BASINGSTOKE Town Football Club has been forced to put on hold its plans to relocate because the legality of a consultation held on the proposals could be questioned.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has told the club that it cannot support its plans to build a new stadium on the council-owned land at Old Common, until the autumn, because the consultation could be “vulnerable to legal challenge”.

Whist the consultation was underway, a Supreme Court test case ruling on a consultation by the London Borough of Haringey declared that its consultation exercise on a council tax reduction scheme was unlawful, because it failed to outline alternative methods of dealing with funding cuts.

This means that Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s consultation could face a similar legal challenge, because other alternative sites considered for the club were not included.

The borough council will now review the suitability of other alternative sites.

Councillor John Izett, Cabinet member for property, finance and commissioning, said: “The council could consult again, but in light of this ruling, and taking into account that it is three years since the Cabinet agreed to the potential use of the Old Common land, senior councillors have agreed to review the availability and suitability of alternative sites to establish whether the council is in a position to support the club’s ambitions.”

The club wants to build a £10million 5,124-capacity stadium at Old Common, in Eastrop, but needs the council to agree to a land transfer.

The plans include redeveloping the current Soccer AM stadium, in Western Way, into a retail park, which will fund the new stadium and training facilities.

Rafi Razzak, chairman of Basingstoke Football Club, said he was “disappointed” about the news.

He told The Gazette: “We have been discussing a new stadium with the council for over 10 years and are disappointed at the latest turn of events as we have fully complied with all the council’s requirements at great expense over the years.

“The council selected the relocation site, after other sites had been examined and discounted by council officers and the cabinet. The council also supported the public exhibitions we undertook.

“At all times we have acted with the utmost integrity and satisfied the numerous requirements imposed by the council throughout the process.

“There will be a number of community benefits that will arise from the relocation and we wish to continue to fully cooperate with the council throughout and look forward to meeting at the earliest opportunity to progress.”

The club’s plans also include providing The Costello School with an all-weather artificial training ground which would be used by the town between club training sessions.

Cllr Izett added: “Basingstoke Town Football Club, which is privately owned, has a long-held desire for a new stadium and as a council we have tried to support its ambitions to maintain the borough’s reputation for sports facilities.

“Finding a location on council-owned land that the club can afford for a new stadium, which would be built at their own expense without public funding, is by no means simple. We need to ensure that we take the right decision about council-owned land for the people of the borough.”