Charity commission blow to Latics’ stadium hopes

PLANS for a new home for Oldham Athletic have been put on hold after the Charity Commission ruled the land on which the stadium was due to be built cannot be transferred.

Oldham Council had been planning to build a new £20m, 12,000-seat community stadium and sports complex in Failsworth. Part of the site on which the new complex was due to sit was on the Royal Lancaster Club off Broadway.

The land had been held on charitable trust, and the council had proposed a land exchange scheme which had been approved by the Failsworth Trust Committee – a sub-committee of Oldham Council’s cabinet – last year.

However, the Charity Commission has ruled that the proposed transfer – swapping the Royal Lancaster land for two sites at Medlock Vale/Vale Lane and at Warwick Road in Failsworth – was not in there interests of the charity.

Oldham Council has expressed ‘disappointment’ at the ruling.

Councillor John McCann, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regeneration, said: “We are extremely disappointed to read this decision by the Charity Commission.

“Their ruling contains a lot of detailed information which we are now urgently considering before deciding what we do next.

Councillor McCann said there were still “several options” open to it, including an appeal against the commission’s decision.

“We will make a public announcement as soon as we have made a final decision.”