Over the past few days, or should that be weeks, months and years, there have been various comments made in respect of the football club and it's intentions for Sixfields.

We appreciate that supporters and non supporters alike will want to have answers to the many questions raised. Below we state the truth in relation to eight often repeated issues related to the Sixfields development for the benefit of the people of Northampton.

All of the answers can be backed up by the football club, and we are happy to place all supporting documentation in the public domain as required.

MASTERPLAN
The present administration took, through its cabinet in June 2008, a decision to deal with the Sixfields Area by 'Masterplan' to speed up the planning process and deal with the issue away from the wider 'Joint Core Strategy.' The football club and others have attended meetings with the council to progress this Masterplan. On the 28th November 2008 all landowners were written to by the Council informing them that the Masterplan had been put on hold because of a planning inquiry at Sixfields and that Consultants who were to be contracted in October would now not be asked to tender until after the inquiry had reported. At our meeting with the Council on 10th December, the Council, through one of its officers, told us that "No further work would be done on the Masterplan" and that as for consultants being engaged, "Not one further penny will be spent on engaging consultants." This is at odds with comments from politicians and from the Chief Executive in a communication to one of the town's MP's. As a result, as a football club, we now have no idea as to whether the Masterplan is still to happen, but having been informed by letter that it was to be delayed and then at a meeting that it was not to proceed, we have difficulty accepting comments that it is still being progressed.

RETAIL AT SIXFIELDS
The football club expressed a wish to develop a District Centre at Sixfields in 2005, at the same time that the Council themselves proposed a District Centre on the Weedon Road. In 2006 we were told that the Council had changed it's policy on widespread retail at Sixfields and we were asked to reduce any retail element in any proposal. In 2007 this was reduced further and plans for a compromise scheme of housing and a garden centre with limited 'leisure retail' including (Cafe, Camping shop, outdoor clothing etc) were proposed. This was the plan which was being worked on as part of any Masterplan. The council are aware of the name of the company looking to locate at Sixfields and have in the past given cautious encouragement to such a reduced plan. Again at the meeting on 10th December the Council informed NTFC, LXB (our development partner) and the HCA (Home and Communities Agency) that the garden centre proposal we suggested was not possible and that any retail which 'inadvertently or in any other way' affected the town centre would be rejected.

CACI REPORT (see http://www.northampton.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=624&pageNumber=1)
The CACI report (CACI are a UK analyst company) is a report commissioned by the Borough Council in conjunction with the Town Centre Partnership which concludes that allowing any retail outside of the town centre in Northampton would be detrimental to the town's long term future. NTFC have had no problems with accepting the needs of the town centre to be an important factor in any decision, and our compromise position of a garden centre project (which could not be placed in the town centre) is a response to those concerns. However the Council have made comments recently regarding the unsuitability of the Borough Council being seen to be supportive of a private business. However the CACI report was commissioned by the Council and the Town Centre Partnership (which includes in it's membership Legal and General, Debenhams and the House of Fraser (Beatties)) all of whom would benefit from a policy of zero retail outside of the town centre. NTFC have also made it clear that enhancements to the Community Stadium would be tangible and enable new facilities for the Study Support Centre, an Adult Learning Centre, a community cafe and additional facilities for the Club's charitable arm 'Football in the Community' to operate.

CREDIT CRUNCH
Current economic conditions are continually quoted as reasons that the development might be delayed. This is not a planning matter, and delivery is the responsibility of the developer not the Council. Indeed the same could be said about the deal for the Grosvenor Centre. We have made it clear to the Council that our development partner already has a client lined up for the Garden Centre project and that we would be prepared to work with government agencies on the development of key worker and affordable housing to assist the town to reach it's strategic targets.

COST/BENEFIT TO THE TAX PAYER OF NORTHAMPTON
It is often stated that any development would be at cost to the Council Tax payer. This is not true. Most of the development gain would come from other land owners, not the council. The football club's request is to use the land which they have a lease on for 150 years as part of the wider development site. The Council cannot use this land for 150 years without changing the lease. At the time the lease was taken on by NTFC, the Council were spending in excess of £500,000 a year running the Sixfields Stadium. This is a cost which has been saved by the Borough Council year on year since 2004 and absorbed since by the football club. Staffing levels at Sixfields have been reduced since 2004 and the football club has borne all of the redundancy costs which would have fallen on the council and/or its agent were the lease not to have been signed.

OTHER LANDOWNERS
Other landowners have expressed their willingness to work with NTFC subject to a Joint Venture being agreed and to make available development gain from their land to enable improvements to the Community Stadium to be achieved. LXB and the football club are already in a Joint Venture and this is mentioned on their web site. (see http://www.lxbproperties.com/properties/northampton.html)

ATHLETICS TRACK
An agreement is already in place with the athletics club giving them security of prior relocation at nil cost subject to any development taking place.

HOTEL
Contrary to the reported position, the legal work needed to be completed by the Council relating to the construction of a new hotel at Sixfields has still not been completed. Delays on this project over the last two years have led to two potential hotel partners withdrawing from the scheme.