A Derbyshire town council is still considering an offer from a football club to take over the running of its village hall despite concerns about the lengthy process, two abandoned meetings and the resignation of seven councillors.
Shirebrook Town Football Club has expressed its wishes to take over the running of Shirebrook Village Hall, on Park Road, in the town, from Shirebrook Town Council under a not-for-profit community business securing the club’s future while renovating the village hall and ensuring its availability for community events.
However, the worried football club fears some councillors are opposed to the project and it has been delayed and that it may be refused after its initial proposal under confidential items at a meeting on June 10 was followed by two abandoned meetings which officially needed to be confidential due to legal matters for them to proceed.
A council spokesperson explained the last two meetings to discuss confidential legal agreements, on July 23 and September 4, were abandoned after a number of councillors did not agree with the proposed project, other councillors felt a public consultation should have taken place before any decision, and some did not want to take the matter forward with the public excluded.
The spokesperson said: “On June 10 under confidential items, Mr [Paul] Barthorpe came to the council and proposed that Shirebrook Town Football Club – through an associated charity company – take over the running of the village hall which is costing the council a lot of money.”
They added: “Since then we have had two abandoned meetings on the same subject to get a formalised legal agreement to take that forward.”
The football club claims that it has had to wait three months since an ‘agreement’ was made in its bid to take over the running of the village hall and that the council has been trying to force a vote over the matter.
It also argued that Cllr Sarah Brooks has failed to declare an interest in the matter because she is employed in a management role at a licensed premises linked to another popular Shirebrook football club.
And Shirebrook Town Football Club claims Cllr Martin Barber has also failed to declare an interest in the matter due to the location of his home in relation to the village hall and he has been accused of making unfavourable and inaccurate comments about the project on social media.
The football club believes that if the project is agreed it will be able to provide an upgraded community village hall while saving taxpayers tens of thousands of pounds a year with ‘zero risk’ to the council and the town.
It also stated that securing the village hall would guarantee the long-term survival of the football club after 40 years of existence with over 800 young people and adults in its system along with the only semi-professional team in Shirebrook.
A football club spokesperson stated on its Facebook page: “The village hall is still 15 years past its ‘lifespan’ and not fit for purpose, with no plans to save it, the local taxpayer is still paying over £30,000 per year to keep the village hall open and covering its losses, there are little to no community activities taking place with zero plans to be able to change this.”
The club spokesperson added: “Without a football club, a community hub, community projects led by hardworking volunteers whose sole aim is to make this town better for everyone, with zero self interests… will this town be a better place?”
Since the council began debating Shirebrook Town Football Club’s proposal seven Shirebrook Town Councillors have resigned leaving the council with only nine councillors.
Those councillors who have resigned include Steve Fritchley, Christine Dale, Pauline Chapman, Terry Chapman, Paul Harford, Vicky Kirby and Marian Stockdale.
The football club believes these resignations relate to the debate and dispute over the village hall proposal given their timing.
Shirebrook Town Council has formally published the councillor vacancies on its website and if an acceptable request is made to the area’s returning officer by September 26 elections for the positions would be scheduled to take place on November 27.
The town council has stressed the unresolved matter of the village hall is still scheduled to be discussed further at a pending council meeting.
