Northampton Town Supporters Trust is studying the outline proposal for a warehouse development on the industrial land adjoining the East Stand at Sixfields.
We would welcome greater detail about the development and seeing how the money raised will help financially support the club in the future.
The Trust will formally respond when detailed plans are submitted by the club as part of the planning consultation process, but in the meantime wishes to make public its current position on this topic.
It was the vision of the former Northampton Borough Council that the running track land would always be for the benefit of the town's sporting communities, something the Trust has always supported.
In a survey last year, to which 500-plus Cobblers fans responded, we found that more than half favoured a club or community facility being built on the land directly behind the East Stand with 85 per cent against warehouse development on that area of land.
The Trust does, however, recognise that the wider land at Sixfields was zoned for industrial development prior to the change in club ownership in 2015.
The long-term sustainability of the club is vital at a time when EFL1 finances have seen clubs making very substantial losses.
We are encouraged by the recent statement from club chairman Kelvin Thomas which suggested that the club might retain some of the development to support the club on a long-term basis.
Much will depend on how much land would be left to the club for potential future expansion and also how the development would guarantee ongoing financial benefit for the club, beyond repayment of its internal debt.
The Supporters Trust has not lost its passion for lobbying the club for better facilities for supporters in the short and long term.
We look forward to discussing - with both supporters and the club - how to provide these and how to work towards protecting the stadium’s footprint to enable future development.
Our abiding wish is that development immediately behind the East Stand strikes a healthy balance, which both works for the town and also enables our football club to be a thriving, ambitious and progressive club.
