Chichester football clubhouse unused with council refusing to sign lease
By joeleach272 | Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 11:11
A new football clubhouse worth a stonking £950,000 was left largely unused for nearly a year after Chichester District Council officials refused to sign a lease.
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Photo thanks to stevendepolo on Flickr
Chichester City Football Club has this week written to all the Chichester district councillors outlining their frustration. They claim that if things continue as they are then the very existence of football in Chichester may cease to be.
The clubhouse at Oaklands Park was built last year and is owned by Chichester District Council but has scarcely been used because CDC are yet to make a decision over who to award the lease to. The reason for the lack of the decision is that CDC want to be sure that the club is solvent and properly constituted.
The club argue that the delay just means that they are losing out on thousands of pounds of potential revenue which woud allow it to survive in Sussex League 1 and they are caught in a vicous circle until the council sign the lease.
In the letter that the club wrote to the council, CCFC gave CDC 24 hours to confirm whether or not the club had permission to use Oaklands Park for at least the upcoming season. On Wednesday, the club received a call from the council that permission had been granted.
Sean Forrey, vice-chairman of CCFC said: "Our first priority has been met and we are very grateful to the council for allowing us to use it for the next season and we look forward to meeting with the council to discuss the future."
It certainly seems silly to me that the council should own the clubhouse and lease it to no one and surely the first people who should receive the lease should be Chichester City Football Club. Perhaps you disagree and think the council shouldn't necessarily sign the lease over to CCFC? Feel free to comment whatever you think!
Comments
The report, which appeared in the Chichester Observer, was inaccurate. The football club has always had access to the clubhouse and ground. The only thing that they have been unable to do is sublet the space in the building. This cannot happen until the lease is signed.
We have had a constructive meeting with Chichester City and Portfield United Football Club this week and are trying to assist them to meet the Council's requirements and move things forward. We are both committed to making sure that foundations are in place to develop a strong and successful football club. The Club also acknowledges that it needs to be properly constituted with the mandate of its shareholders.
Our aim has always been to make sure that local people are encouraged to participate in football and that they have the necessary facilities for this to be achieved. The Club has said that it also shares this aim. We look forward to working with the club to try and resolve this situation, and to build a strong future for football in Chichester.
By chichesterdc3 at 13:20 on 29/06/11
ReportI can't believe the council would hold back from giving Chi City the lease. I agree with the club that it could be the end of football in Chichester if the council don't show their real support. Football is small enough in Chichester as it is and I for one don't want it getting any smaller!
By jack89 at 11:28 on 28/06/11
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