Councillors call to put Northampton Town stand deal on hold again amid concerns over failing to consider £2m rival bid

Councillors want to put on hold the land deal which could allow Northampton Town Football Club to finally finish its eyesore East Stand.

Members from all parties on West Northamptonshire Council called for a closer examination of plans to sell 22 acres of former landfill around Sixfields stadium to Cobblers' owners.

Part of the £890,000 deal with County Developments (Northampton) Ltd — owned by club chairman Kelvin Thomas and director David Bowers — contains an agreement to complete work on stand within five years or sell the land back for £1.

Council officers ruled out a counter bid of more than £2million from developers Cilldara over fears of an expensive legal battle with the club over leases it already holds on the land.

A special council meeting on Monday (February 21) also heard Cilldara recently made an improved offer which would see it assume risk for breaking leases with the football club.

But officers confirmed there would not be enough time to study more options before the Tory-controlled council's cabinet is due to make a decision on Monday (February 28).

Labour group leader Gareth Eales said: "I want the deal done and I want that stand completed but I don't understand how you can have a deal on the table for £890,000 when there's a second deal for £2 million which we can't consider.

"It would be crazy for us not to say 'hang on a minute, we need to have another look at this'."

The deal has already been held up once by Cilldara's counter bid after it looked set to get the nod last year.

Councillors expressed concerns over Thomas and Bowers' plans for the land, which includes a derelict athletics track, green space and an area alongside retail and entertainment units in Walter Tull Way.

Officers said the £890,000 price had been set by independent assessors and forced down by the amount of remedial work which would need to be carried out to make it suitable for development.

But Conservative Councillor James Hill said: "This land is worth something — one offer is double what the other one is.

"I would like to see some sort of stake in that future development profit because there has to be something there.

"These people are business and I don't have a problem with them making money as long as taxpayers of West Northamptonshire also can benefit from that.

"The land is going nowhere so I don't see how a few more months can harm the deal."

Duston Tory Councillor Nigel Hinch added: "Why does the club want to buy toxic land? We should have other valuations brought forward."

"There should be stipulations in what they will do as opposed to selling it on to other developers."

Work to expand Sixfields' capacity was started by former owners David and Anthony Cardoza in 2014 using money loaned by Northampton Borough Council but never finished.

Lib-Dem Councillor Sally Beardsworth added: "There are so many unanswered questions.

"We don't know how the club is going to pay for the stand on top of already quite considerable debt. We don't know if that's going to be cleared by this development or not.

"The owners have been in charge for six years and you would think to show good intent they would have done something already."