BANSTEAD Athletic Football Club could be forced to give up its training pitch to allow for the development of a new £8.7 million leisure centre.
Two weeks ago Reigate and Banstead Borough Council granted planning permission to build a new leisure centre in Merland Rise. It will replace Banstead Leisure Centre and include a 25m swimming pool, learner pool, gym, creche, sports hall, cafe, and community facilities, as well as an adjoining youth centre. Councillors also gave outline permission for 130 homes and four five-a-side pitches to be built on part of the existing Merland Rise Recreation Ground.
But Banstead Athletic FC protested against the scheme as it will force the club to give up land it currently uses for training.
The two parties have been in negotiations over a settlement for months but to no avail.
According to a report presented to the council's executive, Banstead Athletic FC has refused to settle with the authority unless it is allowed to build and run a set of five-a-side football pitches connected to the development.
But, according to the council, the benefit to the community is deemed to be greater if the pitches are managed by preferred operator Greenwich Leisure.
Consequently, on Thursday last week, with negotiations apparently stalled, the council decided to issue a compulsory purchase order (CPO), which could force the football club off. Speaking after the meeting councillor Sam Walsh said the CPO was a good mechanism for moving forward with the plan as it included "an element of negotiation". He added it was important that all parties came to an agreement to deliver the scheme for residents.
Deputy leader of the council Victor Broad added the council had a contractual agreement to build the leisure centre by 2014, so it wanted to get the development moving as quickly as possible.
But chairman of Banstead Athletic Football Club Terry Molloy is still fighting the move. He said: "For three years the council was encouraging us to build eight astro turf and full size 3G pitches. They've pinched our idea and decided to put them in open park land. Everybody at the club is concerned and to say residents are all happy with it is rubbish."
