Council offer Leeds United training ground deal
LEEDS City Council is to make an offer to Leeds United to buy its Thorp Arch training ground and then rent it back to the club.
Councillors have ruled out loaning the club the money to buy the complex near Wetherby but have put together plans to borrow the money to buy it and then lease it back to the League One club, which is headed by chairman Ken Bates.
Thorp Arch was sold in 2004 to Manchester businessman Jacob Adler and an option to buy it back for around £6m expires on October 10.
Full details of the offer to Leeds United by the council have not been revealed but it said that any deal would secure use of the 12-hectare training facility for the Olympics, the 2013 & 2015 Rugby World Cups, and the 2018 Football World Cup, along with increased Leeds United community activity across the city.
Councillor Andrew Carter, executive board member responsible for city development said: “Officers have been in discussions with Leeds United and have been investigating the financial and legal considerations. Our main concern is that this arrangement must not ultimately be paid for by the council taxpayers of Leeds, so before we agree to anything we must be satisfied that all of our costs would be fully covered by the club’s rent payments and security bonds.
“We will now be putting a proposal to the club based on a set lease. We have made it very clear on what basis we are able to help and hope Leeds United are able to accept these terms.”
Shaun Harvey, chief executive of Leeds United, said: “We are pleased that the executive board of the council, following our outline discussions, to forward an offer to assist with the re-purchase.
“As always it would be sensible for us to wait to receive the details of the offer before commenting any further but would like to place on record our thanks to all those who have spent time in considering our request.”
Councillor Richard Brett, leader of the council, added: “A successful Leeds United is undoubtedly a great asset to the city so we have explored many options to see how we can help. We hope the proposals we will be putting to them will be acceptable.
“However there are still some key legal issues to be resolved here and a deal is by no means certain, but the two parties continue to work together well to try and deliver the best outcome for the club and the city”.
Council officers will now report back to the main party leaders prior to the deadline.
Leeds United had previously told the council that it was unable to borrow the money to buy the training back because of its administration two years ago and the impact of the recession.
