plans for Dean Court
CHAIRMAN Eddie Mitchell has revealed Cherries' bold long-term plans for Dean Court with a £6million stand and hotel at the centre of his vision.[LNB] The club has unveiled ambitious proposals for a new 5,000-seat enclosure at the South End, which could also house a hotel, spa complex and offices.[LNB] Mitchell confirmed work was also set to begin next season on training pitches alongside the stadium.[LNB] The Cherries chief admitted funding the project would not be straightforward but revealed there had already been interest from a leading hotel group, which would help make the scheme viable.[LNB] He reported that planning permission was close to being finalised for the training pitches, although an application for the stand and hotel had yet to be submitted.[LNB] This latest proposal, which follows the initial unveiling of plans in October, includes a larger stand.[LNB] Speaking exclusively to the Echo, Mitchell said: The training pitches alone will cost somewhere in the region of £350,000 to £450,000.[LNB] We are pricing the stand and the hotel at the moment. We have got permission in our lease to build a hotel but it is about £100,000 to get the planning permission.[LNB] What we have decided to do is do the training pitches as soon as possible and start the other work as and when we have got the funds.[LNB] I would have thought the hotel and stand would cost somewhere in the region of £6million.[LNB] We have now got to find a way of getting the funds to do it. It won't be easy but we have got this far and are still pushing forwards.[LNB] My job here won't be complete until it is built. We are two-thirds through sorting out the main stadium and are spending a considerable amount of time and money on that because it had not had any maintenance since it was built.[LNB] As soon as we have finished that, I am going to be out there pushing to get this hotel and final stand, which would take our capacity up to a Championship level.[LNB] Mitchell confirmed there had been interest in the hotel from a leading chain and that the hotel would yield rent for the club.[LNB] But he said removing the lorry park from its current location in Kings Park was crucial to the plans.[LNB] Mitchell added: I don't want people to think we have forgotten about the actual reason we are here to play football because we haven't.[LNB] But to build a club, in my view, you have to not just build a team but a stable base for everybody to enjoy, look after it and draw in people from outside the area.[LNB] That is what we are trying to do.[LNB]
