THE FUTURE of a popular recreation ground in Rugby has been secured after it was bought by the council.
Rugby Borough Council (RBC) has bought the freehold of GEC Recreation Ground – allaying concerns raised after the site recently appeared listed for auction with a guide price of £500 to £1,000.
The council contacted the Birmingham-based auctioneer and landowner St Modwen in a bid to head-off uncertainty over the park’s future.
Terms were agreed, and the council has now signed the contracts to complete the deal.
The council had signed a 50-year lease on the 5.4 hectare site off Hillmorton Road in 2007 with St Modwen.
RBC leader Coun Michael Moran said securing the future of the recreation ground was ‘vitally important’ – and in line with the ‘Better, Greener, Fairer’ agreement struck by the council’s Labour and Liberal Democrat groups on taking control of the council in June.
He added: “Despite having 33 years of our 50-year lease to run and the recreation ground’s ‘open space’ status protected by other legislation, we understood the uncertainty the auction listing created in the community and wanted to act decisively to secure the future of the site.
“I’d like to thank both St Modwen and the auctioneers for working with us to get the deal over the line in such a short space of time.”
The site was protected as a public open space in the Rugby Borough Local Plan 2011-2031.
The council has already committed to protecting the park’s open space and sports pitches in a review of the plan, which is now underway.
The council’s Playing Pitch and Outdoor Sport Strategy – published last year – also recommended the protection and enhancement of the recreation ground’s football pitches and senior rugby pitch.
After completing the purchase, the council now plans to guarantee GEC Recreation Ground remains protected by applying for Fields in Trust status – joining Caldecott Park, Whitehall Recreation Ground, and the recreation grounds in Alwyn Road and Featherbed Lane as a legally-protected public open space.
Coun Jerry Roodhouse, leader of RBC’s Liberal Democrat group, said the purchase protected a vital community asset.
He said: “I’d like to thank officers for moving swiftly on this matter to conclude a deal after getting this valuable community asset removed from auction.
“The recreation ground is well used and well loved by many sports teams and residents, and I’m glad we have now secured it for future generations.”
