Northampton Town Football Club are pleased that Wednesday's Northampton Borough Council's Cabinet committee meeting agreed that the authority can start work with Northampton Town Football Club and the Homes & Communities Agency to redevelop Sixfields and the surrounding area.
While this is very welcome news, there is still a lot of hard work ahead and a number of issues still to be resolved. To see this project through to a successful conclusion there must be a total commitment from all parties and we must be wary of not allowing timescales to slip.
The situation at the football club will not change overnight and it is worth remembering that when the club started this project, our near neighbours Milton Keynes did not even have a football club. Now they have a club playing in a superb stadium and are hoping to be a host city in a future world cup. That is an example of how far behind this town and this project has slipped.
For us in Northampton, the real work starts here.
Speaking after Wednesday's Council Cabinet meeting had backed the scheme, Chairman David Cardoza said, "While the club is, organisationally and from a community point of view, in much better shape than when we arrived, both on the field and with the re-development we are in many ways now, back to square one and where we were when I arrived at the club.
"This season could and should be the start of sustained progress both on and off the field. We now have the basis of an agreement with and a commitment from Northampton Borough Council and our development partners and we know what needs doing. Now we have to do it.
"This deal is good for the athletics club, who will get a brand new competition standard track, it's good for Northampton Borough Council who will get more social housing and we must ensure that it is good for the Football Club so we can deliver more and more benefits to the local community through our work. It is also good for our supporters who also deserve this after so many false dawns in the past.
"We have sat around for 5 years waiting to try and get this deal done. We are now playing catch up and need to make up for lost time. I expect a development agreement to be reached within one month and to be applying for planning permission in the autumn. If we can reach agreement, then we will be very pleased, but we also need to see some real action.
"We need all political parties to be on board with this, and to put aside political differences to help us deliver something that the whole community of Northampton can be proud of."
Director Tony Clarke added, "The hard work starts here. Northampton Borough Council has to understand from the beginning what is required from them in order to achieve joint and shared ambitions, they must ensure that real time and resources are dedicated to this project.
"We now have to deliver an enhanced Community Stadium, without large scale retail income, in a depressed market, within the parameters set by the Council, so every penny will count. Time and events have not been good to us so far, but we are as determined as ever to succeed and give Northampton and its fans a facility befitting a town of our size."
