Some thinking later.
1. We are not now, nor will we be in the future, playing at the CBSA as our Home ground.
2. We need a ground right now that has maybe 5k capacity.
3. It is unlikely any rugby club will ground share with us.
4. We cannot build a ground in 8-9 months.
5. In order that the RFU would accept us back, we must ALREADY have a ground secured, and it must be in the Midlands (whatever that is).
6. If we rule out Coventry, and to the East of Coventry (as being too near Leicester and Northampton), and then look for major rail links, and proximity to the EPIC site, we are stuck with Warwick/Leamington/Kenilworth/Stratford and the East of Birmingham (the M42 corridor). There are no suitable grounds in the former, so M42 corridor it is.
The Damson Park (or whatever its current sponsor calls it) ground is the ONLY choice. Take it or leave it.
It is far from ideal:
A. It has limited parking and the access roads can get quite congested.
B. Birmingham International is the logical choice railway station, but walking from there would not be advisable. Very few safe footpaths. Local bus services exist (and they are good), but transfer buses might be needed.
C. Limited entertainment options (like bar etc.) make it just about OK for football, but far from ideal for rugby. The outdoor clubhouse is OK, but small.
D. The pitch barely copes with the soccer games played there, it would not cope with rugby as well.
E. The stands are far from well designed or made. There are 'plans' to convert the terraces at one end to seating, but that will not add much capacity.
F. It is not a long term solution, as it looks likely to be cleared for development in 2-3 years.
The ground has been used to share before and that did not work out well, so there is sentiment against another ground share.
The club is likely losing about £1m a year, and has a wide ownership base (the top few shareholders between them only own 10% of the shares). Somebody is (unwillingly) subsidising the club as it expands (I think the gate numbers are going upwards, and it could break if it was at capacity for most games).
The ground has a very limited future, meaning money put in will be lost very quickly.
I wonder what Wasps offered to make it (the hassle and negativity from soccer fans) worthwhile for the owners?
Maybe:
i. A new (artficial) pitch.
ii. Money.
I really can't see why Wasps would want to stay here.
JLR do not own the ground, but would appear (in partnership with ProLogis) to want to acquire the ground (or it will be compulsory purchased). Would there be a donation of some land locally for a new pitch, stands, car park, etc. But, all other land nearby is already earmarked for this big project, so there is no alternative. I found the local plan document which shows the Damson Parkway project swallowing up both this ground and the Birmingham Exiles Rugby Club grounds, in the 3rd phase of the project for the whole area, starting construction in 2025. That suggests the ground share might last at best 2-3 years, before the ground becomes a construction site.
You can read the plans here (a pdf):
https://solihull.oc2.uk/download/attachment/3302Lots of pretty pictures, diagrams and maps.
What this means is that the Legends may have a deal sorted for now (I expect it is), but already they have to be negotiating for a new ground. Maybe a replacement for Solihull Moors, but, whatever site that might be, would likely offer a new ground also for the Birmingham Exiles Rugby Club. Would they want Wasps there too?
Does that leave Wasps falling back on getting involved with Warwick District Council with their Community Ground in Warwick? That might be ready at about the right time, just. It is already planned for the right size (10k capacity, or would we want more?). If they were really sensible, they would make it bigger, maybe 'copy' the Brentford stadium (
https://www.afl-architects.com/projects/brentford-community-stadium)?
Always a Wasp