Northamptonshire Cricket Club's dream of second ground moves closer

The new ground would be built at New Manor Farm in Moulton

A county cricket club's dream of a second ground could move a step closer next week.

Councillors will discuss whether to grant a lease on farmland to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club (NCCC).

NCCC would retain its current venue at Wantage Road for first-team matches.

The new ground at New Manor Farm at Moulton, near Northampton, would be used for its academy and facilities for female and disabled players.

NCCC have been playing at Wantage Road since 1886, sharing the ground with Northampton Town Football Club from 1897 to 1994.

The club has no plans to leave its familiar home behind.

NCCC has no plans to move from the County Ground at Wantage Road in Northampton, which will remain its headquarters

In its proposal to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which owns the land in Moulton, NCCC said it wanted to "create a new state-of-the-art cricket facility to complement its existing headquarters at Wantage Road and dramatically increase its impact on the Northants community."

The proposal suggests the total cost of the project would be about £13m.

NCCC said the new ground would provide:

• A home for the NCCC Steelbacks Charitable Foundation

• A regional hub for women's and girls' cricket

• A regional hub for disability cricket

• A world-class cricket academy venue

• A high-quality playing area, capable of staging County first and second team cricket

A stand for 2,000 spectators would be included in the project.

The County Ground would continue to be NCCC's main match venue

The council's cabinet will meet on 13 February to discuss a plan to grant a 125-year lease to the club at a nominal rent.

The land is thought to be worth about £1.5m.

Officers have advised councillors that "the loss of potential capital receipts for disposal of the land at market value is considered justified in view of the expected sporting, health, and economic development benefits".

The maximum timescale for the construction is five years, according to the council's report.

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