New talks on Latics stadium plan

Oldham councillors met Latics chiefs yesterday to thrash out the way forward after the Charity Commission’s set back to the Failsworth stadium plan.

The commission failed to rule whether land at Lower Failsworth Memorial Park has a charitable trust on it.

The park land, and the neighbouring Lancaster Club, at the bottom of Broadway, are wanted by Oldham Athletic so the club can move from Boundary Park after more than 100 years.

The 21/2 hour meeting followed criticism from Latics’ managing director Simon Corney last week that the council was dragging its feet. A six-hour public consultation meeting due to be held in Failsworth on Thursday was cancelled at the last minute.

There was to have been an exhibition of the £20 million, 12,000-seater stadium with community sports facilities proposed for a 30 acre site off Broadway.

Mr Corney said council officers were unavailable and legal advice was that the meeting had to be postponed.

The Charity Commission has suggested going to the High Court to resolve the land’s status, but council leaders are believed to be reluctant to go to law.

More details of the way forward will be made public next week.

Yesterday all the party leaders — Liberal Democrat council leader Howard Sykes, Labour’s Jim McMahon and Tory Jack Hulme — met club officials at the Civic Centre with senior council officers.

Councillor Sykes said: “This was a very frank and productive meeting. Oldham Council remains committed to trying to find a solution that works for all stakeholders including the residents, the football club and its supporters. We will be making a formal decision on the next steps at a meeting of Cabinet on March 17.

“A further statement will be issued next week when the report to Cabinet is released into the public domain.”

Councillor Hulme added: “We clarified the situation and both parties agreed to a plan to move forward. It was a long meeting, but it cleared up a lot of misunderstandings and I like to think there was a lot more mutual understanding at the end.”