Halifax Town football stadium sale would save Calderdale Council money

The public consultation will run for six weeks

A council-owned football and rugby stadium could be sold as part of a series of cost-cutting measures.

Selling the Shay, home to Halifax Town FC and Halifax Panthers rugby league club, could save £161,000 from 2025-26, according to Calderdale Council.

The plan has been outlined in the authority's budget recommendations as it need to find savings of £18m over three years.

A six-week public consultation on the council's proposals has been launched.

Under the options being considered, the council is proposing to transfer a long leasehold interest in the Shay, where sport has been played for more than a century.

This could be to one of the two clubs, with a sublet arrangement with the other team, or to a company jointly owned and run by the two sports clubs.

'Difficult choices'

Another option could see the council dispose of the sports stadium on the open market, with the two clubs as sitting tenants, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Jenny Lynn, the council's cabinet member for public services and communities, said: "We do recognise the importance of the Shay Stadium and its high community value, however, these are extremely challenging financial times.

"We are now faced with some very difficult choices, but we will always continue to explore all possible options."

She said they would work with both clubs throughout the process.

The stadium is owned by Calderdale Council and leased by the Shay Stadium Trust

Based on the council's current financial forecasts, the authority is facing budget deficits of £7.5m in 2024-25, £6.2m in 2025-26 and £4.8m in 2026-27.

It said the costs had been estimated on the "likely impacts of the economic situation on the council".

That includes higher contract costs due to inflation rates, the impact on income levels due to rising costs, and the additional investments needed in social care provision.

Council leader Jane Scullion said: "Our priority is to set a sustainable budget, for this and subsequent years. We must be able to continue to balance the books.

"Over recent years we have tried to do 'more with less' but this is not sustainable and inevitably we must now look at reducing services which we are not legally required to provide."

The council will meet to set the budget for 2024-25 on 26 February.