Newbury FC sign lease extension to avoid eviction

Football club perform U-turn after council threatens legal action

NEWBURY Football Club have performed a U-turn and signed an extension to its current lease at Faraday Road.

West Berkshire Council had previously threatened to evict the club if they didn't put put pen to paper.

The council originally wanted to kick the club out of Faraday Road in June 2016 so it could press ahead with its controversial plan to redevelop the London Road Industrial Estate (LRIE).

However, after a public outcry, the council promised to review the timing of the club's eviction and subsequently offered a two-year extension to the lease, until June 2018.

But after taking legal advice, the club declined to sign it, prompting the council to say it had 'no choice' but to apply for a court order to take possession of the ground.

However, after a public war of words, the football club has now decided to sign.

It means the club is now free to play its home games at Faraday Road until June 2018.

James Fredrickson, the council's executive member for External Affairs, said: “I’m pleased that the football club have reconsidered their decision and now signed the new lease.

"At the request of the club, we offered a two year lease on the same terms as the previous agreement. Importantly, this gives the club time to plan for its future ahead of work starting on the regeneration in two years’ time.

“We’ve reached a sensible solution and I’m pleased that we can all now start to move forward with our respective plans. We wish the club well in the league and in their preparation for moving out of the ground.”