TRUST STATEMENT REGARDING EAST STAND DEVELOPMENT AT SIXFIELDS STADIUM
Northampton Town Supporters’ Trust can confirm this week that it met with Northampton Borough Council (NBC) regarding the stalled progress of the East Stand and the overall development of Sixfields.
It has been the Trust’s intention to assist in the dialogue between both Northampton Town FC (NTFC) and the borough council over the lease issues which are halting the progression of any building work.
Four representatives from the Trust met with NBC on Tuesday (February 6) for discussion to discover what progress had been made since our last meeting with the authority in November.
During this recent meeting the council were able to give a broad outline with regards to the development and the Sixfields lease.
The Trust is confident that the proposals meet the long-term needs of football in Northampton.
NBC told the Trust that the matter concerning the lease should reasonably be concluded by the end of March - so we are hoping for good news soon.
Also at the meeting we enquired about the progress of the asset of community value (ACV) application that the Trust submitted to the council back in November. We were told that it had been passed to the Assets section of NBC and was progressing.
Sixfields becoming an ACV would effectively mean that if it ever comes up for sale, community groups will be able to gain extra time to bid for the ground. It adds an extra layering of protection for Sixfields to remain as a sports ground. We are grateful to Kelvin Thomas and the football club for backing this proposal.
Finally, our board members also took the opportunity to remind NBC of the authority’s original intention for a supporters’ representative to be on the NTFC board, which was part of the approval for the acquisition of the football club in November 2015.
Throughout this process it has been the Trust’s aim to facilitate a better understanding between NBC and NTFC, as we feel that this is in the best interests of the football club, its supporters and the town.
As always we will continue to maintain good relations with both parties in the hope of progressing this process to a satisfactory conclusion for all.
