Northampton Town: New date for Sixfields land deal vote

Northampton Town Football Club borrowed money from Northampton Borough Council to improve its stadium, but the East Stand has never been finished

A decision on a land deal which could see a controversial football stand completed is due to be made next week.

On Monday, West Northamptonshire Council deferred a vote on accepting an offer from Northampton Town, or a rival bid, for land next to Sixfields.

The authority has now said its cabinet will make a final decision at a meeting on 8 March.

Cabinet member for finance, Malcolm Longley, said: "We believe we have now resolved any outstanding issues."

The East Stand was supposed to be refurbished using a £10.25m loan from Northampton Borough Council, but work stalled in 2014 after contractors went unpaid.

Northampton Town currently play in League Two - the fourth tier of English football

The borough authority has since been replaced by West Northamptonshire Council as part of a reorganisation of local government in the county.

The Conservative-run council is currently considering two separate bids for land around Sixfields, which does not include the stadium.

One from real estate company Cilldara is for £2.05m.

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The other comes from County Developments (Northampton) Limited (CDNL), a company owned by the football club's chairman Kelvin Thomas and his business partner David Bower.

That bid comes with a promise to complete the East Stand. It originally came in at £890,000, but was this week increased to match the Cilldara bid.

At Monday's cabinet meeting, councillors decided to defer a decision on the deal to look at further aspects of each offer.

Mr Longley said both bids have been given "careful consideration and we believe we have now resolved any outstanding issues".

"There is no need to delay this any further, so we have agreed to bring a report to our cabinet meeting on 8 March," he said.