Changes to leases at AFC Telford's ground

Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet is set to approve changes to leases relating to the West Stand at the stadium to allow the club and New College shared rights of access and use of the facilities.

Problems in the current lease first came to light when AFC Telford United's lease was renewed in 2010.

Areas used by, and assumed to have been in the control of, the football club were included that had not been in their previous lease.

These issues prevent the lease from being registered at Land Registry, which has been a problem for the football club.

Some of these issues are currently dealt with by way of a local agreement but they are not formally covered in the existing terms of the lease.

Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet is being asked to delegate authority to officers to agree variations on the existing lease agreements.

Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet lead for issues relating to AFC Telford United, said: "The council owns the freehold of part of the site and our ownership is subject to two long leasehold interests, one with the fooball club and the other with New College.

"New College recently purchased the Whitehouse Hotel and the West Stand to extend their offer within their overall curriculum .

"This will mean students can gain valuable experience working in the hotel and leisure facilities and this venture is seen as an excellent delivery model and a major opportunity for the community.

"However, we have identified that the original lease agreement has some shortcomings that need to be addressed and we need to make amendments to allow both parties to run their respective operations."

In May of this year, New College in Wellington bought the Whitehouse Hotel which is attached to the New Bucks Head in order to train students in hospitality and catering.

The sale also includes AFC Telford United's west stand, which is attached to the hotel.

Teenagers are set to be able to get hands-on experience of how a hotel runs on a day-to-day basis when the new National Hotel School will open in September.