Council poised to buy Edgeley Park
COUNCIL bosses have confirmed they will offer to buy Stockport County’s Edgeley Park ground and lease it back to the club to stop it being bulldozed by developers.
Town hall chiefs say that, if plans get the okay at a meeting today, they will become owners of the stadium that has been County’s home for 114 years.
It is understood the current owners, Cheshire Sports, received an offer from a third party and the ground was in danger of being knocked down for development.
But town hall bosses say they have offered to match the bid.
Council chiefs insist the deal will cost tax-payers nothing and that they’re investing in an asset and not the club.
Meanwhile, fans have launched a campaign to save the ground.
COUNCIL bosses have admitted they will offer to buy Stockport County’s Edgeley Park ground and lease it back to the club to stop it potentially being bulldozed.
Town hall chiefs say that subject to ‘due diligence’, they will become owners of the stadium that has been County’s home for 114 years.
It is understood the ground’s owners, Cheshire Sports, received an offer from a third party and the ground could have been knocked down for development.
But town hall bosses say they have offered to match the bid.
Council chiefs insist the deal will cost taxpayers nothing and that they’re investing in an asset and not the club.
Details will be discussed at a crunch council executive meeting today (Wednesday) at 4pm when it is expected that the deal will be given approval.
As it stands, supporters planning to attend will not be able to listen in, due to the ‘commercial sensitivity’ of the deal.
But it is understood efforts are being made to open up the meeting to the public.
A joint statement from Stockport Council’s group leaders says that ‘an opportunity has arisen for Stockport Council to purchase the Edgeley Park football ground from the current owners, Cheshire Sports’.
It goes on: “The council’s executive will receive a report on Wednesday recommending that, subject to due diligence, the council will become owner of the ground.
“This is a genuinely commercial arrangement which would enable the establishment of a landlord- tenant relationship between the council and Stockport County Football Club.”
Speaking for the club, County adviser Steve Bellis said ‘the club is on a very sound footing financially’.
He added: “There is a willingness to do this and we will find out on Wednesday whether this will be brought to fruition.
“It was clear that a number of third parties were interesting in taking the site and developing it for purposes other than football.” Councillors have not revealed the figure on the table, but it is thought that Cheshire Sports will sell for £ 2m.
Town hall bosses say they would be able to borrow cash at an advantageous rate and then lease the ground back to the club.
Cheshire Sports is reportedly asking County for more rent than the club can afford under the current arrangement.
STOCKPORT County are set to find out today (Wednesday) whether the council’s plan to buy Edgeley Park has been successful.
Town hall chiefs revealed earlier this week that an opportunity had arisen for them to purchase the ground from the current owners, Cheshire Sports.
The move would establish a landlord-tenant relationship between the
‘One thing that needs to be made clear is this isn’t about the council bailing the football club out’
council and County.
Club officials have stressed it will not cost tax payers any money, and the council will not, at any stage, be providing financial support to the club.
The plan has the backing of four of the area’s party leaders, and Steve Bellis, senior advisor to the board of directors at County, is hopeful the deal will go through.
Stockport
“There is a willingness to do this and we will find out on Wednesday whether this will be brought to fruition,” he said.
“One thing that needs to be made clear is that this isn’t about the council bailing the football club out.
“The club is on a very sound footing financially, and this is the local authority purchasing an asset which will be leased back to Stockport County.
“The main positive from this situation is that our landlord will become Stockport Council and they have shown on numerous occasions that they believe in the current ownership of the club.
“They know that it’s being run properly and by having them on board it protects the future of the football club.
“It was clear that a number of third parties were interesting in taking the site and developing it for purposes other than football.”
Bellis has also praised Edgeley Park’s current owners, Cheshire Sports, for their co-operation throughout the saga.
“Cheshire Sports could have taken a third party bid and sold it without any thought or care for the club, but they haven’t done that,” he said.
“They’ve given the council the opportunity to acquire this asset so they deserve a lot of credit.
“From the conversations I’ve had with Cheshire Sports over the last few weeks, I’m sure that they will do what is best for Stockport.
“They’ve been clear that if it can be done, they would prefer Edgeley Park to be owned by Stockport Council, and we now have a good chance of that happening.”
Bellis has tried to stay positive during the series of events, and he hopes they won’t have to worry about the ground falling into the wrong hands.
“There will obviously be repercussions if a third party purchases Edgeley Park but we’re hoping we won’t have to think about that,” he said.
“Nobody can walk in and change the usage of a site without planning permission though, and we have to say thanks to the Supporters Co-Operative for making the stadium an asset of community value.
“We’re very pleased that, as a football club, we have demonstrated to the council that we are a tenant that is worth taking on board.
“We’ve done everything that we possibly can and now it’s a council decision.”