Rugby sports ground site in Milton Keynes set to be sold for 100 homes

The site lies near to the A5 in Milton Keynes

Numerous arson attacks and vandalism led to the 2016 demolition of the clubhouse at the 13.12 acre Greenleys Rugby Football Club’s site, off Field Lane in Greenleys.

Milton Keynes Council, which owns the fenced off area says the site has had a “chequered history”. The council and the Parks Trust, the 999-year leaseholder, would split the money from the sale down the middle.

A report by the council’s commercialisation lead for property, Ed Palmieri, said: “The Parks Trust let the site up to July 2011 to the Milton Keynes Rugby Union Football Club which surrendered its lease with the building in a heavily dilapidated condition.”

It was then leased to Wolverton Town Sport and Social Club CIC, but Mr Palmieri says: “There ensued multiple breaches of the repair and maintenance covenant which resulted in the Parks Trust taking back possession in 2016. The site was then boarded up and following numerous arson attacks and other damage in 2016 the building was demolished for safety reasons.”

Housebuilder Bellway Homes has estimated that 6.31 acres of the site could host 100 new homes with a minimum of 87,000 sq-ft of accommodation.

The sale of the homes, about 30 per cent of which would be affordable, would then help to pay £1.65million for, and build, a 3G sports pitch and 4 four-team changing room.

Sport England, the council, the Parks Trust, and Bellway Homes, have already been involved in discussions over the new sporting venue, which would include floodlighting and parking. There would also be room for a “local area of play.”

Once the sports facility is completed, it will be to handed to the Parks Trust or to Wolverton and Greenleys Town Council to be managed.

Progress depends on approval from the relevant cabinet member, Rob Middleton, who is due to make a delegated decision on Tuesday, April 9. His officers have recommended he agree to it.

It also depends on the council’s own planning committee approving an application to build homes on the site and there have already been discussions behind the scenes to bring that forward within the next six months.