A joint plan which could see Basingstoke Town become a community football club playing at a new location in the borough has been welcomed by the borough council.

At a meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s (BDBC) Community, Environment and Partnerships Committee on Wednesday night, Basingstoke Town Community Football Club and Hampshire Football Association put forward a partnership proposal to work together and move the football club to Winklebury, the home of Hampshire Football Association, possibly from the start of the 2018/19 season.

The proposal laid out shared objectives of the two parties to increase participation in football and quality of performance, working in partnership to secure benefits at Winklebury for the good of the club, local football and the community.

It included the football club moving to Winklebury, plans for an artificial grass pitch and considering the requirements of existing users such as Basingstoke Town Ladies FC, local schools and Winklebury Wizards.

Speaking after the meeting, BDBC councillor Simon Bound, cabinet member for communities and community safety, said: “This is a new era for the club and for football in the borough as a whole. As a council we have encouraged a collaborative approach involving the newly formed community-owned club committee, the football club’s Interim Management Group and Hampshire FA, as our county advocates for football.

"Working together with the fans and the community of Basingstoke, they propose to develop and deliver a realistic, sustainable and supported plan that allows Basingstoke Town Community Football Club to thrive and achieves wider community benefits.

“It is really good news that they have got the ball rolling. It is still a long process and one that must involve and engage all parts of the local community to ensure that proposals are developed that are widely supported and bring benefits for all. This is a bold step but the right one and I encourage people and businesses in the borough to get behind the community club and support it.”