Wednesbury Rugby Football Club will take over the town’s publicly owned site in Woden Road, its home for more than 20 years, as part of a ‘community asset transfer’ with Sandwell Council.
The asset transfer, which allows community organisations to take on a long lease of a publicly owned building, would see the rugby club pay £1 a year on the 35-year lease.
The 104-year-old club boasts more than 300 members and over 100 players.
As part of the agreement, Sandwell Council said Wednesbury Rugby Club would be making a “significant investment” in Woden Road including building a new clubhouse, relaying astroturf, installing pitch drainage and working alongside the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to support grassroots rugby.
The club’s 25-year lease with the council for Wednesbury Rugby Club ends in 2032.
Sandwell Council said it needs to cut £2.5m from its property budget this year to help balance its books.
This has and will include the sale of several buildings and publicly owned sites including sports grounds and community and leisure centres.
If councillors approve the ‘asset transfer’ at a meeting on July 30, then the rugby club would be responsible for the cost of maintaining the grounds.
The cabinet report said the current market rental for the site is £12,500 a year and is valued at around £200,000.
“The grant of a 35-year lease at an annual £1 rent means the council is foregoing the market rent that would be payable for the property during that period. This is mitigated by the effective transfer of responsibility for the repair, maintenance and insuring of the property to the proposed tenant; and the broader community benefits to the area.”
The club’s plans include boosting youth rugby and hosting more inclusive groups and events.
The cabinet report said: “Alongside the senior rugby setup, the club also host numerous events and user groups at the club, and as part of developing this further, will be setting up Wednesbury rugby for young children, introducing walking rugby, supporting development of girls and women’s rugby, offering touch rugby to support health and wellbeing, exercise classes, along with introducing other community groups to the club.”
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