Salford Red Devils may be on the brink of a crucial development regarding their stadium before the upcoming Super League season. The expiration of the tenancy agreement with the stadium initially left the club in a precarious position, potentially jeopardizing their Super League status and violating IMG’s minimum standards.
They have successfully negotiated a deal for the 2024 season, and now the Mayor of Salford, Paul Bennett, is advocating for the council to take full ownership of the stadium to ensure the future of Salford. The council is scheduled to convene on February 13th, shortly before the club kicks off their season against Leeds Rhinos.
Important Salford Red Devils letter
Bennett explained the situation in a letter shared on X. He said:
“I am writing to follow up on the recent pre-decision Growth & Prosperity Scrutiny Panel meeting held on Monday, February 5th, 2024, as well as the subsequent meeting with yourself and Councillor Les Turner, alongside John Searle, Executive Director of Place, and Rachel Rosewell, Chief Finance Officer, on Thursday, February 8th, 2024. These discussions were centered around the upcoming Mayoral decision, in consultation with the Mayoral Team/Cabinet, regarding the full acquisition of the City of Salford’s Community Stadium, which is scheduled for consideration by the Cabinet on Tuesday, February 13th, 2024.
I would like to express my gratitude to both yourself and Councillor Les Turner, as well as all members of the Growth & Prosperity Scrutiny Panel, for your meaningful engagement in the pre-decision scrutiny process. This demonstrates a commitment to productive collaboration in the best interests of the City of Salford, its residents, families, children, young people, and communities.
Your involvement, along with Councillor Les Turner’s, builds upon the engagement of the Salford Conservative Party Group with the Statement of Strategic Intent and In Principle decisions previously made and endorsed by the City Council’s governance and Cabinet on March 14th and July 24th, 2023, respectively. As you are aware, these decisions, made back in 2009/10, were aimed at establishing a new home for the Salford Red Devils (RFLC), ensuring the continued participation of this 150-year-old club in the Super League. Additionally, they aimed to enable the club to generate revenue through activities at the Community Stadium and ultimately deliver a facility for the benefit of residents, families, children, young people, and communities in the City of Salford.”
In addition to the more recent Statement of Strategic Intent and In Principle decisions, I have consistently adhered to the original decisions made by the City Council in 2009/10 to deliver a Community Stadium within the City of Salford, which would serve as the home for the Salford Red Devils (RFLC). Throughout this entire process, especially when alternative options were found to be inadequate for achieving the desired outcomes for the City of Salford, I have remained committed to these initial decisions.
For me, the City of Salford’s Community Stadium represents a significant regeneration and economic development initiative. It has not only raised the profile of the City of Salford but has also provided a permanent home for a club with a 150-year history, which has made substantial contributions to the city over the years. This initiative has created employment opportunities, attracted new businesses to the area, and revitalized a previously neglected part of the city.
While I acknowledge that there is still work to be done in terms of regeneration and economic development in this area, including the delayed process of land disposals and associated developments, it’s important to consider the challenges we have faced, such as austerity measures, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more recent challenges related to inflation and interest rates that the City Council is currently navigating.
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