Crunch meeting to decide if Northampton Town £2m-plus bid wins deal for council-owned Sixfields land

Councillors will get a straight choice at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday night (March 8) aimed at settling the wrangle over selling land next to Northampton Town Football Club.

Rival £2 million-plus bids from both the club and a private development firm will be on the table for 22 acres of former landfill between Sixfields and St James, which is currently owned by West Northamptonshire Council and leased by the club.

Council officers previously recommended accepting the football club’s original £890,000 offer which came with strings attached compelling owners Kelvin Thomas and David Bower to finish off the eyesore East Stand.

But both Cobblers and Cilldara have since upped their offers to £2.05 million and many councillors outside the cabinet are now concerned residents could be missing out on millions by going for a quick sale rather than putting the land on the open market.

Property experts have already told the council that Cobblers’ original £890,000 offer was a fair price considering the amount of work it would take to get the toxic land ready for development. But councillors are still sure to face calls to delay the deal for a THIRD time to explore other options.

Cilldara’s bid does not include the derelict running track site next to Sixfields while the firm has also offered to cover the council’s costs of what would likely be a long and costly legal battle with the club to break leases and free up the land for development.

County Developments (Northampton) Ltd — which is owned by Northampton Town FC — last week matched the Cilldara cash offer having previously agreed to pay £890,000 before Christmas.

It wants to buy the running track land and transfer it to the club alongside the Sixfields stadium, following pleas from Cobblers Supporters Trust to protect an asset of community value.

Finance portfolio holder, Councillor Malcolm Longley last week admitted the sale has been "bedevilled by twists and turns."

He added: “Both offers are being considered, based on extensive professional advice, and officers are recommending that we accept the offer from CDNL.

“As I’ve said previously, land and lease ownership in this area is complex and it’s really important that we factor this into our thinking.”

Tonight’s cabinet meetings will be streamed live on the council’s YouTube channel.