AFCCOVENTRY
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A NEW attempt by Coventry City Football Club to sell off its training ground in Ryton for houses has been blocked.
The Observer can reveal the proposal was discussed by top brass at the council and club officials at a meeting late last year as the club investigates ways of funding a new stadium and academy.
It was a plan first mooted almost ten years ago in 2005 when then chairman Mike McGinnity made tentative enquiries over changing the status of the land from protected green belt to free it up for redevelopment.
But it faced opposition from the parish council and the borough council, which has planning control over the site, and went no further.
Speaking to us this week borough council leader Craig Humphrey confirmed the club had floated the idea again.
"To pay for whatever they want to do they proposed a trade off of housing on their current site in Ryton which is green belt and that is what is not acceptable to us," he said.
"If they want to come to Rugby with proposals for locations for a stadium or training complex then great, we're happy to talk but there is always a trade off and the trade off was they wanted to build on Ryton.
"That land is not within our Core Strategy and we said to them that it was unacceptable."
A supporters' forum was held late last week to discuss the club's new stadium proposals with no return to the Ricoh looking imminently likely.
The club has declined to comment on the meeting with Rugby council and rumours about possible locations for the stadium which have previously included the Brandon speedway stadium, also inside Rugby's boundary.
Read more: City's aim for 'Ryton training ground sale' blocked | Coventry Observer
The Observer can reveal the proposal was discussed by top brass at the council and club officials at a meeting late last year as the club investigates ways of funding a new stadium and academy.
It was a plan first mooted almost ten years ago in 2005 when then chairman Mike McGinnity made tentative enquiries over changing the status of the land from protected green belt to free it up for redevelopment.
But it faced opposition from the parish council and the borough council, which has planning control over the site, and went no further.
Speaking to us this week borough council leader Craig Humphrey confirmed the club had floated the idea again.
"To pay for whatever they want to do they proposed a trade off of housing on their current site in Ryton which is green belt and that is what is not acceptable to us," he said.
"If they want to come to Rugby with proposals for locations for a stadium or training complex then great, we're happy to talk but there is always a trade off and the trade off was they wanted to build on Ryton.
"That land is not within our Core Strategy and we said to them that it was unacceptable."
A supporters' forum was held late last week to discuss the club's new stadium proposals with no return to the Ricoh looking imminently likely.
The club has declined to comment on the meeting with Rugby council and rumours about possible locations for the stadium which have previously included the Brandon speedway stadium, also inside Rugby's boundary.
Read more: City's aim for 'Ryton training ground sale' blocked | Coventry Observer