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[🌎 Universal GB] General Discussion
From what I can gather she is the only homeowner who is claiming they've been threatened. Others feel 'bullied' but none of them have gone as far as to openly state they got threatened. The 'we'd build the park entrance on your driveway' could've been the Rep saying, 'you wouldn't want to live with a Theme Park on your driveway' and she misheard it as a threat.
I also remember bits of what she wrote on PU's facebook before she got abusive. She called the public consultation at the local colleges as a 'sales pitch' and didn't go to any of them - she said she was waiting for the public consultation from her local parish council which was neither announced and no-one was expecting because we expected the SDO or a NSIP. If it were me and this giant conglomerate was going to build directly around me and was likely to buy my home, I'd be at that public consultation so I can hear from them directly what will be going on with my home and street.
She also stated that it took a year until she discussed the Rep and the attempt at purchasing her home with her neighbours. Which just boggles the mind, this Rep has just threatened you and caused you to have a horrible experience and you don't even discuss it with your neighbours for a year...?! Also, surely you'd want to know what your neighbours have experienced and any info they can give you, but she didn't do that for a year.
This feels like she had zero intention of discussing a sale until it got to the point that she had no choice (she said she was waiting until planning approval). Then once she told the Rep to leave she just essentially put her head in the sand and went about her life like none of it was her business.
*edit* This is a direct quote from the woman afflicted:
She wanted direct contact from Universal and yet didn't even bother to go to the public consultation which would've given that direct contact she says she wanted.
I also remember bits of what she wrote on PU's facebook before she got abusive. She called the public consultation at the local colleges as a 'sales pitch' and didn't go to any of them - she said she was waiting for the public consultation from her local parish council which was neither announced and no-one was expecting because we expected the SDO or a NSIP. If it were me and this giant conglomerate was going to build directly around me and was likely to buy my home, I'd be at that public consultation so I can hear from them directly what will be going on with my home and street.
She also stated that it took a year until she discussed the Rep and the attempt at purchasing her home with her neighbours. Which just boggles the mind, this Rep has just threatened you and caused you to have a horrible experience and you don't even discuss it with your neighbours for a year...?! Also, surely you'd want to know what your neighbours have experienced and any info they can give you, but she didn't do that for a year.
This feels like she had zero intention of discussing a sale until it got to the point that she had no choice (she said she was waiting until planning approval). Then once she told the Rep to leave she just essentially put her head in the sand and went about her life like none of it was her business.
*edit* This is a direct quote from the woman afflicted:
She wanted direct contact from Universal and yet didn't even bother to go to the public consultation which would've given that direct contact she says she wanted.
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The rep is their direct contact to universal though..
Hardly going to get the ceo of Comcast chapping at her door is she
It's 'I want to see the manager' type stuff. Which is funny cos she literally could've spoken to the President of New Ventures at Universal if she had bothered to go to either of the public consultations.
In my opinion stating that we're going to build on your doorstep is not a threat. I read that as the rep letting them know this is going to happen and you may want to move. So we're going to offer you value + %. Or you can ride it out. Your call. That isn't threatening. Or am I some kind of evil person? 
And then this person doesn't goto the consultation? Come on man. If I owned that place I'd be negotiating, all over the meetings and everything, not crawling to the BBC and Facebook for sympathy.
And then this person doesn't goto the consultation? Come on man. If I owned that place I'd be negotiating, all over the meetings and everything, not crawling to the BBC and Facebook for sympathy.
BarryZola
TS Member
I would wager that this is probably nothing more than a 60+ year old woman who has taken the huff because someone from high up at the company hasn't come directly to her to negotiate face to face about it. Some of these older people are REAL serious about customer service etc. A female friend of the family recently cut ties with a tradesman who she had been using happily for 30 odd years (and on very friendly terms) because he was going to be an hour late for a quote or something. He text her to let her know he was going to be late, and she received the text. Guess what? That wasn't good enough. She required him to phone her and speak to her instead. Decades old relationship gone just because of that. The Universal woman probably feels like they havn't shown her the respect that she wants.
Bit of a generalisation, I know. Thought I would throw it in there though
Bit of a generalisation, I know. Thought I would throw it in there though
Be more empathy if it was some old granny who was being turfed out of the only house she’s lived in for the last 50 years but this woman and the BBC article have a bad smell about them
The empathy in this thread is not strong.
Have you read her side of the story? Or spoken to the other residents of Manor Road who have also expressed concern? Have you read any of the comments from the BBC journalist who did that article? Or does FanBoy excitement trump everything, and 'old' people don't really count anyways.
Two sides to every story.
I've read their stories and the other homeowners are understandably worried and feel 'bullied' but they haven't made out the Universal Rep to be using Mafia level threats. I feel for them but I fail to find empathy for someone who claims to want to speak to Universal directly and then skips a public consultation that would've allowed it.
Also yes there are two sides but we haven't heard anything from the Universal side about this. So for all we know the Rep was perfectly reasonable when dealing with the lady but she either misheard him or took his words the other way and as such made it seem far worse than it actually was.
Then there's the fact she 'told her story' on the Project Universal facebook page and then proceeded to send abusive messages to the guy in charge of the page. A guy who did not deserve abusive messages at all, he showed empathy and worry and was patient with her and for all intents and purposes was on her side.
So those homeowners who feel 'bullied' deserve my empathy and concern, it sucks to be in this situation. The woman who was talking about being intimidated and threatened not so much.
Indeed, as I have said, the empathy in this thread is not strong.
The public consultation, especially the events, were just a puff piece. Great PR, but that's not meaningful engagement with the public. Pretty much nothing in the consultation events added any significant information to what was on Universal's website. And there's no way that Page Thompson or Johnny McReynolds would have entered in to a negotiation with Manor Road residents at that event, or afterwards. They will have said, quite rightly, we'll have a land agent who will be responsible for dealing with all local property owners, especially those people on Manor Road.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of this, and as I have said there are two sides to every story, it's not great PR for Universal, which is a shame because up until now I think they have played an absolute blinder with their public and government relations.
My point isn't that the public consultation was some miracle solution, just that she was adamant she wanted to be in contact with Universal directly and then just misses two events would've allowed just that.
Admittedly my lack of empathy mostly stems from her giving Project Universal abuse vis messages, there's no place for that and coupled with everything else - missed consultation, claimed not to talk to her neighbours about the Rep for a year, the complete dissonance between her experience with Universal and how they've handled eveything else I still can't muster much empathy for her.
The other homeowners I fully empathise with, it's a horrible situation to be in and they've handled it as well as can be expected.
I empathise completely with anyone in a vulnerable situation. But this person should probably not feel vulnerable and see it as an opportunity. (Maybe they do and all the power to them for that). But we all know the UK apple core is about to break and this opportunity for our nation is vital. Not just for our enjoyment, but nationally to get people spending and employing here again. Because without this kind of investment in our country, our economy is, well insert your own text here. Apologies if that's slightly political.
Have you seen those Private Messages to Project Universal?
Missed the consultations? I think you're making some pretty big assumptions about the choices this woman has made. I missed the consultations because I couldn't get time away from work. Maybe that was the same for her. Maybe childcare, maybe a whole host of other reasons. Maybe she didn't think she would learn much. As for her other neighbours and whether she talked to them, it seems to me from that BBC article she's not the only resident of Manor Road who is concerned.
I've seen loads of comments on social media today regarding this situation, a very large proportion of which is tearing this woman down. I think very few people will have seen both sides of the story, but many are still happy to reach a judgement and be very judgemental. For me that's a shame. The empathy is not strong in this thread.
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I think there's zero chance that any negative comments from members of the public, even residents living immediately next door to the site, will threaten the planning application that Universal have submitted. It's going to be approved and Universal are going to build it, regardless of what local residents say, even the minority who will oppose it. Universal themselves have outlined options for how they would build out their site should they not be able to knock down all the property on Manor Road, so not even that wrinkle will cause a major problem.
Rob, Project Universal is a pretty chill guy, if she has sent him messages abusive enough for him to block her then they must've been pretty bad. Especially as upto that point he was wholly behind her and wasn't just dismissing her claims as overblown or untrue.
Also is it not far-fetched for her to have misunderstood what was said to her and blown it up into what it's become? We all know someone who will exaggerate interactions and conversations to illicit sympathy or just because they are wired that way.
I just find it hard to believe a multi-billion company that has a reputation of being a 'good neighbour' and come in with a gentle and measured approach has unleashed a Rep who is actively sabotaging their efforts by being stupidly aggressive in negotiations and conversations. What I find more realistic is a misunderstanding has happened with the wrong person and they have taken the absolute worst possible conclusion from the misunderstanding and is now telling that story.
I fully believe that Rep has sat down with her and at some point a CPO was mentioned and the Park being at her front-door too, but it is very easy that those references are just the Rep being honest about what is coming and not malicious as we're being led to believe.
As for the others that are concerned I get that and empathise with them and am not doubting people are concerned. The lack of communication and not knowing where you stand would make all of us concerned but unfortunately until Universal either communicate publicly or to those afflicted we'll have no idea why they are silent.
As for both sides, there is only one side at the moment, her side. Universal and those representing Universal have said nothing about this situation whether publicly or privately.
Indeed, as you said, the situation is not understood by anyone. There's a partial understanding of what's gone on along Manor Road, but that doesn't seem to have stopped plenty of people from jumping to a conclusion and tearing this woman down, indirectly via Facebook or this forum, for example, or directly through the messages that she's received. Meanwhile she's trying to respond calmly in the threads I've followed, and has offered to meet in person to explain her perspective with anyone who lives locally.
The empathy in this thread is not strong.